HELP!!

Cass

Need some help, and some patience as i'm a tech dunce..

In short are all word docs, excel, Access, Powerpoint, pics, etc, etc. IOW anything that is saved on a computer done so on your hard drive. Assuming the file path is always C: drive, i assume this is the actual hard drive.

Here is the problem in detail.

I have a Dell A280p tower computer. It's old, and has been acting up, on occasion. Family member used it recently and they need some work off it again.

I turned it on and it froze during the start up (where Dell logo appears onscreen with a progress bar, and the option to use F2 for setup, etc), and made a continuous beeping noise and wouldn't start.

It done this once or twice in the previous weeks, or so i'm told, but after a couple of attempts it started up. The computer is the home computer and used very infrequently as each person has their own laptop hence the back up was only done once each couple of years and hasn't been done in about 3.

I opened up the tower, unscrewed and moved (but did not unplug) the disk drive, CD rom, and then unplugged and took out the hard drive. I got my SATA cable and power converter and hooked it up to my laptop. The drive appeared as Drive F and when i checked it had over 21gb of info/data. I started to copy to my laptop.

I got a chance to check the info and i cannot make sense of it. Files are marked as i3856, Appsdata (with faded out file icon), Vindata, etc. I clicked on "documents" and the folder has a couple of documents, only a couple, and from 6 years ago.

There were a few docs on the file list screen from over 3 years ago, but i cannot find anything done in the last 3 years.

I made the mistake of not watching the power on my battery so the laptop died, but not before i noticed the transfer from the hard drive ot the laptop had frozen.

I plugged the laptop in to charge, and connected the hard drive again, and although it winds up, the laptop is not recognising it. IOW its not showing up on my list of devices.

Any advice, input or help is appreciated.


PS - I've no interest in salvaging the tower, just the info from the hard drive.

mordeith

Were there multiple user logins on the tower PC?
Do you know capacity of the HDD (should be on the label)?
Have you tried putting the HDD back in the tower to see if the PC still recognizes it?

Cass

mordeith wrote: »

Were there multiple user logins on the tower PC?

No. Just one login, and everyone used it.

Do you know capacity of the HDD (should be on the label)?

80gb

Have you tried putting the HDD back in the tower to see if the PC still recognizes it?

Yes, but it still won't start up so no way to tell if it recognises it or not.

The way it happens is:
I turn on the power, the Dell logo on a black screen with the "progress bar" appears, you have two options i the top right corner of the screen for F2 or F12 (setup, abort boot iirc) and about 90% in it freezes and the beeping/screeching noise starts.

I never get to the login, i never get to the windows desktop screen.

smuggler.ie

What is actual model of your PC? A280p comes as part number(PSU) for OPTIPLEX GX 620
Judging by disk size (80GB) look like it is OPTIPLEX GX 620 - can you confirm this.

Beeps you get might be BIOS codes - try to count many you getting. Might be different for different models. See: Understanding Beep Codes on a Dell Desktop PC

mordeith

Right as there was only one user you would have copied (at least started to) all data saved under that user. Appsdata is usually a hidden folder so that's why it looks faded. You should see a few others like that as well.
What amount of data did you successfully copy?
If you have access to another tower PC you could try hooking the HDD up to that and see if it can see it. It's usually better to do that than with a laptop USB connection (which in fairness works too but losing power in the middle of a read operating could scupper it).

Johnboy1951

Give the HDD to someone who knows what they are doing, else risk losing everything on that drive.

Hopefully you did try to Copy and not move the data from the drive to your laptop.

beauf

Do you actually need the data from the HD. I sounds like it was used as its connected to a printer or similar.
Probably most of the docs are on peoples laptops. If they are you might not need to waste time on recovery.
Also if you can just re-write a document it might be quicker than messing with the HD.

If there is a load of important documents are they really that valuable?

Cass

smuggler.ie wrote: »

What is actual model of your PC? A280p comes as part number(PSU) for OPTIPLEX GX 620
Judging by disk size (80GB) look like it is OPTIPLEX GX 620 - can you confirm this.

Thats the one.

Beeps you get might be BIOS codes - try to count many you getting. Might be different for different models

Not much chance as there is no discernable gap between the beeps. As said above it sounds more like a screeching noise, very much like the old dial up tone.

. See: Understanding Beep Codes on a Dell Desktop PC

Thanks for that, i'll have a read through it.

Cass

mordeith wrote: »

What amount of data did you successfully copy?

1.21gb out of almost 21gb.

Here is a screenshot of the files.



As you can see there are large gaps in terms of years between the files (whether created or modified) and i know there should be much more. However the HDD had the exact same list so i assume some of the stuff i want is within those files, hence why i hoped someone could guess at whether they kight be in those files.

