Trouble Accessing Files on HDD using IDE/SATA to USB adapter

Aunnix

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Hey Everyone,

I have hooked up a 2.5" laptop hard drive (running Windows 7 Home 32bit) to my computer to copy files over using a USB adapter (not a HDD encolsure!). My computer is a Core i5 with 24gb ram running Windows 7 Pro 64bit, and the laptop hard drive came out of a http://us.toshiba.com/computers/la [...] 5D-S5976/. I have the laptop hard drive out of the laptop, because there are issues with missing files (I believe it said boot) or something. All I know is the computer will go through the Motherboard screens then it will give me an error when it is supposed to load Windows. Then it will just reset itself. I have not been unable to get into safe mode (because I can't find it) using F8. Using F8 takes me to a type of "recovery console/partition" loaded by Toshiba.

I've been able to copy most of everything on it I need, but there have been a few folders where I've started the copy process and it will freeze... Sometimes the copy progress will make it to 1/4 of the way and stop moving. Sometimes, it will make it 1/2 way through or even 4/5 complete and it will freeze. I know it is freezing, because I've walked away from the computer for a good 15-20 minutes while copying a folder around 500-800 MB, and when I returned it has not progressed.

So, for the folders I've had trouble with, I started to copy each file one by one. This has helped me locate the problematic files, which some are just pictures and some photoshop files (PSDs). Also, before each folder I've copied, I've opened the properties and set the security settings as "full control" for my User account (on my Core i5 rig, which is already the computer admin as well). What I don't understand is why these individual files are not copying over...

Is there a way for me to copy these files? Or, are they just corrupted and I will have to accept them as goners?

Thanks
 

John_VanKirk

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Copy over, all the files you can.
The URL for your Toshiba doesn't work, but I've seen F8 before the splash screen clears used by the manufacturer, just after the splash screen clears and before the Boot Manager, F8 used "normally' for Advanced Options.

If you can get to Advanced Options, could try CMD to point over to the stubborn files and try copying them over. Safemode prevents drivers from loading, which is probably not the problem. Don't think it will make any difference, but you could even try CMD within windows (Accessories, right click to RunAs Administrator, Cmd) to see if they will copy over.
 

Aunnix

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hmm.. not sure why the link didn't work. This one should if anyone would like to see the laptop.
http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/satellite/l450/L455D-S5976/


As for F8, I believe I'm getting into the Advanced Options. I usually wait for the manufacturer splash screen to clear before holding it down, and the screen that comes up is a list of 5-8 options (one of them being a recovery solution...). I don't think Safe Mode was any of those options though.

I will have to look into the CMD option. In order to do the copying through CMD, do I need to put the HDD back in the laptop and access its CMD? Or, are you telling me to access the CMD of my own rig (the i5) and try to copy the files from the "external" HDD (laptop drive hooked up by the adapter)? Also, I assume you mean I can try to access CMD within Window's "Accessories" folder if I can boot into Safe Mode?

I will make another pass through the HDD tonight to make sure I've copied everything possible and located the problematic files. This way I can write down the filenames to search for when I attempt the CMD thing.
 

John_VanKirk

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The laptop webpage doesn't seem to list a user manual to review the BIOS pages. Check your manual for "Advanced Boot Options" or possibly someone with a similar laptop will know.
What I meant was to have the ext drive connectd to your computer, then go the Cmd (command line interface). Note what drive letter your computer assigns this drive.
Using CMD, you could type Copy n:\path\filename.xxx C:\tempfolder to try to copy these files from the ext drive to your main computer.
 
Try Bad Block Copy for Windows (freeware):
http://alter.org.ua/soft/win/bb_recover/

"Copies data from file or raw harddisk ignoring Bad Blocks. If target file doesn't exists, ZEROs are written instead of unreadable blocks. If target file exists, its blocks, corresponding to Bad Blocks in source are not touched. Thus, if you have some copies of the same file with Bad Blocks in different places, it is possible to completly restore the original file. To do this you should run bbcopy.exe with same target, but different sources. You can use other harddisk of same of greater size as target."

You may be able to recover a problematic file using several passes.
 

Aunnix

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Yeah, I haven't looked much into that webpage (or any others for this laptop). I have no manual (and who knows if the owner kept it.... most don't, lol) but if I dig a bit deeper maybe I'll find it online. I'm sure the "advanced boot options" are available somewhere online if I can't find a manual.

I don't have any experience with command line really, lol. I am however beginning to dive into Linux (although commands are completely different) I do have an idea how to do it. I just don't know the syntax or whatever. I'm sure I'll find some information online using CMD to copy files... but, in your example above, does the "filename.xxx" copy from the "n:\path\" to the "c:\tempfolder" using that command? also, should I copy all of the "bad" files to my \tempfolder or is that just an example you used for of a file path to copy to?
 

Aunnix

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Thanks! So far, the command line solution seems quicker and easier to try but if it fails I will definitely look into this software.
 

John_VanKirk

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I'd probably copy all the good files in Windows first.
Then the stubborn ones, use the command line commands.

With the ext drive hooked up, see what Drive letter is assigned to it. Let's call it "N".
On your main computer, First create a folder in My Documents, say "StubbornFiles"

Go to Accessories, click on Cmd - you will have the command line C:\Users\UserName >
Then type "Copy N:\User\UsersName\My Documents\filename.xxx (space here) My Documents\StubbornFiles". If they are in My Videos, use My Videos instead of My Documents.

If successful that will copy one file to the StubbornFile folder on your compter. Have to do that for all the Stubborn ones. If they don't copy, try Franc's Bad Block Copy, or if only a few, just delete them, and move on.
 

Aunnix

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I tried the "xcopy" command instead of copy... but I tried it on the whole folder. As in, I tried to copy the folder that contains the files to the "My Pictures" folder on my computer. Is it possible to copy folders? And if so, do I need to substitute spaces " " for underscores "_"? When I attempted, I got an a error message saying it doesn't recognize the parameters...

And, I agree... if CMD or some sort of software doesn't work, she'll have to be happy I got 98% of her 15-20GB of data, haha.
 

Aunnix

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Trying to just "copy" the path of the folders isn't working. It seemed like it doesn't like spaces in the folder names? When I replace the spaces with underscores "_", it tells me it "is not recognized an internal or external command, operable program, or batch file." I've tried this several ways... with spaces, with spaces as underscores, with/without a "\" after the last folder name in the file path... I keep getting this error.

Any ideas?
 

Aunnix

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Thanks, I've made a little progress with the quotes. It is searching the drive, but when it gets to the folder I'm trying to copy it tells me the files isn't found.. lol