ST9750420AS read error in TestDisk

[Nixeus]

Hello my friends,

My laptops hdd, a Seagate ST9750420AS ( 750 gb / SATA) have crashed during a Windows CHKDSK.
My laptoop didn't boot, so i connect my hdd in USB to another pc in order to lookat.

First, in the Windows HDD Management, the disk is "uninitialized"

So, i open testdisk, and when i wan to look for partitions, i have : read error ( for all the sectors ).

Here is the geometry :

1431923114 / 255 / 63 with a 512 sector size.
It's false !

The right values appear to be :

91201 / 255/ 63

If i correct this, i always have "read error" when trying to find partitions.

If y quit tesdisk, and re-open testdisk, the geometry is not saved, so i have a new one : 1431923114 / 255 / 63

I'm very afraid about this because i'm software programmer and i have a lot of sources :\

Anyone could help me please ?

Thanks a lot for reading,

Best regards,

Nixeus

[Vulcan]

IMHO testdisk is not the correct approach in your situation - you should not be using its functionality to try to change anything on the existing ("problem") drive (and it's option to clone a drive is not suitable for anything except a perfectly working drive).

If the data on your drive is important, then stop now and get professional help.

i have : read error ( for all the sectors ).

This description is especially worrying, but a better diagnosis is needed - and if you try to do that diagnosis yourself, then you might make things worse. So you have to decide - either get professional help and minimise your risks of data loss; or ask for some DIY diagnosis suggestions and take the risk that you might make the situation worse (or even totally unrecoverable). Pick a choice, and its consequences.

[Nixeus]

Thanks for the answers.

Which compagny need i to contact ?
Which are the prices ?

Thanks

[Vulcan]

Prices will vary depending on the company, and typically will also depend on what problem(s) they diagnose. However I don't know any DR companies in France which I can recommend. Hopefully other members will be able to give you some suggestions. If you were prepared to ship the drive to another country, then there are professionals on this forum in the UK and Belgium (and elsewhere in mainland Europe).

P.S. The drive likely did not fail "during a Windows CHKDSK" - a drive problem occurred (or got worse) first, then Windows crashed / rebooted, and then chkdsk tried to run due to the unclean shutdown (and may have reported some error messages). Unfortunately chkdsk could have made the situation worse, if it was able to write any of its changes to the drive. I just wanted to point out that chkdsk running was not the start of your problem, based on the symptoms which you describe.

[w.simon]

Nixeus check your pm

[Nixeus]

I would like to try to solve myslef the problem, because is very expansive :\
Anyone could get me some advice or tips in order to try to solve it myself ?

Pleeassse

[w.simon]

The only sad thing here would be the end, just hoping i'm wrong.

[laptokowiec]

First of all clone your hdd.
Use ddrescue, dmde or hdclone (all are free, or free ver. allows cloning).

[Vulcan]

@Nixeus,

I would like to try to solve myslef the problem, because is very expansive :\
Anyone could get me some advice or tips in order to try to solve it myself ?

Pleeassse

Your plan means that you accept responsibility for any problems (up to and including permanent data loss) which you might cause due to inexperience in this area, misunderstandings, or even just bad luck etc.

If you accept those risks to your data then, as laptokowiec said, a typical DIY process starts by trying to clone your drive, using suitable (preferably IMHO non-Windows) software, which can cope with drives that are not perfect. For simplicity, I suggest you use (or, if needed, buy) an empty, separate drive of 750GB or greater. Your "problem" drive (750GB source drive for the clone) should be SATA-attached for best chance of success. The empty, separate drive (750GB (or greater) target drive for the clone) can be SATA-attached or USB-attached and will be overwritten by the cloning process, so it must not contain any data which you want. You should research cloning before you start, and practice the procedure using different (unimportant) drives if you are unsure about this. You must get the direction of clone (source -> target) correct. This has all been discussed here many times before, which is why I said you should do research first.

However if you are going to take the risks of attempting DIY recovery, I suggest 2 things to do first:

a) explain what happened shortly before this situation started - did anything unusual happen with the laptop e.g. did it get dropped or knocked; was it suddenly running slower; anything else unusual?

b) collect the full SMART data (including raw values) from the drive, and supply it (as screenshot or text file, whatever your preferred SMART utility can do) attached to your reply, as this data might contain clues about the severity of problem with the drive.

Edited to add:
P.S. The "problem" drive might be deteriorating, so don't leave it powered-on unnecessarily. For the same reason, you may have only one chance to make a clone (and even then, success isn't guaranteed, of course). This is why you should have everything set-up and practiced, before you try to make a clone of the "problem" drive. Don't plan on having lots of time for repeat attempts / retries using the "problem" drive - that might, or might not, be possible.

[BlackST]

My hypotesis : Notebook dropped or something physical happened including but not limited to power problems , and then SCANDISK started or CHKDSK was suggested / done as remedy, but the problem is now getting worse.
Or simply the disk is deteriorating at quick rate or something else was noticed time ago, or... (only diagnose can tell / knowing exactly the entire story).

Honestly I have nothing to add to what Vulcan said, your data = your precious sources, your choice.
In lab we use professional tools that take into safe zone diagnose and all the cloning / repair work , but it's pointless : you just want to do it yourself, so : good luck.

THe only thing you can do with FREE tools , as above, is try to clone the disk and then analyze / get data from the clone - assuming it is possible and that the idea works. The bad news is that it can remain "killed" during the process if there is media damage or some internal failure gets worse, and that there are no "safety strategies" or "exit strategies" or "plan B" if something goes wrong. Limits of such tools and of DIY.

[Nixeus]

OK, thanks for your answers.
Seagate can recover my data for 390$.
I will send them tomorow by UPS !

[Nixeus]

Edit : 390€ not 390$