All the file titles were copied, but only some of the files actually have content/data in them, the rest read as empty. So its as though it copied the file names first, then started to transfer the data into each folder.

For example the one titled I386 (iirc) had over 6gb when i checked the HDD but only 25.8mb is currently on my laptop.

If you have access to another tower PC you could try hooking the HDD up to that and see if it can see it. It's usually better to do that than with a laptop USB connection (which in fairness works too but losing power in the middle of a read operating could scupper it).

It hardly matters if its the same make/model?

Cass

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Hopefully you did try to Copy and not move the data from the drive to your laptop.

I said i was a tech newbie, so perhaps i understated my ability.

I'm not capable of writing code or to speak on terms most of you probably are, but i understand enough to know the difference between cutting, copying, etc.

I specifically selected copy on the chance something may happen and also if the HDD is not actually damaged there is no need to remove all the content.

However you are correct and i was in contact with a chap today and he said to drop him in a flash drive and the HDD and he'll transfer the content to the flash drive. So i'll be taking that route tomorrow most likely, but the idea above about another tower might be worth a try first.

Cass

beauf wrote: »

Do you actually need the data from the HD. I sounds like it was used as its connected to a printer or similar.

90% of it, no.

In fact i don't need it at all however a family member used it to do a work project and they want to get something they didn't print or lost when they first printed. I also have a few jpegs, word docs, and scan images of which i don't have the originals anymore.

Probably most of the docs are on peoples laptops. If they are you might not need to waste time on recovery.

Also if you can just re-write a document it might be quicker than messing with the HD.

True, and correct if it was just me, but the work project is not mine and is needed.

If there is a load of important documents are they really that valuable?

Not especially to me, band frankly the family could redo their project, however they spent a week on it previously and as per usual have left it o the last minute. In their defense they were not to know the tower would completely stop working, but i do blame them as they never told me it was giving problems before otherwise i could have backed everything up last week.


Thanks everyone for the help so far and the few ideas to try.

corsav6

You need to copy the "users" folder over as that's where "my documents" is among other user folders. The "windows" folder and others such as "programs" can be ignored as they mostly store program installation files and configuration files.
Have a browse around the "users" folder and you should hopefully find your files.

smuggler.ie

Cass wrote: »

1.21gb out of almost 21gb.

Here is a screenshot of the files.

From this i can determine you had Windows XP.
User data on XP is stored in "Documents and Settings", other files you see would be system files(no need for those) or personal files stored outside libraries(like if you store it on C:\ drive directly) so, if you got "Documents and Settings" (this should contain User\Documents, \Downloads, etc.) and last 4 files from screenshot - that is pretty much all.


Windows XP Folders and Locations vs. Windows 7 and Vista

Cass

Appreciate the help.

Going to try putting the drive in another tower, nearly sure i have another one in the attic, and if that fails off to the expert i go.

Not going to keep trying it myself on the off chance i do mess it up.

Thanks all.

smuggler.ie

If it appear readable on next attempt, don't waste time on other (system) folders. "Documents and Settings" is location by default.

Cass

If i'd only known that when it did work, the first time.

Don't get me wrong "Douments & settings" seems obvious as did Users and it's why i checked those files before copying, but at the time i just thought "i'll get it all, just to be sure".

I've tried a couple of times since to connect the HDD to my laptop and once or twice the cursor gets the "buffering" symbol, and the HDD spins up, but i cannot get an icon to show the HDD is connected. Don't know what i'm doing wrong, differently or if it's even me.

I checked the power converter and it's within the parameters of the HDD (12v, 0.5-0.7ma) so i don't think i've "cooked" it. I also thought perhaps it needs to cool down as there are two fans in the tower, but it's not hot, barely warm and i left 12 hours between attempts to connect to it.

smuggler.ie

Cass wrote: »

If i'd only known that when it did work, the first time.

Don't get me wrong "Douments & settings" seems obvious as did Users and it's why i checked those files before copying, but at the time i just thought "i'll get it all, just to be sure".

I've tried a couple of times since to connect the HDD to my laptop and once or twice the cursor gets the "buffering" symbol, and the HDD spins up, but i cannot get an icon to show the HDD is connected. Don't know what i'm doing wrong, differently or if it's even me.

I checked the power converter and it's within the parameters of the HDD (12v, 0.5-0.7ma) so i don't think i've "cooked" it. I also thought perhaps it needs to cool down as there are two fans in the tower, but it's not hot, barely warm and i left 12 hours between attempts to connect to it.

Once fitted as "internal" disk(if avail), it will be managed by system regards data and power.

Good luck.