Help!!! Hd Crashed!!!

HDkilledFILM.

HDkilledFILM.

Burnin' down the House
Hello, I just lost a ton of data on an external USB HD from freeagent. I need to know what the best way to recover the HD would be? I was importing a P2 card when the comp crashed. When I rebooted the HD read as though there was no data on it just total free space. I had a friend recover the drive onto another drive but some of the files (moslty quicktime) will not be read. Tell me what I should do! Please!!!

LOL on another note this film I'm working on has been like this the entire way... I guess it could be worse right? I could be dead.:Drogar-Shock(DBG):
 
So the drive mounts but he computer sees it as empty? I've had a problem with a drive that didn't mount and a new case solved the problem. I've also had a problem with a corrupted drive (LaCie) and $4400 and Drivesavers solved the problem. What size drive is it? Their prices vary according to how much data they have to recover. Depending on the value of the material you may not even want to consider a disk recovery service.

There a several software disk recovery programs, too, depending on what system you're on. It's alway best to start with the easiest and cheapest tests, first, saving a recovery service as a last resort, again, depending on the value of the material you stand to lose.
 
My HD just crashed, but in a different manner - it turns on, but it won't get recognized by my mac. I think it probably just died.

I feel your pain, I really do. Good luck!

-Kegan
 
Hunter007 said:
My HD just crashed, but in a different manner - it turns on, but it won't get recognized by my mac. I think it probably just died.

I feel your pain, I really do. Good luck!

-Kegan
Click to expand...
I had one that did that on my Mac. It just didn't mount. I bought a new housing, put the drive in it and it worked like a charm. $40 for the housing.
 
Really? Hm, I'll go out and buy another housing - I'd really like to get that hard drive back up and running. $40 for the housing though? On boxing day here, I can probably get a new 250 gig hard drive for around that.

It is about the content though, so $40 isn't too bad. I'll pick one up soon.

Thanks,

Kegan
 
Housings for firewire drives run about 40 or so, but if you are running USB, you can get them cheaper.
 
If you are brave, you might want to try freezing it. I did and recovered every last drop off a 500 gig drive. What you do is wrap it in paper towels, put it in two ziploc freezer bags and freeze it for a few hours, or overnight. Depending on how cold the drive gets, it may boot for 10-20 minutes at a time before it crashes again, at which point you refreeze. Make sure to wipe off any condensation as the drive warms up.
 
Blaine said:
So the drive mounts but he computer sees it as empty? I've had a problem with a drive that didn't mount and a new case solved the problem. I've also had a problem with a corrupted drive (LaCie) and $4400 and Drivesavers solved the problem. What size drive is it? Their prices vary according to how much data they have to recover. Depending on the value of the material you may not even want to consider a disk recovery service.

There a several software disk recovery programs, too, depending on what system you're on. It's alway best to start with the easiest and cheapest tests, first, saving a recovery service as a last resort, again, depending on the value of the material you stand to lose.
Click to expand...

I recovered alot of it using a basic recovery program but I might have corrupted some of the files. Thank god that we recovered it onto another drive. I think I might have to send it away because of the nature of the material on the drive, I have about 80% of a feature on there and yes I only have sections backed up as we were shooting when it crashed. Thanks for all the info I guess I'll give Drivesavers a call....
 
Hey I feel your pain man, after you have recovered your data, I'm assuming if the quicktime works on the same principle as AVIs(and MPEGS) then if the file is corrupted (as in it doesn't play) then in the case of AVIs and MPEGs you simply rebuild the index which will fix EVEN the most corrupted file, BUT with QT I'm not sure how index rebuilding is done.

I'll go do some research on it see if I turn up any thing.
 
Anhar Miah said:
Hey I feel your pain man, after you have recovered your data, I'm assuming if the quicktime works on the same principle as AVIs(and MPEGS) then if the file is corrupted (as in it doesn't play) then in the case of AVIs and MPEGs you simply rebuild the index which will fix EVEN the most corrupted file, BUT with QT I'm not sure how index rebuilding is done.

I'll go do some research on it see if I turn up any thing.
Click to expand...

Thanks a ton man! I might have to sell my HVX200 to pay for the recovery of this drive if I can't figure out how to do it myself.
 
Last edited:
I may be out in left field here, it's been a couple years, but what I remember of hard drives is there is a Master Boot Record and a copy of it.

This record basically has the address of all of your files and folder of where they reside on the HD. Sometimes the MBR gets corrupted.

Now, I don't know if an OS will automatically check the copy, located around mid HD, if the Master is corrupt. I don't think so. And if I remember right, you can restore the MBR from its copy using the Windows Installation CD. That was windows 98 though.

Maybe someone else could elaborate.
It may be another possibility.
 
Should we make a sticky thread for "Hard drive Crash" , and put some of this information into it (plus related info), it seems to happen to many people (but with filmmakers more than the average Joe)?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top