Possible electrical damage, can my files be recovered?
March 12, 2013 8:51 AM Subscribe
Saturday night we had an "electrical event"-- the power flickered off and on several times in the space of two minutes. Immediately afterwards when I checked on the computer, I got the message: "Disk Read Error Occurred." I have a couple of questions.
No recovery attempts worked. Recovery software used showed both the hard drive and the slave had 0 files.
We bought a new computer. I have 2 questions. 1) Should I get a new surge protector? I've read that old surge protector are pretty useless and this one is maybe 8 years old. 2) Old hard drive is pata, new drive is sata. My husband thinks we can buy a cable and hook up the old drive to the new computer via USB to check for files. Is this a good idea? Is there a risk of transporting a virus to the new computer?
No recovery attempts worked. Recovery software used showed both the hard drive and the slave had 0 files.
We bought a new computer. I have 2 questions. 1) Should I get a new surge protector? I've read that old surge protector are pretty useless and this one is maybe 8 years old. 2) Old hard drive is pata, new drive is sata. My husband thinks we can buy a cable and hook up the old drive to the new computer via USB to check for files. Is this a good idea? Is there a risk of transporting a virus to the new computer?
Best answer: Here is what you need to go from hard drive to new computer on USB.
If you're having power issues, spend the extra money and get a UPS so that it can help regulate power. Something like this ought to do.
posted by deezil at 9:17 AM on March 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you're having power issues, spend the extra money and get a UPS so that it can help regulate power. Something like this ought to do.
posted by deezil at 9:17 AM on March 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you get the old drive mounted and want to try and recover data, Photo Rec is one good program that can do this.
posted by procrastination at 10:12 AM on March 12, 2013
posted by procrastination at 10:12 AM on March 12, 2013
Surge protectors will protect against voltage spikes but don't do much when the voltage drops (brownout) and/or flickers on and off. For that you really want a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). They're much more expensive than a surge protector but worth it if these types of events are frequent.
posted by tommasz at 11:38 AM on March 12, 2013
posted by tommasz at 11:38 AM on March 12, 2013
I forgot to suggest my "find deleted/corrupted files" programs that I love, but Zero Assumption Recovery and Recuva are two I use.
posted by deezil at 12:03 PM on March 12, 2013
posted by deezil at 12:03 PM on March 12, 2013
Response by poster: For that you really want a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). They're much more expensive than a surge protector but worth it if these types of events are frequent.
We live outside Raleigh and it's not something that I've noticed happening before, but just on the off chance that it happens again, I'm definitely going to buy a UPS. This has been expensive and time consuming and a bit heart-breaking.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 12:15 PM on March 12, 2013
We live outside Raleigh and it's not something that I've noticed happening before, but just on the off chance that it happens again, I'm definitely going to buy a UPS. This has been expensive and time consuming and a bit heart-breaking.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 12:15 PM on March 12, 2013
A power surge fried my computer (and I wasn't using a surge protector) and I thought I lost everything for good. I also forced my computer to turn off during a Windows update and again, I thought I lost everything for good. My hard drive failed and I thought I love everything for good. I never lost everything for good. I don't have experience with PATA hard drives, but you should definitely be able to pull the stuff off the hard drive. I'd stop trying to turn it on and use it. Get a new one and then work on recovery.
And yes, eight years is enough time you should have a new surge protector. For $50, you are insuring hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. I don't even understand why you would be at all reluctant to buy a new surge protector? If the one you have did work (which is questionable given how your PC got fried), after the big hit it just took, I'd replacement it immediately. The packaging will tell you how large of a voltage surge it can protect against and how long it should last. Just get a new one.
Never heard of UPS, and I'm not sure that's something I'd ever need as I've never had flickering, but very interesting and I personally will keep that in mind for my computer in the future.
posted by AppleTurnover at 4:01 PM on March 12, 2013
And yes, eight years is enough time you should have a new surge protector. For $50, you are insuring hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. I don't even understand why you would be at all reluctant to buy a new surge protector? If the one you have did work (which is questionable given how your PC got fried), after the big hit it just took, I'd replacement it immediately. The packaging will tell you how large of a voltage surge it can protect against and how long it should last. Just get a new one.
Never heard of UPS, and I'm not sure that's something I'd ever need as I've never had flickering, but very interesting and I personally will keep that in mind for my computer in the future.
posted by AppleTurnover at 4:01 PM on March 12, 2013
My favorite disk repair and recovery tool
http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm
posted by Hairy Lobster at 4:30 PM on March 12, 2013
http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm
posted by Hairy Lobster at 4:30 PM on March 12, 2013
Response by poster: Here is what you need to go from hard drive to new computer on USB.
If you're having power issues, spend the extra money and get a UPS so that it can help regulate power. Something like this ought to do.
I've ordered both of these things. We just have to wait and see if any part of the data is recoverable. Meanwhile I'm enjoying the new computer-- Charles Pierce's column over at Esquire no longer freezes up my browser. I just have a few more things to do (ad block, must install ad block. And some more grease monkey scripts. And DVDtoX. And Handbreak. And...and...and...)
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 11:58 AM on March 13, 2013
If you're having power issues, spend the extra money and get a UPS so that it can help regulate power. Something like this ought to do.
I've ordered both of these things. We just have to wait and see if any part of the data is recoverable. Meanwhile I'm enjoying the new computer-- Charles Pierce's column over at Esquire no longer freezes up my browser. I just have a few more things to do (ad block, must install ad block. And some more grease monkey scripts. And DVDtoX. And Handbreak. And...and...and...)
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 11:58 AM on March 13, 2013
Response by poster: Good news: most of the files were recovered. Everything in the partitioned off drives were fine, only the OS drive had issues and using recovery software we got a few things off of there as well. Still loving the new computer!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 11:30 AM on March 18, 2013
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 11:30 AM on March 18, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Mach5 at 9:00 AM on March 12, 2013