My current problem hardware:

Seagate ST3120025A
120GB HDD
P/N: 9W6003-030
HDA P/N: 100275528
Config: D2J-03
Firmware: 4.06
Site Code: WU
Controller P/N: 100282770
HDD CPU: Agere 100274360-74
OS: Windows XP

I am currently experiencing a HDD boot problem. Upon boot up, I get a message stating "NTLDR is missing or corrupt". I am unable to repair or replace NTLDR or any boot files. When I try to use the Windows Recovery disc, it does not allow me to repair the problem, it immediately jumps to the option to re-install Windows. However, this would of course overwrite all of my important and irreplaceable files (Yes, I know the importance of a backing up). I have also tried replacing the files with DOS commands without success.

I have also tried removing the HDD and placing it in a USB enclosure. It shows up in Windows Explorer but when I try to access it, it says it is not accessible. When mounted in its tower case, it is visible by the BIOS. I have also tried the Seagate SeaTools program and it will not access it for scanning. It made/makes no abnormal noise, nor did anything unusual happen prior to it exhibiting this problem during a regular bootup

I have read postings in regards to replacing the controller PCB on the HDD. I have purchased another identical HDD except for the following , which is different:

Config Level: 9SMA1 (This wasn't listed on my original HDD)
Site Code: AMK
HDD CPU: ST 100274360

Is swapping the above PCBs a viable solution or does everything need to be an exact match?
Any other thoughts other than very expensive data recovery?

i had this problem long time back and i remember there was a boot floppy/cd very small to fix this issue
google: fixing NTLDR is missing

http://www.tinyempire.com/shortnotes/fi ... issing.htm

_________________
Kuwait Data Recovery - UNIX GTC
The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. By: Albert Einstein

I have tried this option already. The drive is not accessable either as a bootable drive, a slave drive, or as an external usb drive in an enclosure.

Any other ideas?

Thanks

AISI, you first need to determine whether the problem is logical or physical. In either case, I doubt very much that a PCB swap will be the solution.

Your statement that "Seagate SeaTools ... will not access it for scanning" is a little unclear. Did you use the Windows version, or the bootable CD version? Is your drive detected by BIOS and SeaTools with its correct capacity?

Could we see a SMART report? If there are large numbers of reallocated, pending, or uncorrectable sectors, then this may point to a media fault.

Regardless of whether the problem is logical or physical, I suggest you attempt to clone your drive on a sector-by-sector basis, and then work on the clone.

Three freeware cloning utilities are ddrescue, dd_rescue and copyr.dma.

http://www.copyr.pl/pliki/copyrE13.zip
http://www.gnu.org/software/ddrescue/ddrescue.html (GNU ddrescue)
http://www.garloff.de/kurt/linux/ddrescue/ (dd_rescue)

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.

fzabkar,

Let me start over from the beginning as I feel that I have confused myself as well as you.
I am having a boot problem with the following hardware:

Seagate ST3120025A
120GB HDD
P/N: 9W6003-030
HDA P/N: 100275528
Config: D2J-03
Firmware: 4.06
Site Code: WU
Controller P/N: 100282770
HDD CPU: Agere 100274360-74
OS: Windows XP

When I have it mounted in my desktop as a Master drive, it comes up with the following message:

"Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
Please re-install a copy of the above file."

I go into the BIOS and it is recognized as the proper drive with the proper size/configuration.

I will then reboot, press F8, and try to run "Last known good configuration" with the same result.

When I try to run the Recovery CD to repair/replace this file, it allows me to get to System Restore, but skips the "Restore Option" and jumps right to "Hard Drive preparation - Format & Recover". Not looking to try and reformat this drive before I recover my files, I back out of this and reboot.

When I have it mounted in my desktop as a Slave drive or in an enclosure connected through USB:

It is still properly seen in BIOS, but when I try to access it in Windows or try to copy files to it, I get a message stating:

"D:\ is not accessible. The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error."

Also, the system runs terribly slow with the drive mounted, but regular speed when not mounted.

Sorry for the confusion, it was something that I was troubleshooting over a month ago and was working from memory (big mistake). But, tonight I sat down and started from the beginning again. This was a good working drive and I shut it down one night, started it the next day and this is what I experienced. It made no abnormal noises before the problem and it still runs as quiet as ever.

Any help you or anyone else can provide would be appreciated.

Since you say it shows up in explorer, it's most likely a filesystem error.

