How NOT To Replace a Hard Drive - DPChallenge Forums

05/21/2008 12:47:03 AM · #1

Don't call your drunk neighbor. That's about all I have to say.

Sidenote: Its now almost 1am, I'm cloning my HD myself after doing a lot of googling and a bit of praying. My main workstation (the one with all of the expensive software) has a dying hard drive. I bought a new one and, knowing NOTHING of hardware, asked my neighbor, the IT pro, to help install it. He showed up almost 4 hours later and uhmmmmm wellllllll didn't help. He babbled a lot and told me some stories.... Anyway, after I got the hard drive installed (via directions that came with it), it wasn't recognized by the primary (dying) hard drive. I remembered neighbor babbling something about BIOS and SATA drive, so I googled and learned I needed to TELL my puter there was a 2nd HD in the BIOS. Okay, I'm dumb, but I figured that part out.
Then installed the cloning software that came with the HD. Now.... started to clone and .... black screen. I'm lost :/

05/21/2008 12:53:43 AM · #2

Originally posted by idnic:

sorry to hear that Cindi, i work in IT for a hospital, if all else fails you can mail it to me and tell me what you need off there, i rescue data all the time at work, as long as its not mechanically dead anyway, no charge for a dpc'er, just throwing it out there

05/21/2008 12:58:25 AM · #3

Thanks, Jason! Since the dying one isn't completely dead yet (producing about 3 error reports per hour for last 2 weeks), I was able to get all the data off of it and onto external HDs, ......its all of my software, plugins, settings, passwords, etc... that I have no other record of that are freaking me out.

I restarted the machine and begain cloning procedure again and it seems to be moving now.... my fingers are sooooooo crossed. I SUCK at hardware issues. I'm a software girl!

05/21/2008 01:01:54 AM · #4

ok if its get weird again do this: you will think i am retarded but stick it in the freezer overnight then try again, we have done that a few times at work and been able to rescue previously unreachable data

05/21/2008 01:05:13 AM · #5

Originally posted by smardaz:

Wow, okay, COOL info hehehee. My drunk IT neighbor did say because my tower lives under my desk, heat may have contributed to its demise in the first place. Thinking I'll need a 2nd fan now with 2 HDs.

By the way, this is the same DELL that had a power supply problem a few months ago... literally moments after it went out of warranty and I couldn't shut it down for 2 weeks until the new power supply arrived. :/ I've had 5 Dells, my first lemon.

05/21/2008 01:12:10 AM · #6

Originally posted by idnic:

Originally posted by smardaz:
ok if its get weird again do this: you will think i am retarded but stick it in the freezer overnight then try again, we have done that a few times at work and been able to rescue previously unreachable data

Wow, okay, COOL info hehehee. My drunk IT neighbor did say because my tower lives under my desk, heat may have contributed to its demise in the first place. Thinking I'll need a 2nd fan now with 2 HDs.

By the way, this is the same DELL that had a power supply problem a few months ago... literally moments after it went out of warranty and I couldn't shut it down for 2 weeks until the new power supply arrived. :/ I've had 5 Dells, my first lemon.

we run all dells at work let me know if you need anymore help, by the way i just found a secret video of how you spend your spare time when not taking pictures....frankly i like it

05/21/2008 01:16:46 AM · #7

Hahahahahaaa! Who filmed that?! :D

51% cloned.... still holding my breath. Big client tomorrow, I'm near panic.

Oh, Jason, goggle said I might have to remove the primary drive before it can run on the secondary alone... that true with Dell or can I just say "run from this HD"?

05/21/2008 01:18:56 AM · #8

Originally posted by idnic:

you can go into the bios and set it to boot from the new hd first, to the best of my knowledge any pc should have that function but what model do you own?

05/21/2008 01:21:14 AM · #9

Originally posted by smardaz:

Originally posted by idnic:
Hahahahahaaa! Who filmed that?! :D

51% cloned.... still holding my breath. Big client tomorrow, I'm near panic.

