| Author | Thread |
|
|
01/22/2006 05:08:59 PM · #1 |
About 20gb of photographs and 10 gb of music, up in smoke.
I have an external 160gb hard drive that i store most of my photos on. I figured that on it's own hardrive with no windows to muck it up it would be quite safe...
WRONG
Just stopped working, gave me the message that drive j was corrupt. After a full day of trying to even access the drive, Nothing.
I have most of it backed up on CD but not the show i shot yesterday.
So this is just the same old warning
Back up
Back up
Back up.
I have done a quick format and now i'm going to try some undelete softwre.
Anyone have any suggestions?
All help greatfully received.
Bums
Kev
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 05:11:55 PM · #2 |
if your drive is really foobar, check these guys out-
//www.drivesavers.com
I had a drive pull a similar trick once, and I couldn't do anything with it. I sent it to them. Admittedly, all their magic couldn't do anything, but they charged me absolutely nothing - even shipping was free. They do have a long record of successes and their list of satisfied clients is most impressive.
Your case is probably more hopeful than mine; my drive had serious physical damage that ruined the data the same way you'd ruin a CD by slashing it with a knife.
Good luck - I feel your pain - I've lost the record of years of my life this way
Damon |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 05:14:08 PM · #3 |
Thanks for the quick reply. Going to have a look there
Cheeers
Kev
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 06:42:33 PM · #4 |
We just bought a 160gb external drive, and at first, my idea was to just put my pictures on it. Then I realized it was just as prone to failure as the drive in my comp, so now I will copy all my pics and music to it. The external drive will stay in our weather/fire proof safe, and come out when I feel I should back up my stuff.
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 07:57:52 PM · #5 |
Keep in mind that all hard-drives manufactured ARE GOING TO FAIL.
A safer way to store data is on a medium that has no, or as little as possible, moving parts. The perfect option is "Optical Storage". CD's and DVD's, basically. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 08:01:24 PM · #6 |
:( sorry 'bout your luck.
i just did a backup of my own this week. it had been over 6 months. EEP!
i had a drive die on me not too long ago. now i try to be much better. if you're going to go the external hard drive route, it might be worth exploring a mirrored drive setup (where you have two drives with identical contents). sounds 'spensive, but what is your data worth to you? :( |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 08:02:39 PM · #7 |
www.runtime.org has data recovery software, ive had pretty good success with it. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 08:18:14 PM · #8 |
Too bad you formated it already. One of the solutions for bad hard drives is to put into the freezer for some time(in sealed bag of course). After it is very cold it is your last chance to get data off. If not you'll have to send it in to recovery company.
I'm sorry for your loss but I don't think you'll get data back because you've formated it. Now you'll have to send it in.
Nick
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 08:24:38 PM · #9 |
I just ordered a 250Gb external for $143 (they have both USB & Firewire) from Dell.
It's VERY basic but at 0.57 cents / Gb, not a bad deal (seems to have decent reviews). It will be my first level backup for photos and I will throw the stuff onto DVD at some regular interval from it. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 08:32:47 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by wimbello:
Keep in mind that all hard-drives manufactured ARE GOING TO FAIL.
A safer way to store data is on a medium that has no, or as little as possible, moving parts. The perfect option is "Optical Storage". CD's and DVD's, basically. |
CDs and DVDs have a short shelf life - often less than 5 years. And they will become obsolete (remember 5 1/4" floppies?). A combination of methods would be best - spinning and static storage, preferably in multiple locations. I have heard mutterings about the benefits to be had from tape drives again!
I must admit, I have over 150GB of data to backup (100GB in less than a year...) and there is no obvious quick & easy option. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 08:48:04 PM · #11 |
| If the data on the hard drive are really important to you, do not, repeat NOT, try any software recovery or short cut services to try to do a data recovery. These actually can perform actions that will make the damage even worse. Contact "drive savers" or one of the other companies that provide the service (and check their prices and protocol..they vary a lot) and expect to pay from $300-2500 for the delivered product. But most will charge a small check-out fee then tell you what they can recover before you pay. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 08:53:00 PM · #12 |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 08:56:01 PM · #13 |
Sorry to hear that, even though I have my pictures on my external hard drive and iPod for backup I always burn them on CD/DVD's. I have experienced your problem before, its sucks sorry to hear that, try checking out the link provided and send your hard drive to someone first before u toss it.
