Data recovery help?

[Scott Aukerman]

Hullo, everyone. Perhaps some of you computer-savvy nerds and nerdettes could assist me with a tech problem?

As some of you know, I spent a several months last year entering all of my 5,000 CDs into an external hard drive. Well, the day I finished, the hard drive took a shit and died!!

It started whirring and clicking, and wouldn't be recognized by my computer.

I took it to Melrose Mac the other day to try data recovery. About a month ago my girlfriend's hard drive took a similar shit, and they had no luck recovering anything.

So they tell me today that, again, mechanical problems in the hard drive prevented them from recovering any data. Well, no shit. I could have not paid them to tell me that it wasn't working.

They suggested another place, DriveSavers, which could cost $1,500-$4,000. No thanks. Are there any other better, cheaper solutions? I don't want to just trust Melrose Mac since they haven't been able to do anything twice.

[sparkiepop]

First of all, never go to Melrose Mac. They fuck your ass repeatedly and love it.

It sounds like the drive arm itself is screwed, maybe not the data. The drive can be recovered, it's just a matter of how much data isn't corrupted and the more you try to boot it up and use it the more fucked it becomes. It sounds like that drive is toast, though. If the data is really important to you, then I would also suggest DriveSavers (their technique is like neurosurgery, it's amazing and they really are the best). If cost is your concern, then a cheaper solution is http://www.harddrive911.com - not as reliable as DriveSavers but it's local and worth a shot.

[mike]

Just curious, are you going to get rid of the CDs?

What do you use to play the files?

I get that they take up a lot of space but I bet you'll miss how they sound on a real stereo compared through some iPod earbuds.

Sincerly,

A concerned citizen

[isoS]

He already sold them all at a yard sale a good while ago.

[mike]

Damn that Joe.

[NFox]

I had a similar problem when my Powerbook's hard drive just gave up the ghost one day. Despite still being under AppleCare at the time, if I wanted to keep my hard drive to attempt to recover it later, I had to pay. So now I have a dead hard drive, in anti-static packaging, in a drawer in my desk, in the hopes that someday I have $1500 to spend so that I can recover my files...one of which is the completed text of a book I wrote (Three years down the drain).

Word to the wise: Back up your files early and often.

Unfortunately, Scott, if you want your files recovered, you're going to probably have to pony up the cash if you want to get it done right. I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's just not a service that most companies can offer because of the resources (Like a clean room) that are required.

Good luck.

-Nick

[brewcaster]

May the Lord be with you.

[dan telfer]

I've saved my own ass with one of these:

http://www.wiebetech.com/products/Co...ngavailability