Need help restoring data from a HDD - anyone up to the task?

[IgoByte]

Hi folks,

I'm about to try to restore some important data from a HDD in question. I'm not actually sure if the drive is dead, but it hasn't been working for me. I wasn't able to boot from it (the drive has an OS and a Storage partition).
The HDD is an IBM Ultrastar 18LZX or DMVS-18V, 18GB in capacity, and has a U160 interface with 10K RPM. The controller it'll be mounted on is a Tekram DC-390U3W and I'll be using an LVD cable with terminator.

Any suggestions, insights or anything else? I could use some help.

 

[IgoByte]

Update:

After connecting the drive to my SCSI controller, it shows up as follows:
HBA: 0 / ID: 0 / LUN: 0 / Vendor: IBM / Product: DMVS / Rev: 0100 / Sync: 160.0 / Wide: 16 / INT13: nothing / CYL/HD/SEC: nothing

I still am unable to see the drive. . .It makes noise as if it worked fine.

 

[azkiwi]

did you try running any IBM diagnostics on it?

bump

 

[techfuzz]

Run the IBM Drive Fitness Test on the drive to see if it can be saved. Link provided below.

IBM DFT

 

[IgoByte]

Originally posted by: techfuzz
Run the IBM Drive Fitness Test on the drive to see if it can be saved. Link provided below.

IBM DFT

Already done it. It does detect the drive on both ID 0 and 3 (I had put it in alone and then in addition to my existing setup), and it sees it as an IBM drive, etc, but it's unable to actually do a test... It comes up with some sort of error.

 

[techfuzz]

Originally posted by: IgoByte

Originally posted by: techfuzz
Run the IBM Drive Fitness Test on the drive to see if it can be saved. Link provided below.

IBM DFT

Already done it. It does detect the drive on both ID 0 and 3 (I had put it in alone and then in addition to my existing setup), and it sees it as an IBM drive, etc, but it's unable to actually do a test... It comes up with some sort of error.

If it can't actually do the test then the drive is dead and no end user like you or I can restore the data from it. If the data is so critical that you cannot begin to go on with life without it, there are companies that specialize in data recovery from failed hard disks. Warning: They are very expensive!!!

If you can go on with life, check to see if the drive is still under warranty. Somewhere on the IBM website is an RMA form and it can check to see if your drive is still under warranty.

BTW, did you check or do you know that the controller/cable is good and in working order?

techfuzz

 

[IgoByte]

Originally posted by: techfuzz

Originally posted by: IgoByte

Originally posted by: techfuzz
Run the IBM Drive Fitness Test on the drive to see if it can be saved. Link provided below.

IBM DFT

Already done it. It does detect the drive on both ID 0 and 3 (I had put it in alone and then in addition to my existing setup), and it sees it as an IBM drive, etc, but it's unable to actually do a test... It comes up with some sort of error.

If it can't actually do the test then the drive is dead and no end user like you or I can restore the data from it. If the data is so critical that you cannot begin to go on with life without it, there are companies that specialize in data recovery from failed hard disks. Warning: They are very expensive!!!

If you can go on with life, check to see if the drive is still under warranty. Somewhere on the IBM website is an RMA form and it can check to see if your drive is still under warranty.

BTW, did you check or do you know that the controller/cable is good and in working order?

techfuzz

Thanks fuzz...

Yes, I do know that the cable itself is fine, because I'm using two other devices on it just fine. The drive itself is probably dead, and I really don't care about getting a replacement. It's just that the data on it was quite valuable.

Thanks again for the input.

 

[Viper96720]

If someone knew how like a person that repairs drives. Could you remove the platter(s) and put them in another same model drive? Would it work or not ?

 

[IgoByte]

Originally posted by: Viper96720
If someone knew how like a person that repairs drives. Could you remove the platter(s) and put them in another same model drive? Would it work or not ?

I'll second the platter question... The way I see it, it should work, but it must be a pretty delicate procedure, if it's possible.

 

[techfuzz]

I suspect that is what they do at these disk drive recovery companies. I believe that the actual container that holds the platters is pressurized and is sterile so the environment in which they do this recovery process is probably the same.

techfuzz

 

[TonyB]

If you live in the Bay Area, California. There is a place that does data recovery from broken hard drives. Forget the name of the company but they charge $100 for a estimate, and the recovery ranges from $500 to $2500.

 

[dkozloski]

A common drive failure is called a head crash where the read/write head has a crash landing on the platter and plows a furrow in the magnetic coating. Recovering data from this is a real challange. The damaged coating fills the inside of the drive with abrasive dust and the whole shebang is toast.

 

[IgoByte]

Damn, I think I'm just out of luck...

Thanks guys.