Message edited by author 2006-01-22 20:56:29.
|
|
|
|
01/23/2006 02:51:57 AM · #14 |
CDs and DVDs have a short shelf life - often less than 5 years. And they will become obsolete (remember 5 1/4" floppies?). A combination of methods would be best - spinning and static storage, preferably in multiple locations. I have heard mutterings about the benefits to be had from tape drives again!
Intereste in your comment about shelf-life of CD/DVD. I've got a large and well used music CD collection going back the beginnings of CD and have never had a CD spontaneously 'fail'. Is there a difference between pre-recorded CD/DVD and those you burn yourself?? |
|
|
|
01/23/2006 03:53:16 AM · #15 |
Originally posted by Qiki:
CDs and DVDs have a short shelf life - often less than 5 years. And they will become obsolete (remember 5 1/4" floppies?). A combination of methods would be best - spinning and static storage, preferably in multiple locations. I have heard mutterings about the benefits to be had from tape drives again!
Intereste in your comment about shelf-life of CD/DVD. I've got a large and well used music CD collection going back the beginnings of CD and have never had a CD spontaneously 'fail'. Is there a difference between pre-recorded CD/DVD and those you burn yourself?? |
Yeah, huge difference, very very very simply put Classic CD's/DVD's are made using a technology that physically "presses" the data onto a medium, whereas CD/DVD "burners" use a dye (organic or not) that over time starts to lose the shape of the data the laser put down. This is a real simple explanation but basically the dye starts to bleed and fade like an old inkjet print and data goes bye bye... |
|
|
|
01/23/2006 04:17:49 AM · #16 |
or you can invest in a backup library,
runs a full backup every sunday,
runs a partial backup every day on top of that,
recycle the tapes every fortnight,
and have all tapes sent off-site by reputable companies.
and then, keep a monthly tape that recycles only once a year,
and finally, a yearly backup that recycles once a decade.
:p |
|
|
|
01/23/2006 07:03:26 AM · #17 |
I backed up All my stock photos from Istock and other place on a DVD and then I formated my computer......So when I went to put my stock photos back on the computer...the DVD will work so you can see what is on the DVD but as soon as I try to copy off of it or open anything it comes up with a error. Anybody know what to do with the DVD?
Melissa
|
|
|
|
01/23/2006 09:47:23 AM · #18 |
Originally posted by melking:
I backed up All my stock photos from Istock and other place on a DVD and then I formated my computer......So when I went to put my stock photos back on the computer...the DVD will work so you can see what is on the DVD but as soon as I try to copy off of it or open anything it comes up with a error. Anybody know what to do with the DVD?
Melissa |
You probably have dirt or scratch. Clean the DVD. If not try different computer. If that fails your only hope is DOS. Go to start>run and type CMD press enter. You should get black box. Type this:
xcopy d:\*.* /s/c/h c:\recover\
Substitute drive letters if needed and create recover folder on c drive. This will copy all files computer can read and will skip bad once.
Good luck
Nick
|
|
|
|
01/23/2006 09:53:04 AM · #19 |
Originally posted by melking:
I backed up All my stock photos from Istock and other place on a DVD and then I formated my computer......So when I went to put my stock photos back on the computer...the DVD will work so you can see what is on the DVD but as soon as I try to copy off of it or open anything it comes up with a error. Anybody know what to do with the DVD?
Melissa |
Try this program to see what's damaged. It's a free trial and is a good diagnostic program. Then you can decide if you want to try the recovery modes (for which you have to buy the program, but it's only $49).
I've never used it to recover but I've used it to check CD premasters before sending off to manufacturing. They have a money back guarantee on the program, if it can't recover your data to your satisfaction.
Not affiliated with them--just familiar with their product.
Regards--Neil
Edit: Helps to post the link and info!
CD/DVD Diagnostic
Message edited by author 2006-01-23 09:53:40.
|
|
|
|
01/23/2006 02:34:56 PM · #20 |
thank you very much!
Melissa
|
|
|
|
01/23/2006 02:40:55 PM · #21 |
Ditto on Drive Savers. Sunday Morning on CBS featured a story on them just yesterday.
