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Notebook Transplant

DISASTER: You dropped your laptop, and now it won't start. How in the world do you retrieve the data stored on it?

SOLUTION: Fortunately, almost all notebook PC hard drives use a standard pin interface based on the IDE spec. For about $10, you can purchase a laptop hard-drive adapter that allows you to plug your notebook hard disk directly into a desktop computer. Once the drive is connected to a working PC, you can apply the full battery of diagnostic and repair tools to the drive--something you can't do on a dead-as-a-doornail notebook. You can find an adapter cable at PC Connection.

Hard-Disk CPR, Part 1

DISASTER: Your hard drive is dying, and you have the parade of error messages and system crashes to prove it.

SOLUTION: The drive may be overheating due to high room temperatures or insufficient air flow inside the system case. Make sure nothing is blocking the flow of air through your PC. Turn the computer off and let it cool. If your machine will boot, back up your data. Then follow the steps in the next paragraph to check the disk for file-structure errors and sections that don't hold data reliably.

On the desktop, double-click My Computer, right-click (C:) or Local Disk (C:), and click Properties. Click the Tools tab and then Check Now in the 'Error-checking' area. In Windows 98 and Me, the ScanDisk dialog box will open; choose Thorough and leave 'Automatically fix errors' unselected. In Windows 2000 and XP, the Check Disk dialog box opens; leave its two check boxes unselected. Then in all Windows versions, click Start. If asked, tell Windows to discard any lost file fragments and to fix files.

If your PC won't boot to Windows and you hear your drive spinning, your PC Setup program's disk setting may be incorrect. Look on the drive itself to see if the setting is specified there, or call the drive maker. Restart the system and then enter your PC Setup program by pressing the key that the on-screen directions specify. Verify that the disk setting is correct, then exit Setup.

Hard-Disk CPR, Part 2

A dead drive may mean a faulty IDE cable is connected to it. Replace or swap the cable with a working one. If that doesn't work, try one of a variety of data-recovery utilities, including the $100 Norton SystemWorks 2003, the $199 Ontrack EasyRecovery DataRecovery Edition, or the $299 Winternals Disk Commander. If you prefer not to use a data-recovery utility, consider the advice below in "Deep C: Salvage." If all of these options fail, then you'll have to purchase a new hard drive.

Deep C: Salvage

DISASTER: Your drive died and went to heaven. How can you retrieve your files?

SOLUTION: Given the cost of storage these days (80GB for under $100), the cheapest solution is to replace your dead hard drive and then restore your system to its previous state with your backup. What, no backup? You can try services like Ontrack's Data Recovery Center. Though pricey (typically over $100 to recover a single drive's data), it's effective. Winternals' $399 ERD Commander 2002 is another costly yet outstanding utility; it boots your PC directly from a CD-ROM, and its Windows-like interface makes it easy to use.

Here's a last-gasp trick for copying data from a drive that won't read or spin: Place the disk in a Ziploc freezer bag and pop it into the freezer for an hour. Seriously. Cooling the disk can subtly change the geometry of the head and platters, enabling the drive to pick up data for a brief period of time. Make sure you have a new hard disk installed, as well as mirroring software like Norton Ghost ready to make a one-shot transfer of the old disk's contents.

Still no luck? Here's your final--albeit slim--hope: Use a Torx driver (a screwdriver with a star-shaped head) to remove the cover from the hard drive and then give the drive heads a gentle tap. Hook the drive to your system (yes, with the top off) and see if you can access the disk.

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