How to copy information from a faulty hard drive. How to extract information from the hard drive of a failed computer

The hard drive is one of the main components of a PC, because it stores all the information and operating system files that enable it to run.

Sometimes a HDD can fail, which can make the data stored on it inaccessible. In this case, it is too early to despair - often it is still possible to restore them. In this article, we will look at the causes of mechanical and logical problems with hard drives and the process of repairing them.

Mechanical problems

Mechanical or physical problems with the HDD arise due to damage or failure of some of its components. Let's look at some of them.

Photo: personal computer hard drive

The appearance of damaged hard disk sectors

This is one of the common problems that arises due to the appearance of “bad” sectors.

• errors that appear when working with some files;
• increased HDD loading time;
• the appearance of a grinding noise when the disk operates.

This problem is not critical. Its solution uses specialized utilities, for example: HDDScan - to determine the presence of bad sectors, HDD Regenerator - to restore their functionality.

If after applying them, data errors remain, you can try to recover them using special software. In this case, any data recovery program is suitable - Recuva, R-studio and others.

PCB fault

This problem occurs if there is a problem with the power supply to the drive. It is quite easy to determine - the hard drive either does not start or produces characteristic knocking sounds. Such a failure may be caused by an incorrect connection of the HDD to the PC.

• In this situation you need:
• check the correctness of the connection;
• replace the board;

repair it.

Important! Replacing or repairing a circuit board will most likely require the help of a professional.

Problems with the magnetic head unit

This problem is quite serious.

• Its “symptoms” are:
• unstable operation of the hard drive;

the appearance of characteristic knocks and clicks.

A malfunction of the BMG can lead to data loss, so repairing this component must be carried out especially carefully. The solution to the problem is to replace the block, which it is advisable to entrust to professionals.

The second group of malfunctions are software failures that lead to certain errors. Read more about the most common ones below.

Formatting a disk drive

One of the most common problems of this kind. If formatting occurs accidentally or as a result of a failure, all previously recorded data disappears from the HDD. You can return them using special software.

Important! After formatting, it is necessary to ensure complete isolation of the hard drive. When new data is written to it, the previous files will be completely lost.

Hard drive boot block failure

In this case, it becomes impossible to start the installed operating system. The error occurs during serious OS failures, as well as as a result of exposure to viruses. This problem is not very serious and the data can be recovered.

Video: Failed hard drive

Preparing to recover data from a damaged hard drive

If logical (software) failures occur, when the files on the hard drive remain in a state suitable for recovery, you can begin the process of “curing” and saving them. Before using the programs designed for this, you need to prepare the hard drive for connection to another PC, because installing and using them on a damaged device will not work.

Using an External Hard Drive Pocket

A hard drive pocket is a special device that allows you to connect it and run it using another PC.

Note! Pockets are available for different HDD models, so before purchasing, make sure it is fully compatible with your device.

The hard drive connection process will look like this:

Connecting the hard drive to the computer system unit

You can also start recovering data from a damaged hard drive by connecting it directly to the system unit of a working computer. If you are using a laptop hard drive, you will need a special adapter, which can be purchased in specialized stores.

• go into the BIOS by holding down the “Del” key when starting the system (may differ for different models);
• find the section “Standard CMOS Settings” or “IDE Config”;
• when setting up disks in “master” and “slave” modes, set all options to the “auto-detection” position;
• save the changes and reboot the system.

1. after the restart, go to “My Computer”, where a new device should be detected;
2. view, copy or restore files.

R-Studio program

When the problematic hard drive is connected and detected by another computer, you can begin to restore data on it.

We will look at this process using the R-Studio utility as an example:

Once the data is accessible again and saved, the faulty disk can either be formatted and a new operating system installed on it, or (if there are serious problems) sent in for repair.

Now you know that if problems arise with your hard drive and files on it are unavailable, it is too early to sound the alarm. Depending on the severity of the problem, the data can be rescued on your own or with the help of a professional.

In this article I will tell you how to recover files from a broken laptop. I’ll make a reservation right away that recovery is only possible if your hard drive is not damaged, that is, your laptop’s screen is broken, the motherboard, power connector is damaged, or some other malfunction, but the hard drive is in working condition.

To extract data we will need a housing for an external USB drive.

Step 1: First of all, remove the hard drive from your broken laptop.

Most laptops use 2.5" drives; they differ only in the type of interface, either IDE or SATA. I will show you the difference below.

The IDE drive connector has two rows of contacts.

SATA drives have two flat connectors, one for data exchange and the other for power. By the way, 3.5" drives also have a SATA interface type, that is, you can connect your drive to a desktop PC using a standard cable.

Step 2. Purchase a case for an external USB drive with the interface you need. For example this one.

Step 3: Install the hard drive into the case.

Connect the USB drive to any work computer, laptop or desktop, it doesn't matter. If your hard drive is not damaged, the computer will detect it automatically and it will appear in the “My Computer” folder. After this, you will have the opportunity to transfer your files.

In Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, user files are stored in different places.

