> From:    andre chiasson <[log in to unmask]>
>
> I have had a SCSI drive for over 4 years now and a few days ago, it simply
> failed to be recognized by my adaptec scsi controller.  Just like that!!  I
> had simply closed my computer like I usually do, and next day, when I opened
> it, dead.
>
> I hear the hard disk spinning, but then I don't hear the writing process
> that I usually hear.  I then get the message "failed to read".
> Since I had precious data on it, is there a way to move the data onto
> another disk?

Do you have another "known good" hard drive, cable, and controller
that you can substitute (one at a time) to make sure that it really is the
hard drive?

How precious is your data?  I have heard stories of $20,000.00 to recover
business data that was not backed up (like yours should have been).

Assuming that you prove that it really is the disk, it sounds like either
the motor that moves the heads or something in the circuit board has failed.
If you can find a working, second hand disk that is IDENTICAL to yours,
you could try swapping the circuit boards.  If the problem is inside the
sealed can, and your data has sentimental value, but is not worth a
professional data recovery (It is worth asking for at least 2 estimates.)
I have heard of someone making his own "clean room" by placing everything
he needed to perform the "transplant" inside a deflated laundry bag,
closing both ends with rubber bands, inflating it with air from a vacuum
cleaner, and waiting 24 hours for all dust to settle.  To work, he
slipped one hand in each end.  Watch out for static!  I gather that he was
in a humid environment, which helped - but he did recover his data.

Boyd Ramsay

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