Oh, Jason, goggle said I might have to remove the primary drive before it can run on the secondary alone... that true with Dell or can I just say "run from this HD"?

you can go into the bios and set it to boot from the new hd first, to the best of my knowledge any pc should have that function but what model do you own?

Dimension E510, and yeah, I remember seeing that option when I set the SATA from off to on... I'll look again when it forces me to reboot in a few. 69%......

Message edited by author 2008-05-21 01:22:35.

05/21/2008 01:23:42 AM · #10

i'm laughing now because i am thinking we pretty much just could have had a pm conversation but maybe this info will be helpful to others

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

05/21/2008 01:27:36 AM · #11

LOL Now we can go back to the poor advice of asking a drunk to help with things that need fixed :D

awpollard

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

05/21/2008 01:39:18 AM · #12

Originally posted by smardaz:

For the kiddies playing along at home... this is usually a one shot deal, freeze it...get yer data off and before the drive craps completely. Now the hair dryer fix for seized drives, that is another story.

Isn't that fun Cindi, you should get a bagde for going that alone.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

05/21/2008 01:50:55 AM · #13

Well.... the cloning is finished, but I can't seem to "prove it" because in the "boot preference" it says "sata" but not which one. I know that the new one is SATA 1, but that isn't a choice in the boot preference list. So I don't know which drive I'm looking at now. :/

Sorry for the quote attack.

Message edited by author 2008-05-21 01:53:01.

thegrandwazoo

Nikon D750

05/21/2008 01:58:22 AM · #14

You have to change the jumper on the drive and make the new drive the "Master". The jumper is a little plastic thingy that slides on 2 pins by the power and cable plugin.

Message edited by author 2008-05-21 01:58:48.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

05/21/2008 09:31:41 AM · #15

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

You have to change the jumper on the drive and make the new drive the "Master". The jumper is a little plastic thingy that slides on 2 pins by the power and cable plugin.

actually no, sata drives do not have or use jumpers, they each work on their own channel

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

05/21/2008 09:37:27 AM · #16

Originally posted by idnic:

... asked my neighbor, the IT pro, to help install it. He showed up almost 4 hours later and uhmmmmm wellllllll didn't help....

I hope you got a full refund of all the money you paid him!

HornOUBet

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II

Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH

05/21/2008 09:46:42 AM · #17

You don't really want to leave a dieing drive in your PC, do you??? I would pull it out, replaceing the new one in the old ones position with the same cables as the original....don't forget to tell the bios it is back to one drive in the bios should you think my advice is good....

if the new one doesn't boot, you may have to fix the master boot record (MBR)...

Message edited by author 2008-05-21 09:48:55.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

05/21/2008 09:54:14 AM · #18

Well after I got a few hours sleep, I'm back to this project again.

Yes, I do want to remove the dying drive, but only after I'm SURE that its cloned properly and that nothing is lost..... still trying to figure out the booting thing.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

05/21/2008 10:00:39 AM · #19

To avoid a repeat of this "event", you might want to invest in some flavor of RAID disk array.

That way, if a disk fails or starts to fail, you can simply swap it out, knowing that everything is already safely stored on a redundant drive.

You might try talking with your neighbor before he gets 3 sheets to the wind.

Message edited by author 2008-05-21 10:01:54.

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO IF for Pentax

05/21/2008 10:04:55 AM · #20

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

LOL Now there's an idea!! I will call him in a bit to let him know what I did without him last night. Will ask him about a RAID array. I want to get another external HD as well for redundant backup.

Nobody

Pentax K-S2

05/21/2008 10:18:23 AM · #21

It sounds like you made it. Congratulations.

jrtodd

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

05/21/2008 10:27:07 AM · #22

Let me finish my drink and I'll be right up!

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

05/21/2008 10:35:17 AM · #23

I think I'd also be in a constant state of drunkeness if I had a neighbor constantly bugging me for tech support. :-P

05/21/2008 10:42:27 AM · #24

Originally posted by Nobody:

It sounds like you made it. Congratulations.

Hey, Sam! Long time no see, dude. I just confirmed that the cloned drive is working properly and has all of my software & data.. so next step is remove the dying drive (shuting down now) and then it should be fixed. :D