In Windows XP you can find user files in the following path: C: Documents and Settings User Account

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, you can find user files in the following path: C: Users User Account

Where drive C: is the system drive. The external hard drive will have a different drive letter, but the user file paths will remain the same.

"Access denied" error message

You may receive an "Access Denied" error message when you try to copy or open your files, this is because your account on the broken laptop was password protected. In order to gain access to your files you will have to change the owner of the folder. Now I will show you how to do this.

Step 1.
1. Go to the folder properties by calling the context menu by clicking the right mouse button.
2. Click on the "Security" tab
3. Click on the "Advanced" button

Step 2.
1. Click on the "Owner" tab in advanced options
2. Click on the "Change" button

Step 3.
1. Left click on the Administrators group
2. Check the box "Change owner of subcontainer and objects"
3. Click "OK"

Click "Yes" in the Windows Security message window that appears

The ownership change process may take some time, depending on the size of the files in the folder. After the process is completed, you can get full access to your information.

For some users, files from a non-working HDD are much more valuable than the device itself. Therefore, if the drive was accidentally formatted, it is damaged and there is no way to back up files in the usual way, you have to resort to using third-party applications to extract data.

What to do to avoid losing information on a faulty drive

If the hard drive is damaged, important information cannot be read from it, or important information has completely disappeared, there is no need to panic, try to reinstall the system, or mindlessly launch useful and not so useful programs. Remember the following rules that will help you at the first stage, at least not to aggravate the situation:

1. Keep all access to the HDD to a minimum - do not run any diagnostic programs, antiviruses, defragmenters, etc.
2. If possible, try to copy the remaining important data.

If you have another computer at home, then it will not be difficult for you to create an emergency flash drive or disk on it in order to boot from this drive for backup or connect the failed disk to it as an additional one. In any case, if your device contains unique data, it is useful to burn in advance, just in case, a bootable USB flash drive with utilities for resuscitating data from a damaged hard drive in case of unexpected failures.

If user data is corrupted

It is quite easy to recover files if the hard drive partition has been formatted and has not been written to since then. When it is possible to connect a faulty hard drive to another computer and the device is detected by the system, there should not be any serious problems.

To do this, you can use the Zero Assumption Recovery application (abbreviated ZAR), which is one of the best in its class.

It must be installed in a HDD partition different from the one from which the copy will be made.

Otherwise, the chances of “pulling out” important documents from a storage device that is covered are sharply reduced. Better yet, avoid using the hard drive at all by booting from another device or connecting it to another PC.

Working with Zero Assumption Recovery:

Disable your antivirus to avoid delays in the process. ZAR will inform you about this in the start window of the program, click Close.

In the main window, click the “Windows Data Recovery” button (photo and multimedia recovery is a separate mode that is activated by clicking the topmost button).

ZAR will detect every drive on your computer, including flash drives. If the drive is detected by the program, then you just need to select it and click “Next”.

The scanning process will start, after which the utility will show directories and files. This information can be recovered.

Select photos and everything you need to recover. Click “Save”, having previously specified the directory in which it should be placed.

Zero Assumption Recovery reliably recovers all data that can still be recovered from the hard drive, completely preserving the previous directory structure, which distinguishes the program from similar applications.

When the system won't boot

If the hard drive has been completely formatted or it is simply completely covered and the computer does not boot, you will have to restore files in another way, by booting from a rescue disk or flash drive. To do this, create a boot drive in advance or at the first sign of incorrect HDD operation.

How to create a bootable USB flash drive or disk to recover lost files

One of the best solutions for creating bootable media is Hiren’s BootCD. This is a freely distributed ISO image containing a huge number of utilities that can be used to restore the system and files from disks. The distribution kit in the form of a zip archive can be picked up at the office. application website.

The image size is about 500 MB, so you can use CD, DVD optical media, as well as a flash drive or external hard drive to back up the information extracted from the damaged hard drive.

We will deploy the downloaded image on the media using the most popular UltraISO application. It is widely known for its ability to work with both optical media and any other storage devices, including flash drives, which is indispensable when working with netbooks and other laptops.

Create a bootable USB flash drive Hiren’s BootCD:

All you have to do is click on the button that allows recording and in a few minutes a bootable Hiren’s BootCD or flash drive will be created.

We rescue photos, videos and documents from a damaged HDD

Since the system is not able to boot on its own, we boot from the Hiren’s BootCD flash drive, having previously changed the BIOS settings or selected the appropriate boot option for the laptop. When reading data from a flash drive, you will be prompted to boot into DOS or graphical mode. The last option is more convenient for most users, so select the first line of Mini Windows XP.

In this article we will look at before its operation is restored.

If your computer has never failed, this does not mean that it will always be like this. At the most inopportune moment, it can give you a surprise - respond with a blue screen of death, or even worse - just a black lifeless screen.

