Hdd Recovery Tips When The Hard Drive Is Unbootable

Data recovery seems straightforward if a functioning hard drive (hdd) is available. However, if the hard drive is unbootable, the problem is harder. With some care, is still possible to achieve successful hdd recovery.

The first thing that is necessary is to hook up the unbootable hard drive to a working computer as a secondary device. When the working computer is booted up, the unbootable drive should be recognized.

Next, hdd recovery software should be downloaded onto the working computer’s hard drive (not the unbootable one - this could overwrite the data to be recovered). There are many data recovery options available. A well-known freeware option for this job is PC Inspector File Recovery which comes with a built-in tutorial explaining how to use it. It will work on most FAT and NTSF file systems. However, PC Inspector File Recovery has been reported to have a lower success rate than purchased software in recovering files, so if at all possible it is better to use more advanced software options. One of the best of these is Hdd Recovery Pro, also compatible with all FAT and NTSF file systems. A great feature for the less tech-confident is the fully automated process which doesn’t assume or require computer knowledge and has one of the highest data recovery success rates. The only downside is that this software is expensive. A successful, yet much cheaper option is DT Utilities Digital Rescue. Also designed to be used by the computer novice, this software features excellent ease of use and help documentation. This is one of the most effective at recovering files. However, the disadvantages of DT Utilities Digital Rescue are an inability to create image files, or to recover files from a network, or to address partitioning problems. All the above programs are for PC computers; for Mac and Linux users R-Studio is highly recommended but less easy to use (and it will work on PCs too).

Whichever the route, the recovered files should initially always be saved somewhere separate from the unbootable disk (such as the working computer’s hard drive) and then transferred after recovery is complete.

For the more computer-savvy who do not want to move the unbootable hard drive to another computer, there is another option; Knoppix. This software is a Linux boot disk and can be downloaded onto a CD in order to make the computer boot up from the CD instead of the hard drive. Knoppix is somewhat harder to use than regular recovery software, and a separate space in which to save the recovered data will still be needed (such as a USB drive or external hard drive). The user needs to discover by inspection what their hard drive has been identified as on the Knoppix interface, and therefore a novice computer user may miss identifying and recovering a portion of their data. It also requires more of the user’s time than the automated software described above. However, for those who know what they are doing, it is effective and convenient, eliminating the need for a second computer. Once the data is recovered, Knoppix makes it very easy to save it onto the external device to be used. An added feature is that Knoppix can burn the recovered files to a CD instead of some other device (although it is less straightforward, and requires a computer with a second CD drive, as Knoppix is occupying one of them). Successful hdd recovery from an unbootable drive initially seems like a daunting problem. However, data recovery can be achieved by either using another computer with data recovery software, or the existing computer with a boot disk.