We have a 9gig SCSI hard drive that quit booting and/or won't register during the boot process. The drive was NOT clicking or making noise before the failure. So I assume the failure isn't physical (plates, heads etc.)

Question: besides a professional data recovery service what other options are suggested? The data is important but not critical.

Mike T

Miket99

"Wont register during the boot process" suggests you have some life.

Can you run any SCSI utilities frm the SCSI adapter?  For example, some venders such as Adeptec include a SCSI utility with the adapteyr.  This utility is visible during the boot process.  For Adeptec, you can hit CTRL-A.  This will allow you to take a look at what the SCSI adapter can see as well as tweak the device communication for each visible device.

If the adapter can not see the device, then check the cable, try a different cable, try changing the SCSI ID for the drive.

Was the drive recently moved or was another SCSI device added - check the SCSI ID of the drive.  Unplug the other device.

Try another SCSI adapter.

Try attaching the drive to another PC using a SCSI card (make sure the SCIS ID's are different) -- Can you know see the drive?

If none of these work, then the drive is damaged.  The damage can be minor or major but sufficient for drive not to load.  Static electricity to major drive failure.

Richard

 

Those are excellent suggestions and yes I have as best as my ability allows done each of them.

New question: all the data recovery places I've talked with want $500 up to diagnose the problem and more to recover the data. What other options exist for diagnosing the drive?

Mike t

Miket99

Basically, a data recovery process will systematically go over the hard drive bit by bit and read any information it can.  This is a pretty tough job.  Not only do they have to read each part of the drive, but since a file on a hard drive will most likely be split and located on difference sections of the drive, they have to piece the file together.  There will be gaps, there will be bad sectors so it is

They charge a lot because they have invested a lot in their tools.

It is unfortunate that your sources want to charge up to $500 for the diagnosis.  I normally get the diagnosis done for no charge, then have to decide to pay $2000+ for the data recorvery.

Perhaps you can find a source that wont charge for the diagnosis, but you will still have to pay for the recovery.

If comes back to how much is the data worth?

And, from lessons learned, are their processes you can implement to prevent a re-occurance.

Good luck on this one.
Richard