Hi, I hope that it is OK for me to post here. I am not a tech, simply an end user.
In April I had been using my Toshiba as I usually did over the last 5 years. It has run fine and no viruses etc. I use the computer for my work.
I was working on a project for the entire day and a half before the fateful moment.
I had saved my work, shut down the laptop Toshiba satellite with windows xpsp3. I came back to finish off my project and the blue screen with the message the said 'windows was not allowed to start in order to avoid damage.....". I shut the computer off and tried to stat it in 'safe mode'. The safe mode screen started up and only a few of the white horizontal written lines came up and then nothing else.
My tech that I used in past years moved from here a couple of years ago and I have had no issues and so did not attempt to find a new one.
In this instance I inquired with a neighbor who had only used one tech and that was to install some apps.
He told me to phone him, which I did and he said to bring the computer down and he would mirror it onto my external HDD. He tried to do this but he said he could get nothing.. so I went to pick it up and he was busy using an anti-virus program on the unit which I did not ask him to do and he said now the drive would not spin and the BIOS was unidentiable.
I was not happy with this antivirus app use, so I took my notebook and phoned around and talked to friends that have used recovery companies.
One was recommeded to me so I completed their form and was told that they would charge only a fee if they recovered my critical files, which I listed and included Complete Outlook 2003 PST, My Documents, My Desktop, My I.E. Favorites.
The company had the notebook for 3 weeks and called to tell me that the heads were broken and that it would take sometime to find 'donor' heads....up to a month b/c the drive was a 2005. All of the work was done in their 'clean roon' as a a logical recovery was not possible.
I said to the tech that I was anxious to get the drive data back if it were possible and he said that it would be highly unlikely that he would find the 'donor' soon b/c he needed to get one close to the model number and with the same firmware.
The tech phoned me 2 days later and said that I could pick up my drive and that no data was found. I was shocked b/c he said how difficult it was going to be to find the 'donor'.
I don't know if all the work was actually done b/c they don't give a report.
Now I have had a 2nd company recommended to me who just did a recovery for a client who used the same company that I used without success.
I don't know about these head issues, "BIOS unreadable", "drive won't spin", "heads broken".
As a result I am in a quandry as to whether I should send this drive in again and try or whether this scenario is a "dead issue".
Frankly I don't know exactly what the first company did.
I look forward to your experienced response.
Thank you.

Depending on what they did on your disk you can have 0 to 100% possibilities to get your data back. Need to refer to a REPUTABLE pro.
If the drive has already been opened (necessarily or not) the bill will be much higher. Don't expect a "no data no fee" basis on a case like this.
Everything is possible.

Hopefully, that company did not open your drive.
At present point, you should refer to someone reputable company/pro to avoid any/anymore damages done to your drive.

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www.datarecoveryne.com

The drive was opened according to the tech/owner in the 'clean room' and put into a 'donor' with heads that were not broken. He said the 'donor' was a fujitsu with similar model, serial number and of the vintage closest to my crashed drive.
I don't know anything about what the outcome can be when this is done, if it was. I was told that the platters were in decent condition.
I post this, simply to get a better understanding of why no data could be recovered.
Thx for the interest.

OMG...

In any case , if possible, NEXT recovery will be way highly priced...

Based on what you are saying, I'd say because they don't know what they are doing.

Also the first guy who took your drive from "Windows won't boot" to "it doesn't spin or get detected in the BIOS" sounds like he needs a kick in the ass

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You don't have to backup all of your files, just the ones you want to keep.

Yea very strange..

If the drive worked after you took it out and the 'techie' scanned it with anti virus ... then why didnt he recover your docs then.. it was obvious the hdd was already malfunctioning.. I concur - kick the techie..
Chances just dropped after that..

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I think your chances here do depend not on the original fault but rather what has been done since. If a company can trace the problem back to when it first occured you may be ok. If donor parts have been fitted and old ones not replaced then there's a problem (especially PCB wise)

The problem here is there are now so many factors as to why a technique may not work. Correcting electrical or mechanical faults may still result in a drive that will not reach a ready state and without a complete history you hit a diagnostic dead end.

There are a lot of ways to test for the faults you mentioned and its always hard to know the technical ability of any company.

The typical chain of User>techie friend>Local Pc guy before seeking a recovery pro does account for a lot of problems and costs that could be avoided.

I would be looking for an experienced company and get them a full list of any and all work carried out to get the best result.

Cross fingers on this one!

Leigh

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DataWreck Data Recovery Services
www.DataWreck.co.uk

Thx for the supportive information that leads me to a better understanding of the situation, though my chances may be slim in the recovery possibility of the data.
The company that I took the drive to as a final attempt is well recommended by the BBB. I met with the owner, who is a tech along with his other colleagues and he showed me that the seal had not even been broken on the HDD. He did an immediate logical test on it and explained that it would not recover data.
I approved the "clean room" step at a price of $1,200 which includes the cost of the "donor", if none of my critical data is recovered then I pay nothing except the cost of the donor and the cost if I want my drive put back together. The cost of each would be $150. His work location, unlike the first that I took my drive to was busy with clients and UPS and DHL drivers doing drop offs and pickups. Most from my province and the others from adjacent US states.
The tech believes the problem to be that of the motor. He advised that he will get back to me in 7 - 10 working days or earlier.
I thought that I should post this as an update.
Again, thank you for your supportive info and time as it is greatly appreciated by a non-techie understanding user.

BTW, any comments re the "motor" possibility and the ability to recover data if that is the only issue, though I know I am sure there could be other problems as well.
I look forward to experienced comments, thank you.