S.M.A.R.T read write error now no data on HD... please help!

[mobeyone]

Casually browsing and a series of pop ups all telling me that the system is unable to read write and SMART is launched.

No folders in my startup, logged off and back on and on a secondary account, programmes are there but no files.

Launched backup, restores programmes but no files.

I am now using Stellar windows data recovery.. have I lost all my data? its my photos more than anything....

Comp is a HP Touchsmart 310.

 

[balge]

Hi best bet is probably a Linux live cd with file recovery tools, can work quite well. I mostly use UBCD4Win

Five Best Live CDs

cheers

 

[mobeyone]

Hi best bet is probably a Linux live cd with file recovery tools, can work quite well. I mostly use UBCD4Win

Five Best Live CDs

cheers

Ill have a look at that of the two programmes I am running returning nothing.

 

[balge]

UBCD4Win has 'Unstoppable Copier' on it, which is about the best freeware recovery tool I have used


cheers

 

[lxi]

has something not entirely dissimilar some time ago -machine started doing something of its own accord - after about 20 seconds my antivirus (Kaspersky at that time)popped up, started saying this that & the other was infected & it would delete.

After a minute or so, it seemed everything had disappeared,including programs.

Turned out it was a real nasty, but not enough time had passed for it to have really deleted. The b45tard thing had changed all file extensions to those for system files so they appeared gone, but they were recoverable.

Not easily I would add, but hopefully something along the same lines with yours which can be recovered via some of the tools mentioned

 

[mobeyone]

Grim... The two programmes I am running have found files and folders so I am quietly confident but aware I could lose these anytime....

Feel like kicking myself as I have been meaning to backup but not got round to it.

Is this a virus? I was on a link reading about claptons new ferrari when I saved a photo and almost immediately this happened?

 

[markjay]

AFAIK SMART errors are always hardware related - predictive warring that your hard disk drove is on its way out. I would suggest that you back up the drive while you still can, then buy a new one.

 

[mobeyone]

AFAIK SMART errors are always hardware related - predictive warring that your hard disk drove is on its way out. I would suggest that you back up the drive while you still can, then buy a new one.

I can see data on one of the prgrammes I have run so thats good, its recovering it...

The pc is only 4 months old, is it worth pursuing with the retailer?

 

[lxi]

I can see data on one of the prgrammes I have run so thats good, its recovering it...

The pc is only 4 months old, is it worth pursuing with the retailer?

most certainly is

 

[mobeyone]

most certainly is

Ill give HP a call tomorrow, how long do you have "normally" before you lose date completely?

 

[balge]

Worth trying a hard drive tool, it may just have been a random read/write error (writing the picture file) or it may be the hard drive failing ...SMART is not really very smart, there are better tools, chkdsk /f if nothing else

7 Free Hard Drive Testing Software Tools

again, UBCD4Win has several

If the hard drive IS failing, you should get the supplier to replace the drive at the very least.

Sale of goods act gives you two years coverage on domestic electrical goods regardless of any 'warranty'

cheers

 

[balge]

Ill give HP a call tomorrow, how long do you have "normally" before you lose date completely?

That generally depends on how much read/write you do on the drive, the less you use the pc the less data gets over-written

 

[mobeyone]

Spent nearly 3 hour son the phone and it looks promising. No faults found on scans ran in bios, the drive shows the drive still having data similar to what it was before it went and some files have been found but I had to go.

It's a funny one as if the comp has dumped the files somewhere else? And there does not seem to be a reason for this?

 

[mobeyone]

Update:

Its been a long process but have managed to recover all data... but the programme I have used has recovererd everything.... and in no order other than alphabetical.

HP asked me to carry out two smart scans in bios, both returned 0 defects.... as the error that caused was read/write, I am a little worried but will be backing the drive up once I have finished cleaning it up.

All have been dumped on the c drive and I am having to go through 425000 files to mine through what is mine....

The joys.

 

[markjay]

If it's an HP, then they will replace the hard drive if a SMART warning came up. They may want proof of it, but once they are satisfied that you indeed had the SMART warning they will replace it.

And trust me - you do not want a drive with a SMART warning in your PC even if everything looks normal now, and all the scans are fine... this is not a one off.

 

[mobeyone]

If it's an HP, then they will replace the hard drive if a SMART warning came up. They may want proof of it, but once they are satisfied that you indeed had the SMART warning they will replace it.

And trust me - you do not want a drive with a SMART warning in your PC even if everything looks normal now, and all the scans are fine... this is not a one off.

I am going to speak to them again on Thursday, the techie did mention about the HD being examined and you are right, they are checking everything, I wouldnt mind but the thing was only bought last August.....