There can be two types of reasons for computer failure:

• Windows problems. Problems of this type include errors in drivers, computer viruses, or incorrect settings of the operating system itself. In this case, you can boot from removable media and open your files without any problems.
• Hardware problems. Almost any part of a computer that fails interferes with its normal operation. The most common problems are with memory, hard drive, and a little less often other components (power supply, video card, etc.) fail. In this case, to access the information, you must remove the hard drive and connect it to another work computer.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to recover data from a dead computer - if the hard drive, especially the SSD drive, fails, the likelihood of successful data recovery decreases sharply. It is highly advisable, in case of hard drive failure, to perform a backup - to another hard drive, or to the cloud.

Method 1. Loading from Live Disc

This procedure is relevant if the computer is working, but for some reason the operating system boot system, or the operating system itself, has failed. In this case, you can boot from a Linux or Windows live disk, and then copy the necessary files to removable media, which you can work with on another computer.

If you managed to boot your computer from a live disk, then you have no problems with the hardware of your computer - in this case, you should connect an external “pocket” and copy the necessary information to it.

The easiest way is a live disk with Linux, for example Ubuntu, the image of which just needs to be downloaded and burned to a CD or flash drive. Also, if you have sufficient knowledge of computers, you can create a Live build of Windows yourself. Additionally, there is a way to copy files from a deceased computer by booting from the Windows installation disc.

The good thing about copying files using a live disk is that even if the hard drive dies, causing the operating system to refuse to boot, you can still extract most of the information from it.

Method 2: Remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer

If the computer does not boot from the live disk, then most likely one of the computer components has failed, for example the motherboard, memory module, video card, etc. In this case, there is only one option left - remove the hard drive, connect it to a work computer and drain all important information from it.

Note: Of course, this method will not help if the hard drive shows no signs of life. If it still has problems, but works, try to copy all the important information from it as quickly as possible before it completely fails.

Note: There are models of laptops and computers in which if you remove the hard drive, you may lose your warranty. Although, in most cases, you should not have problems with the warranty - most often computers whose warranty has already expired fail.

Sequence of actions to remove the computer hard drive:

1. Turn off the power. If it's a laptop, also remove the battery.
2. Open the computer case and locate the hard drive. In the laptop, unscrew the cover under which the hard drive is located. Most often, it is indicated by a special icon in the form of a hard drive.
3. Disconnect the wires, unscrew the 4 screws that secure the hard drive. Unscrew the fixing screw on the laptop.
4. Remove the hard drive.

Connecting a hard drive to another computer

To connect the hard drive to another computer, you can use an external USB pocket, or install it inside another computer. With the first option everything is simple, but with the second it is a little more complicated:

1. Turn off the power.
2. Open the computer case.
3. Install the hard drive. If you are connecting a hard drive removed from a laptop to a workstation, use special hard drive mounts, or place it on a stable surface (be sure to use an antistatic bag)
4. Connect the hard drive wires to the motherboard.
5. Turn on the computer, wait until the operating system boots from its original hard drive.
6. Get started working with your files.

In principle, there is nothing complicated in the described procedure. It’s a little more difficult with laptops, especially models that do not have the ability to remove the hard drive. If you are not confident in your abilities, ask for help from a specialist who will remove the hard drive, restore your files, and also find out the cause of the computer failure and, if possible, repair it.

So that there is no reason to think how to extract information from the hard drive of a failed computer, you should perform regular backups . If you have a backup copy, you can simply throw out the failed hard drive, buy a new one and restore files from the backup copy to it. You, or an IT specialist, of course, will have to tinker with re-installing the operating system, but this is still better than the risk of permanently losing important information.

After scanning, a list of damaged data will appear in front of you; you need to indicate which of them you would like to restore.

• Zero Assumption Recovery;
• MBRlool;
• Easy undelete;
• R-Stydio undelete;
• Norton Utilities;
• Disk Technican Advanced;
• Mac Gold;
• TestDisk.

The Master Bool Record boot sector is often to blame for information loss; it can be easily repaired using MBRlool or Active Partition Recovery.

To avoid data loss in the future, you need to create a copy of the hard drive, in other words, clone the data. To do this, use a program that will copy your HDD, for example HDClone.
Now let's look at how to retrieve information from a laptop's hard drive. With such laptop models, in which the hard drive is not removed, the situation is more complicated. Therefore, it is better to show such a laptop to a specialist. It will remove the hard drive and restore all information.

Let's look at the main ways to extract information from a laptop yourself.

1. Install the hard drive in a special pocket.

You take the hard drive out of the laptop and install it in this pocket, which is essentially an external hard drive housing with a USB interface. Using a USB connector, connect it to your work computer. Open the connected external drive and copy your information to your computer’s hard drive.

2. Connecting the hard drive to the computer system unit.

To extract information in this way, you will need an adapter that will connect the laptop hard drive and the computer motherboard. Remove the hard drive from the laptop. Open the computer case and use the adapter to connect the hard drive to the motherboard. The connected hard drive should be recognized by the system automatically. Open it and copy the information.

3. Access to the hard drive using another computer.

In this case, the computer must have an IDE or SATA interface. If the laptop is equipped with a SATA interface, then it is connected to the SATA connector of the computer. Then everything is very simple, open the laptop hard drive and copy the information to the computer.

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