Lost Folder - Windows crash

[dkace]

Hi,
I have a hard disk with the following problem:
-One day was ok
- Next day they tried to install i-tune over i-tune and windows crashed. Safe mode worked once, now it can't boot. CHKDSK / r or /p doesn't work, it reaches a fatal error and stops.
I am trying to help my friend here, and I offered to back up his photos. But these are in the only sector of the HDD I can't reach!!!
My Documents file doesn't respond at all. The file name is in greek bu ti have read other greek files easily.
I suspect that something is wrong with the initiaton of the file or aomething in this part of the track. I am running Recover my Files, but it doesn't work in this file.
Any good ideas, or tool suggestions? I will be gratefull
Thanks,
D.

 

[Atheus]

I don't know of any good free recovery tools, but I have had success using other operating systems when windows fails to read a drive (Linux specifically), and there's always the freezer trick if it turns out to be a physical problem with the drive.

 

[Bozono]

Have you tried accessing the folder by making the drive a slave on another PC??

edit. Never tried it, but many report success with GetDataBack. It should be Freeware.

 

[dkace]

Thanks guys,
I used to recovery tools and now its ok. I was on slave mode under another system and it had a very weared responce:
I could view all the drive BUT user data that i wanted to recover! No lock, or passward was applied to this folder. The OS crashed after a wrong procedure in an installation and never recovered afterwards!!!
Strange, but true, This is Microsoft WORLD!!!! Blue screens, OS that has a mind of its own etc, etc, etc.
Soon I will migrate to Linux and these days will be over!
Thanks,
D.