Hard disk down... HELP !!!!!

[VivaTheBeaver]

I have a Fujitsu Disk Model MPD3043AT 4.32 gb. It won't boot. I have tried it on two other PC's as both master and slave but it isn't recognised in the BIOS setup. Of course I have lots of word doc's that I don't really want to lose on this disk and it's not backed up. (I know serves me right....)

I believe the disk is spinning (I could feel the vibration when holding it when I turned the PC on). But I can't notice any sounds of the heads moving.

I know there are companies out there that can recover data from disks, but I have also seen the prices (about £400 to recover data from a 4gb disk.)

Does anyone have any other suggestions of any software I could try to read the disk or of any cheaper data recovery companies in the UK who may be able to help.

Thanks in anticipation...

VTB

[fobotcso]

Everyone's nightmare, bad luck!

You've probably thought of this but have you checked the jumper settings for slave and also the cable integrity? Try another cable or the other IDE interface.

Forget booting from it, the data will probably still be there if you can only get at it.

Otherwise my only similar experience with a serviceable HD that wouldn't function in other PCs was that it could only be seen by the same old HP BIOS in the PC where the HD was originally formatted and used. It, too, was a 4.3GB Fujitsu.

That's all I can think of. All the Best!

[ORAC]

Here's the manual. Copy down the BIOS settings and input manually. If that doesn't work, if you are using DMA swop to UDMA or vica versa. Sam with the cable. Just see if you can get it to try a different operating mode in case it's a software glitch.

At the end of the day, if the BIOS won't recognise it as master or slave in any mode, and you've swopped the cable, The other option is to try and replace the motherboard. Tricky, but cheaper than data recovery, but lost cash if it doesn't work. Buy a second hand working drive, should be cheap, and cannabalise it.

Fujitsu manual (http://www.fcpa.com/download/download/hard-drives/mpd3xxxat-manual.pdf)

Secondhand Price (http://www.hd4less.com/fuj43uathard1.html)

[Cornish Jack]

Will try to couch this in terms which will avoid Danny's mild paranoia re. advertising!! :) One of the UK computer mags which deals primarily with computer problems AND THEIR SOLUTIONS (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, :D ) has devoted much of its latest issue to this particular problem and included some useful software in the freebie CD. Might be worth investigating - or at least a quick browse at your local WH's.