Dear users,
I have had a strange case for my first time, I will explain here.
I have reeplaced the PCB and the disk started to be recognized by computer and for a while I was able to see all partitions.
But after Pc restart(disk blocked) Now I can see and enter only in the disk and the system partition(few megabytes), but I can't open anymore the big partitions with data.
management show partitions, but PC seems to go blocking and charging a lots without any results.
I tried Scandisk,sector automatic regeneration(it goes crazy and shows fastly all bad sectors without really scan them, like an error),hirens and some windows data recovery software, without any result.

Any advice for me?
Thanks

alphabike, Is that a refurb or a data recovery attempt?
If this is a DR attempt, it's not advisable to run Scandisk on a falty drive, nor sector automatic regeneration.
If it is still recognized as a device on OS, assuming you don't have a PC-3k or any firmware tools, I would run a Parted Magic or HddSuperClone and create a image of the entire drive on a healthy one, then run a data recovery software.

He will not be able to clone it. he will have error disk reporting wrong size

Did you replaced the Rom chip?

_________________
https://cslpc.ca/

CSL PC, Oh.. yeah, you're right.. I pre assumed that he did it. Sorry...

it's a data recovery attempt, but I didn't a Scandisk because, it has recognized it has but shows RAW partition, and with RAW procedure it doesn't work anyway, so I wasn't able to do it.
Sorry, I was wrong didn't it, I did only pre-scan regeneration, I didn't it because if I do a pre-scan it recognize bad sectors everywhere so fastly, (maaybe without scan really) a sort of error.
Otherwise this type of software take care of data without cancel data as described from producter.
I tried some recovery data programs in Hirens, but without any result, the same for Wondershare tools in Windows or R-Studio.
In windows the disk block easily the system, with a bootable version it recognize it easily.
How to procedee in these situations?

PCB has been replaced, it was faulty, and firmware chip has been swapped too. The drive now it's recognized and system partition too, I can access in this little partition. For a while the other partions have been recognized, but after a restart it has gone in "blocked status", so partions are detected but I can't access in the big partitions with data.
I tried with photorec, it has showed an error as " 240 head map wrong"- "number of heads/cylinder mismatches". Is it a hint?
No, I haven't PC-3000...

alphabike, you don't have partition to recover, so testdisk and photorec will give you this warning.
This drive can have some bad sectors, soI would try it with MHDD and see how it behaves on a lower level first.
If it is not so much degraded (not so much read error on MHDD), i would create a image on a healthy drive using ddrescue (disabling SMART with smartmontools first) on a Linux distro that doen't try to mount drive on starting (Lubuntu or PartedMagic).

Do not run a test with MHDD. Just imagine testing the drive, and reading 40% of the sectors before it finally crashes. Now you have absolutely nothing to show for it. If anything, start with a sector-by-sector clone with ddrescue or hddsuperclone, assuming your data is not worth sending to a local pro, likely for a few hundred bucks.

_________________
Luke
Recovery Force Data Recovery

lcoughey, I started with MHDD to see how heads behave, not to do a full drive scan (sorry for not making this clear, my engish is not so good too). Isn't it a good thing to do?

lcoughey, I mean, just for a few sectors on 2 or 3 different places of the drive..

Many thanks to all for your support, I'm trying to understand how these utilities work and maybe do this last attempt.
Sometimes when it go can't be read, it starts strange rumors as continuos head on/off.

A question and doubt?

If an hard drive can't be read correctly (can't open partitions), how it can be cloned?

Is it different from a classic clone?

alphabike, If it's making any noise, don't try anything else. Send it to a professional DR company.

alphabike, Tools like ddrescue (https://www.gnu.org/software/ddrescue/m ... anual.html) allows you to create a sector-by-sector copy of a slightly problematic drive, skiping bad sectors and allowing you to control how this copy will be done.
A classic clone (like Clonezilla) works only on a good drive, and must never be used on a falty one.

hi. can you tell us what is the hard drive brand. sometimes it has firmware issue like partiall sector access or other firmware problems. sometimes heads reading error.


somehow if you have important data, better contact DR PROFFESIONAL.

Thank you,it's a Barracuda 7200.12.

Yes, it's sure a valid option a DR service, I work with PCs and I'm starting to practice with DR too.
So, I will try with another bad disk not important for me. I want try DDRescue. Is it very good?

Is it very good as software?

Yes, a valid option for emergency data, but I'm practice more on DR, maybe in future I want work with it, it's so intriguing.

ddrescue and hddsuperclone will not work. He'll receive an error. What's the size showing? Is it correct size?

_________________
https://cslpc.ca/

I haven't still checked these utilities. It gives me errors in Photorec or Scandisk/Pre-Scan regeneration. Size of partitions seems good in computer management, but they can't be opened in "computer resources". I'm learning new procedures, but maybe, disk will go to a DR center.
Many thanks

Thanks to anyone, I'm trying this utility. I have just found another old disk with the same problem, now no important data on it.

Only file system partition visible, no smart, "unknown device 500gb in Linux". Maybe a corrupted firmware? ( I can access to file system partition, a bad fimrware is able to do this? )
I have just started the recovery with Ddrescue, it goes on but With "0" Byte rescued", output file=0 Byte (it seems don't read data).

Any ideas?