Getting an I/O Error when trying to copy from HDD

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Rahul Sathanapalli

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Jul 25, 2015
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I Have 180GB Seagate Hard Disk(which is rather old) containing an archive of important data(mainly pictures).My issue is that whenever i try to copy from it in the Windows File Explorer, the speeds suddenly go down to 0 kbps and it pretty much stops right there.After waiting for a while it shows me a message saying 'Unable to copy due to an IO Error'.
I know that this has something to do with my drive being really old and maybe even failing and was going to throw it away anyways but before that i need to backup all the data on it.

What would be the BEST way for me to recover all these pictures(EXTREMELY IMPORTANT) from the drive and move them to an external HDD without losing any data?.
Thanks In Advance!
 
Solution
SuperSoph_WD
Hey, Rahul.

I believe that the HDD is way too damaged for any of the data recovery software to work successfully.
According to the SMART results, you got 507 bad sectors already and in addition to that you have 18 225 pending/offline uncorrectable sectors that are blocked and ready to be remapped as bad sectors. Unfortunately, data that is written across these bad sectors will be corrupt as well, which means that your chance at recovering the files in their correct format is very slim.
To sum things up: the more you temper with that HDD, the less data you'd be able to retrieve. If the tools in Someone Somewhere's link can't help you, I'm afraid that your options are limited. Still, there are Ubuntu Live CD or the sector-by-sector...
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SuperSoph_WD

SuperSoph_WD

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Jul 30, 2014
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Hey there, Rahul!

I'd start by determining the health and SMART status of the HDD using its manufacturer's diagnostic tool by running the long/short tests. You should be able to find it on their official website.
It's highly possible that the drive is failing and since the data on it is extremely important to you, I'd suggest you consult with a professional data recovery company.
If the HDD has too many bad sectors, it means that the files could be corrupted as well, thus making it very hard to recover. Doing this procedure yourself could potentially further the damage on the drive as well as the pictures themselves.

My recommendation would be to consult with the HDD manufacturer's customer support for assistance with this.

Best of luck!
SuperSoph_WD
 
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Rahul Sathanapalli

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Jul 25, 2015
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Hey,
Is there nothing I can do to recover this data with software considering the drive isn't too corrupted. Will creating an image / cloning of the drive make it any easier to recover data?
Thanks!
 
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SuperSoph_WD

SuperSoph_WD

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Jul 30, 2014
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Hey there again!

I'd not recommend you to do any kind of data recovery attempts until you have tested the HDD's health and SMART status using an HDD diagnostic utility. If you can't find the one on your manufacturer's website, you can refer to this thread from the community for some third-party testing tool suggestions: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/282651-32-best-diagnostic-testing-utility

Once you have determined the amount of damage (according to the SMART attributes), then you might try using some third-party recovery software at your own risk to recover your files.
Cloning of a failed drive is not recommended at all, unless you are familiar with the sector-by-sector cloning. This method might help you avoid the bad sectors and corrupted data, but it is rather difficult.

Make sure you have determined the amount of damage on your old drive before attempting any data recovery by yourself.

Keep me posted & Good luck! :)
SuperSoph_WD
 
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Rahul Sathanapalli

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Jul 25, 2015
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Thanks for the prompt reply!
I'll perform the aforementioned diagnostics ASAP and post the results here. Hopefully it isn't beyond repair/ recovery.
*fingers crossed*

 
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Rahul Sathanapalli

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Jul 25, 2015
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Hey ,
Here are the results for the tests I performed on HD Tune 2.5.5
Everything seems to be alright o_O.
Hope you can help with this.
Thanks!
 
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Rahul Sathanapalli

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Jul 25, 2015
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So ABSOLUTELY nothing i can do? :??:
 
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SuperSoph_WD

SuperSoph_WD

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Jul 30, 2014
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Hey there again, Rahul!

Unfortunately, the SMART attributes indicate that your HDD is severely damaged and has too many bad sectors. :(
Attempting data recovery by yourself would most probably further the corruption and do more harm, than good. I'd follow Someone Somewhere's advice and turn to a professional data recovery company for assistance.
If you need any specific recommendations regarding this, I'd recommend you to turn to your HDD manufacturer's website or customer support.

Best of luck! Keeping my fingers crossed!
SuperSoph_WD
 
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Rahul Sathanapalli

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Jul 25, 2015
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But my problem isnt that they are lost or corrupted.I can clearly see them in explorer(and succesfully open them in fact) however its only when im moving the data off of my hard disk that there seems to be a problem.
Do you think something like Recuva would work fine for my use case scenario?
Thanks!
 
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SuperSoph_WD

SuperSoph_WD

Glorious
Jul 30, 2014
6,758
3
45,960
Hey, Rahul.

I believe that the HDD is way too damaged for any of the data recovery software to work successfully.
According to the SMART results, you got 507 bad sectors already and in addition to that you have 18 225 pending/offline uncorrectable sectors that are blocked and ready to be remapped as bad sectors. Unfortunately, data that is written across these bad sectors will be corrupt as well, which means that your chance at recovering the files in their correct format is very slim.
To sum things up: the more you temper with that HDD, the less data you'd be able to retrieve. If the tools in Someone Somewhere's link can't help you, I'm afraid that your options are limited. Still, there are Ubuntu Live CD or the sector-by-sector clone that might help as well.
Overall, I think you should find the nearest data recovery company/service and ask them for assistance, though. They are your best bet at getting your files back.

Best of luck!
SuperSoph_WD
 
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Solution
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Rahul Sathanapalli

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Jul 25, 2015
13
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4,510
Hey guys,
Thanks a lot for everything!
What I have decided to do is use TeraCopy to copy these files. I won't be able to RECOVER any lost files but at least I'll be able to SKIP them and fortunately only around 1/20 files have been corrupted and each JPEG file also has a corresponding NEF file so in most cases one of those lives on. TeraCopy works like a charm as I'm able to skip the corrupted files without halting the entire process.
If I do need any data recovery though I'll make sure I visit an expert.
Thanks for your advice guys!
And for anyone with the same problem as me(where too many files aren't corrupted) you should give TeraCopy a shot!
 
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