Written article at //www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/22/sunday/main1227388.shtml |
|
|
|
01/23/2006 03:24:50 PM · #22 |
I learned a gazillion years ago to always have (at least) two sets of backup media. I was performing a backup when my system drive died, thus having a half-written (and useless) backup.
Rules:
1. Two sets of backup media
2. Verify you can restore from the backup media
3. Keep at least one copy of backup media off-site.
I've been archiving to two sets of DVDs, but this year I plan to change to large capacity hard drives. This even has a risk as controller standards and data formats have changed over the years at it is expected that current hard drives won't work in systems at some future date. So review your technologies occasionally.
From a historical perspective, the longest lasting archival digital storage media has been punched cards.
|
|
|
|
01/23/2006 03:25:51 PM · #23 |
| I had serious back to back drive failures (using older used drives) and have since learned. I have all my shots on two seperate 200 gig internal hard drives. Short of total catastrophic failure I should be good. I also have been trying to get into copying to CD on a regular basis. |
|
|
|
01/23/2006 03:28:42 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by Qiki:
CDs and DVDs have a short shelf life - often less than 5 years. And they will become obsolete (remember 5 1/4" floppies?). A combination of methods would be best - spinning and static storage, preferably in multiple locations. I have heard mutterings about the benefits to be had from tape drives again!
Intereste in your comment about shelf-life of CD/DVD. I've got a large and well used music CD collection going back the beginnings of CD and have never had a CD spontaneously 'fail'. Is there a difference between pre-recorded CD/DVD and those you burn yourself?? |
CD-R's are burnt to a media that reacts with light while Music CD's are burnt right into the metal inside piece. The original music CD's from the first couple of years or so had a bad history of actually rusting inside the plastic shell (you could actually buy gold CD's for a premium for a while because of this) but I have not heard of that since the very beginning. |
|
|
|
01/23/2006 03:37:04 PM · #25 |
I found this thought it might help and for what its worth I back up to cd/dvd once a week at work I use 20gig DAT and that is a daily backup cycle with 7 tapes in rotation and replaced once a year.
"What is the shelf life of unrecorded CD-R and CD-RW discs?
The unrecorded shelf life of a CD-R or CD-RW disc is conservatively estimated to be between 5 and 10 years.
How long will data recorded on CD-R and CD-RW discs remain readable?
The life span of a written disc depends upon a number of factors including such things as the intrinsic properties of the materials used in the disc̢۪s construction, its manufactured quality, how well it is recorded and its physical handing and storage. As a result, the life span of a recorded disc is extremely difficult to estimate reliably. However, to calculate disc life spans within some practical timeframe blank media manufacturers do conduct accelerated age testing by subjecting samples of their discs to environments much beyond those experienced under normal storage conditions. Generally speaking, only the effects of varying temperature and humidity are considered. These test results are then used to predict how long a disc will remain readable under more normal storage conditions. Since questionable testing and measurement procedures can seriously impact upon and compromise these estimates several international standards have been developed which specify procedures to be used conducting accelerated testing and analyzing the resulting data from prerecorded (pressed) and recordable CDs:
ISO 18921:2002, Imaging materials — Compact discs (CD-ROM) — method for estimating the life expectancy based on the effects of temperature and relative humidity
ISO 18927:2002, Imaging materials — Recordable compact disc systems — method for estimating the life expectancy based on the effects of temperature and relative humidity
For years now many media manufacturers have performed their own lifetime evaluations using these or a variety of other homegrown tests and mathematical modeling techniques. Historically, manufacturers have claimed life-spans ranging from 50 to 200 years for CD-R discs and 20 to 100 years for CD-RW. Be aware, however, that disc producers, manufacturing methods and materials change over time as do applications and cost imperatives. Consequently, those concerned with disc longevity should consult the appropriate international standards and their media manufacturer for more particular information.
It is important to remember, however, that nothing lasts forever and that technologies inevitably change. Well-designed products, such as CD-R and CD-RW, allow for seamless transition to the next generation and ultimately, since they embody digital information, contents can be transferred to future storage systems as becomes necessary to preserve whatever has been stored on the discs." |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/22/2025 05:15:48 PM EDT.