I don't normally recommend this, but if you follow instructions it will
be safe.
Connect the drive as slave, boot windows, and check that drive is
there. Open up a command prompt, type "chkdsk d:"(without quotes)
If it asks you so save as file, click n
It should give you a list of errors.Then we can go from there.

Steve,

OK, here are the messages/results of running CHKDSK:

The type of the file system is NTFS.

WARNING! F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files <stage 1 of 3>...
File record segment 15232 is unreadable.
" " " 15233 " "


This continues on for a total of 36 segments ending at segment 239131 and then gives the following messages:

File verification completed.

Errors found. CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode.


What do you think or suggest?

First question .. Is data important?
Second question .. Were all the errors the same?
If all the errors the same, it appears that you have
bad sectors that are causing your filesystem errors.

If the data is important,then the drive should be imaged
to another drive, then you can recover the data.

The data is very important. Irreplaceable.

Yes, all of the error lines were the same except for the the actual file record segment numbers.

So, how do I go about imaging the drive? Any special software/freeware? Instructions?

As you can guess, this is all new to me.

"Imaging" means sector-by-sector cloning. Refer to my previous post for imaging/cloning freeware.

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.

What would be the best way to image it, as a slave drive or placing the bad drive in an enclosure and connecting it through USB?

The reason I ask is because my desktop system runs very slow with the bad drive mounted as a slave.

I suggest using unstoppable copy or total copy to copy what is most dearest to you!

Because..
Trying to clone your HDD will be difficult using software based cloners. But -

I can suggest only trying using DOS version of Norton Ghost or DDRescue

fzabkar already mentioned this


If cloning its always best to plug it direct to your computer and not on USB enclosures. I am afraid that windows will run at snail pace. You can try the dos versions or linux version. and look for reverse cloning.

_________________
It seems that the unluckiest people in the world are those that don't backup.
Free Solutions
Picasaweb- Pictures and movies | Dropbox - Documents and other..

The drive has filesystem errors. Unstoppable copier won't work in this instance.
The filesystem is inaccesible therefore ghost won't work either.
Only a complete image to another drive is acceptable way to proceed.
Once imaging has been done, then recovery can be preformed using other software.

Steve,

What should I use to do the imaging? Is there a good website with explanations?

Do you have any suggestions?

fzabkar made good recommendations on freeware ( see his posts above)
I don't think the free version of copyr will allow complete copy
but either of the other 2 should be fine.
Not what I use, but I use commercial tools.

I dont see why he cannot use ghost to image the drive?
It clearly has some issues on the first sectors but it still tries to boot the system. so its not that bad.

Maybe try this
PLug your hdd direct into pc
Downland Hirens Boot cd- start the mini xp
And see if it mounts there. Try and access your data.
You can also try the recovery tools under Recovery on the Boot Menu
**Do not recover any data to the disk you are recovering from!
*But it is still strongly recommended to ghost(clone/image)

Its up to the op really.

I don't know anybody near Michigan that can help you. Just like Steve said it would be best using Commercial tools to clone and extract the data. Make sure you choose somebody that uses proper tools.

_________________
It seems that the unluckiest people in the world are those that don't backup.
Free Solutions
Picasaweb- Pictures and movies | Dropbox - Documents and other..

Ghost images filesystems not the entire drive.
the reason he is getting ntldr missing error AND
the drive can't be read as slave is because the filesystem
after the boot record is broken.
Ghost is NOT a data recovery tool, it is a backup tool.


This is most likely a very easy fix for someone that knows exactly
what they are doing.
It is also an easy screw up for someone that doesn't know what
they are doing.

Yea that's what I mean.(Apologies if I did not make that clear) He needs to backup his drive. using recommended softs.
Because if his original one fails completely he will have a BACKUP.
-or-
he could also leave the original one and work with the backup.

Then he can use all the tools he wants to get the data back.

_________________
It seems that the unluckiest people in the world are those that don't backup.
Free Solutions
Picasaweb- Pictures and movies | Dropbox - Documents and other..

All I was saying about ghost is that it won't do a complete image.
If you have a good 20gig drive with 4gigs of data, Ghost will only
backup 4 gigs.

There is important filesystem markers that would not be in that 4
gigs.

Also, One should know exactly what the tools they are using are
doing.

Sorry for the delay in responding, I was out of town for the weekend and I am just now catching up.

I have found a free version of DiscWizard on Seagate's website that is based on Acronis' True Image I believe. Does anyone have an opinion on this progam?

One other question I have, if I am trying to image a 120GB hdd ( I can't say how much of it is used space), do I need a hdd larger that that to save the image to? Or, will the image file be compressed and fit on a smaller drive?