GolfHos

I hate asking this stuff.

Main pc.  Desktop crashed.  Took it down to move some stuff, won't come back up.  Vaio XP Media Edition.

I have the recovery discs, and have been to that point a couple of times, but it says it will take it back to factory settings.  All data lost.

The only thing I have on there that I really need/want is the pictures/movies.  You know, the point.  Well that, and 10 years of my daughters life.

I have the Unbuntu disk that Spanky gave me, and am in the process of loading it.  (In the hope of getting some O/S on the machine to get to the disk to back up some *feces*.)  On install it wants to partition the whole disk.

Will that *fudge* me? 

Should I just buy one of those HDD to usb adapters and migrate the stuff onto the laptop?  (oh, which I'll need help with too.........yeah baby.   [sm_hump] )

Help.

Dude, don't install anything on it yet. Get one of these (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817716063) and see if you can move the files to another machine.

Ok.  Will it walk me through it?  do I just plug it in?

I mean windows won't even load.  I got nothin.

Jesu Christi, dude, buy a hard drive(*), put it in a cheap case with a USB connection, and back your data the *fudge* up.  Remove drive, place in fire-safe box somewhere in house or garage.  Set appointment in Outlook or something to remind yourself to do that monthly.

FWIW, you can put the drive from your screwed-up desktop in there, copy from it to your laptop, then put it back in your desktop and keep beating your head against that wall.


(*) Or just use one from an old computer you might have lying around.  I snagged the 40GB drive from an old laptop, then bought an enclosure for ~$8.  Boom!  I can copy the entire patent work folder off the company server to easily work at home (and upload upon returning to work; we have no VPN).

The installed OS might be *fudge*ed, but it's unlikely that the entire file system is hosed. Just pull the HD and hook it up to the external enclosure. When you connect it to another Windows machine with a USB cable, the other machine might be able to read it without needing to install any drivers. Otherwise, you'll have to install it from the setup CD that will likely come with the enclosure.

[Jules]

Ok.  I think I understand what both of you are saying.

[/Jules]

I promise, I get this deal done, I'll be the backenest uppin' mother *fudge*er evar.

Not everyone has a 1.5TB RAID array at home to store *feces* on??


Anyway - yeah, try placing the drive in another PC.  gleek's suggestion may be easier than the screwdrivers and connections I usually do.  No - it most likely won't walk you through it.  Pull the drive out of the *fudge*ed up PC, put in case, plug case into operating PC, (hopefully) transfer files.

I had an old PC die once - but it was the drive that died.  Lost almost a years worth of data because of not being as actively geeky as Clive and his backup activities.  Hence, the RAID array now.  Even more geekier than Clive, without the initiative requirement.

This is where I'm confused.  I'm reading A. and B. as two separate operations.  My question is pulling the hard drive out and installing it(putting it inside where a hard drive goes) on another pc won't do anything, will it?  It's the drive that won't open windows.  Regardless of what skeleton it's in.  Or am I wrong?

I understand the idea of getting the case.  I know the drive is still good, because it will let me do anything I want.  I can still get to the recovery partition on it, or I can use the cds.  I just don't want to do that.  I'm hopeful, with that case, I'll have no problem reading it as another drive on my laptop, although my laptop is only USB 1.0.

A = pulling it from Computer A, then installing it in Computer B as a slave drive, connecting it via the ribbon.

B = pulling it from Computer A, installing it in external drive case, then just plugging it into Computer B's USB port.  (My suggestion, and the easier of the two by far.)

Neither option is intended to save the old computer (PC1). Both options are intended to get your saved pröñ onto another computer (PC2).  For option A, the fact that PC1 can't boot up with the hosed HDD is irrelevant. When you install the HDD as a slave into PC2 (presuming it's not FUBAR), PC2 should be able to read it as a 2nd non-system volume. Anyway, go with option B. Then you won't have to *fudge* with any dip switches and such to make the HDD a slave instead of a master drive.

Cool that's all I want.  I don't really care about the main machine.

I just have a ton of pr0n Maddie's pictures and movies on there.  Plus, The Point.

Oh, and Turbo Tax from 3 years running.  I don't want to have to re-enter all that *feces*.

Who??!!  Does not want to use The Ribbon?

(http://www.reason.com/UserFiles/Image/ngillespie/seinfeldribbon.jpg)

Buy a Mac!!

Bingo!!

Done.




Done.  Plugged in.  This is all I get.


(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f60/golfstroh/*fudge*inbull*feces*.jpg)


Next?

(http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp162/Sleepy_Dog/grasshopper.jpg)

[sm_scratch]  It's my image from my Photobucket account.
                 

FYI: If they see naughtiness in the file name, they'll delete it.

Ah.  I'll re name it.

anyhoo.  It's a screen cap of what I get to search the drive.

Looks like it reads it in partitions.  E:  6Gig

F:  275odd gig.  either way, it says "F:/ Not accessible.  Error performing inpage operation"
 :-\

Does the drive make any unusual noises since its failure?  Clicking?  Slight grinding?  Anything it didn't make before?

Do some searching on the error message "Not accessible.  Error performing inpage operation". I'm sure you'll be able to find some solution. If you want somebody to translate the geek-speak, post it here.

No.  Not at all.  Even when I took it out of the tower, and put it in the enclosure, it powers up and runs fine.

Found several pages of the same thing I have.  Looks promising.  cmd prompt.  chkdsk f: /r

Several people have had success.  It's running now, I'll let you know.

Damn it.  Didn't work.  :sad3: I have another option to try tonight when I get home.

Sounds weird but try this if all else fails.......

Put the disk in a zip-lock freezer bag and seal it.  Put it in the freezer for 12 hours or so.  Remove from freezer and place into case and plug it into a working PC.  If you see the drive, copy the files FAST - you may only have 10-15 minutes before it dies again.

It really does work sometimes.

Really?   Can I cut any of that time by putting it outside in MN?  Temp is currently about -1 F.  ;D

Hmmmmm, flash freezing - never tried it  ;)


If it does actually work, you owe me copies of all your pron  [sm_naughty]

Didn't work.   [sm_banghead]

Will try more stuff when I get home tonight.

 :o :(