| Computers always malfunction at the worst times, a | | | | Management'. |
| great deal of money, stress and time being spent | | | | All hard drives operate a particular File System. File |
| looking for a remedy. Briefly discussed here is a look | | | | Systems are a method whereby the installed |
| at data recovery of hard drives, an example of a | | | | operating system is able to organize data and free |
| program that can perform this function being stated | | | | space so that it can be easily read from and written |
| later. | | | | to. Many partitions can be created from each physical |
| General Introduction | | | | disk, each one appearing as a separate drive e.g. C:, |
| Everyone who uses a computer should know that a | | | | D: etc. The two main partition methods used with |
| fundamental technique to ensure no important data is | | | | Windows Operating Systems are mentioned here, |
| lost is to constantly reliably back up your data. Even | | | | FAT16/32 and NTFS. |
| at today's super fast, highest tech level of computer | | | | The most common partition type at the moment, |
| design hard drives still fail. | | | | NTFS (NT File System) is utilized by Windows NT/ |
| Hard drives are a true feat of technology, engineered | | | | XP. FAT-32 is operated by Windows 98 and |
| to spin at around 7200rpm, any physical encounter | | | | onwards, FAT-16 had in the past been used by DOS |
| with even a small object that is not part of the | | | | 3.1/95. Modern operating systems are backwards |
| machinery can cause huge amounts of damage. Such | | | | compatible with older file systems able to read/ write |
| potentially disastrous occurrences are less likely | | | | to secondary disks centering on the older file system. |
| nowadays since a variety of fail safe mechanisms are | | | | On both file systems the way in which the data is |
| typically built in to hard drives to prevent physical | | | | stored is organized by a Master Boot Record (MBR) |
| damage. | | | | and a Partition Table. Found in the first sector of the |
| When areas of a hard disk fail the whole hard drive | | | | drive, both the MBR and Partition Table decide the |
| tends to become useless. Specialists are then usually | | | | organizational structure of the disk and from which |
| called in to try to retrieve as much data as possible. | | | | partition to boot from. |
| Routine back ups of your computers data make the | | | | CHKDSK |
| retrieval process relatively easy and straightforward. | | | | Often, so called 'disk failure' is through the corruption |
| All that is required is to re-install all the data. If no (or | | | | of the MBR or Partition Table that leads to a |
| recent!) back ups of the data exist in the first place | | | | non-booting drive. |
| then you're in a very bad position, you have a limited | | | | Tools in Windows can be used to try to solve this |
| range of data recovery procedures you can try | | | | problem, namely the simple and easy to use |
| before needing to call out expensive data recovery | | | | SCANDISK (used on DOS/3.1/95/98/ME) and |
| experts. | | | | CHKDSK (used on NT/XP). Typically run from the |
| In terms of procedures you can try, hard drives are | | | | Windows Installation CD or a bootable floppy disk, |
| partitioned so that several drives can be seen on the | | | | these applications should, unless you can identify the |
| computer. Sometimes only one of a number of | | | | problem, be your first move towards a solution. |
| partitions on a physical drive can fail. In this case | | | | CHKDSK is able to locate and fix the majority of |
| everything is not usually lost, most likely recoverable | | | | simple MBR problems, if run straight from a boot disk. |
| with some effort. This is not always realized, a lot of | | | | In instances where your secondary hard drive has |
| people give up and buy a new drive, in the process | | | | failed and booting directly to Windows XP is still |
| loosing all their recoverable data. | | | | possible, run 'CHKDSK/F' from the run command. |
| Damaging hard drive sounds like loud clicks, scratching | | | | What normally happens is Windows tries to remove |
| sounds and rattling should prompt you to immediately | | | | such problems without the need for the user to |
| back up all your data and then buy a new hard drive. | | | | manually run CHKDSK. |
| When trying to understand how hard drives function | | | | When unable to boot into Windows XP the CHKDSK |
| to store data, the status of file systems partitions | | | | file on another computer should be copied to, and run |
| can be observed through running the Computer | | | | from, a bootable floppy disk. CHKDSK is also able to |
| Management application which comes as part of | | | | be run via the recovery console from the Windows |
| Windows XP. Simply right mouse click on 'My | | | | XP boot CD. |
| Computer', then press on 'Manage' and lastly 'Disk | | | | |