Question in regards to failing hard drive & replacement

[Biggsy]

I have a failing hard drive! First noticed it yesterday as the computer was hanging on boot but stupidly didn't give it a second thought. I was using it for a couple of hours then the SMARTDISK software suddenly popped up with an error message telling me the thing is about to fail. No clicking or nothing. So I shut it down immediately.

Thankfully it's not my main HDD but an additional one I had put in for storage, media, photos/videos (that I have uploaded from camera/video camera for editing) (both HD's are just over 2 year old 1TB Samsung F3's) etc, etc.

I tried turning the pc on again this morning but it was hanging again. I looked at the SMARTDISK utility & it's down to just under 2 health bars (from 4 when I last switched it off the night before). So immediately hopped on the laptop & ordered a brand new 2TB WD 'green' as well as a SATA USB dock. Here is where my issue comes in & I was hoping someone here can help?

Do I:

1) As well as the 2 Samsung HD103SJ's. I have a 64gb SSD which was originally intended for installing games onto (has been done twice since I got it last year). So can remove this & connect up the new drive in it's place. Boot the pc with both the failing HD & the new 2tb one together & try to drag & drop as much data from it as possible.

or

2) Remove the failing HD & replace it with the new one. Connect the old one to the USB dock, Boot the pc & once it's read as an external drive, try & get as many files off it before it goes on the blink.

I know there are disk utilities you can try (Seatools, Spinrite & so on) or programs to clone/image the drive but would hate to start one & have it run for a bit before the drive kicks in & I end up with nothing recovered.

Don't have the items as of yet, they have both been dispatched so should be here between tomorrow & monday. Therefore am pre-empt:ing it by asking here first in order to get started immediately once they arrive.

Cheers

 

[cmichael138]

I would go with option 2. Use the failing drive as little as possible.

 

[ss202sl]

I also agree with option 2 as your best choice.

 

[fzabkar]

Data recovery professionals will tell you that SpinRite and HDD Regenerator are potentially drive killers. This is because they repeatedly hammer away at bad sectors when the actual problem is a weak head. Doing this only accelerates the head's total failure. Even if SpinRite manages to read a bad sector, it then writes it back to the bad drive rather than to a clone.

IMHO the best approach is to clone your drive sector-by-sector using a tool that knows how to work around bad sectors (eg ddrescue), and then use data recovery software on the clone.

http://www.gnu.org/software/ddrescue/ddrescue.html

Ddrescue can perform multipass cloning. It clones the easy sectors on the first pass, and attempts the more difficult ones on subsequent passes. It keeps a log, allowing it to resume after an interruption.

 

[Biggsy]

Okay so opt 2 it is then.

I know Sata drives don't use the terminology of Master/Slave etc & that it's set via the Bios. So if I am removing the failing drive, then I'm not sure which 1 to remove. I don't want to gamble unless I have no choice as knowing me, I'd remove the working C drive.

I've taken a photo of the inside & was wondering if someone could manage to decipher which one was the D drive.

Thanks..

 

[Guest]

its most likely not the ssd, because an ssd cant have a bad head, so are the other 2 hard drives a different size or are they the sdame size? if they are different than take a look at both drives, they are clearly labeled how much hard drive space they have and take out the one that matches the amount of space. if they are both the same then unplug one and see if it was the right one

 

[Biggsy]

its most likely not the ssd, because an ssd cant have a bad head, so are the other 2 hard drives a different size or are they the sdame size? if they are different than take a look at both drives, they are clearly labeled how much hard drive space they have and take out the one that matches the amount of space. if they are both the same then unplug one and see if it was the right one

The SSD is fine as I've taken it out & tested it externally on my laptop. The 2 HDD's as put in the original post are both identical. 1tb Samsung F3's (HD103SJ). So even if I turned it on & saw how much space is left on them, it's still not going to help me tell which one is the failing D drive. Besides I already know how much space is left on both (C drive which is fine has a little over 400gb's left, while the failing D drive only has under 100 gigs left.


I had someone put it together for me at the time so am not sure which one of the 2 that I have to remove. I'm thinking the bottom 1 is the one that needs to be taken out (for clearance, I'm not including the SSD in the count, only the top 2 Samsung hard drives).

 

[cmichael138]

Just remove the data cable from the Samsung that you think is the failing one and and then if the "D" drive no longer shows up in Windows Explorer, My Computer or Device Manager, you know that's the right one. If the "D" drive still shows, it's the other one.

 

[Biggsy]

Just remove the data cable from the Samsung that you think is the failing one and and then if the "D" drive no longer shows up in Windows Explorer, My Computer or Device Manager, you know that's the right one. If the "D" drive still shows, it's the other one.

Tbh, I really didn't want to do that unless absolutely necessary. The reason being that everytime I switch on the pc, the SMARTDISK utility reports it failing rapidly worse compared to the last time. 4 health bars, then it jumped to 2 after a few mins, then the computer crashed. So am worried if I get it wrong once more I might not get a chance to get anything from it whatsoever before it goes.

However it's looking like I don't have a choice but to take a gamble on the one to take out. Will update on how it goes.

 

[cmichael138]

You could always remove both and go to option 2. Then you can read the size of each to determine the 100 GB failing drive. If you're in no hurry, you can order one of these to check both drives and copy whatever you can from the dying one:
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=2020-OTB&cat=HDD