Copying from bad hd

[jogold]

I am looking for a way to be able to set the criteria for files being moved by size and extension.

I have a HD at 9% health with over 300gb of pictures and home movies on it.
I am using Total Commander to move the stuff of to another drive but when it hits a large file TC eventually asks to skip all which I do and TC continues until the HD gets too hot, then I let it cool down and we start all over. These large files are all over and are complicating my recovery process and I don't want to have to sit in front of the computer until TC asks to skip.

Any suggestions for a better program to use?

 

[mmerry]

I would look at doing either an image of the entire drive or using Fab's to migrate data. If it keeps getting too hot, maybe put some ice in a cooler, put something like a Tupperware container on top, and set the hard drive in there. Just something to try and keep it cool while it is working.

Fab's AutoBackup

www.fpnet.fr

 

[britechguy]

Why, if I might ask, are you not just cloning that drive to a known good drive? If you're not sending the drive off to a lab immediately, that is your absolute "best use" of whatever life it has left in it. You can then "hit the clone" to your heart's content without risk (or significant risk, anyway) of losing a thing.

 

[TazUk]

Another option for file copying is SyncBack Pro, that would allow you to filter out the larger files if that's your aim

SyncBackPro backup software for Windows

Software to protect your data, that works the way you want. Full support for all major cloud backups, versioning, scripting, compression, encryption and more.

www.2brightsparks.com

 

[jogold]

I tried packing it in ice (water protecting of course) but after sometime it gets stuck anyways. What I have found is that if I can stay away from the larger files I get the best results. And the more I play the lower the health goes down. Started at 15% now down to 9%.
Hence my need for a copier/mover that I can limit the size of the files to be copied.

(It's the circuit board that gets so hot. So I guess it's a buffer issue, so smaller files will move over better.)

 

[Porthos]

Like others said, clone it.
Are you working within the installed Windows?
Is it an SSD or a regular drive?

 

[jogold]

Can't clone as it has too many bad sectors. when i override the badsector check the clone hangs after a while.
Windows 10
It's a HD, not an SSD and it's slaved it to the system.

 

[Porthos]

It's a HD, not an SSD and it's slaved it to the system.

I would use Linux to copy the files if you are already not doing that.

 

[Larry Sabo]

If this is a customer drive, have you checked with the customer about the chance that the data will be non-recoverable and whether they are open to having a data recovery specialist assess it? Frankly, you're beating it to death trying to copy files with a Windows-based file-copy program.

If the customer says the data is not worth paying to have recovered, try HDDSuperClone. It should skip the bad sectors and give you the best chance of recovering the data. You can then use whatever file recovery tools you like on the clone without risking the loss of the customer's data.

 

[Joep]

Can't clone as it has too many bad sectors.

Well that's in fact the best reason to actually clone the drive if your clients does not want to send to a data recovery lab. For cloning use ddrescue or HDDSuperClone.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

If the files are important, first choice would be to send the drive to a data recovery place.
Else if the drive keeps degrading as you attempt to recover, it'll croak before you get what the client needs.

For clients that decline sending a drive out (even thought most can estimate success and price first), if the drive is over heating, I have had success in putting drives in the freezer over night, and then trying to run a clone as quick as we can.

 

[Joep]

After one hour in freezer.

 

[frase]

That's a river of broken dreams lol...

 

[Joep]

People should not freeze drives .. If it's overheating, try find source of heat. Most likely some PCB component. Swap PCB, move 'BIOS' chip to donor PCB (some online donor board market places will even swap it for you if you send them patient PCB), safer than freezing the thing. If not @lcoughey will slap me.

 

[lcoughey]

I've been avoidinig this thread as it makes me want to cry when I see a client's drive being abused, usually without the client being aware of what is happening to their drive.

1. Can you confirm that your client's data isn't worth anything and that you are charging a lot less than a pro
2. If the issue is the board overheating, every time it fails, it is likely missing the step to tell the heads to properly park, meaning that there is a good chance that they are crashing down onto the surface each time
3. If the issue is with an overheating PCB, why not take the 5 minutes to replace the PCB? If you don't have the tools and parts to do so, you should be passing the drive to someone who is equipped
4. If you can't clone because of bad sectors, it is because you are not using cloning software/hardware designed for data recovery.

There are several articles pertaining to data recovery in the resources section of this site.

 

[britechguy]

It is worth nothing, though, that the OP did not state that this was a client's drive. When I first read the original message, I assumed it was a personally owned device.

The suggestion that it belongs to a client has been made by others. We really don't know who it belongs to.

 

[nlinecomputers]

It is worth nothing, though, that the OP did not state that this was a client's drive. When I first read the original message, I assumed it was a personally owned device.

The suggestion that it belongs to a client has been made by others. We really don't know who it belongs to.

We are supposed to all be professionals, while we do have questions about our own PCs and in-house issues the bulk of the questions here are about a client. Odds are much higher that it is a client's PC, not the tech's equipment. Not sure why you would go otherwise.

 

[britechguy]

Not sure why you would go otherwise.

Because, almost to a post, if a client is involved there is generally a very, very clear indication that's the case. Wording almost always includes something that makes this apparent.

When it's missing . . . [It's known as reading between the lines. And I know I could be incorrect.]

 

[Joep]

Well, what's the data worth to whoever it is that owns the data. How desperate is he/she to get it back. We all understand that's the question that needs an answer.

 

[Markverhyden]

It is worth nothing, though, that the OP did not state that this was a client's drive. When I first read the original message, I assumed it was a personally owned device.

The suggestion that it belongs to a client has been made by others. We really don't know who it belongs to.

I try to be optimistic as far as due diligence is concerned with other techs on here. Meaning they've covered options and risks with the owner. So I try to limit my initial comments to start with working from an image. That being said I can assure you all I do know what assume spells.