NEED HELP - HD disappeared under Windows XP

One of my HD's simply disappeared from Windows. It's doesn't show up and any software that was on it and had an icon on the desktop doesn't work.

It still shows up on BIOS without problems.

Any ideas? Really need help on this.

 

Download a current Linux distribution Live CD, e.g. Ubuntu, burn it to disc and boot it up (the Live CD, don't install it!).
There you can check if the file-system is still accessible, do a surface scan, data recovery and even clone it to a new HDD.

 

Great suggestion, the only thing I would add is that in case you cannot access the files from the Live CD, the file system is probably corrupt or the HDD isn't working properly.

Repartitioning and formatting the hard drive is the way to go in these cases, but before I would try replacing the SATA cable and plugging it into a different port on the motherboard, just in case it's a data transfer problem (I had this problem in my computer recently and the HDD was fine, the motherboard was the problem). If you put it to work by replacing the SATA cable you should backup and format the hard drive anyway, since the transfers made through a damaged cable or port could have corrupted part of the data and the file system.

 

It's actually an IDE HDD. It didn't had any hugely important stuff on it, but some of the stuff will take time to download / find on my backups. The main problem is the whole process of installing some stuff again. Really didn't need this right now.

I checked the power / data cable and they're good. Even had some spares, and nothing changed. I'll try a LiveCD tomorrow, but i was wondering if any software could help me "find it" under windows, but to be honest, i don't even know where to start. It totally gone missing from the OS (including the drive management), but shows up fine on the BIOS. Plus i constantly check my HDs with softwares like HDTune and it didn't had any problems and it status was normal.

 

Don't repartition if you want to keep the data.

get data back (fat or NTFS depending on drive) should let you recover the files if the file system is hosed.

 

You've probably currupted or wiped the mbr / boot sector

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-things-you-can-do-when-windows-xp-wont-boot/6031733 same or similair should apply to newer os's

if you mange to see the HDD again in windows use recuva to recover the missing files.

 

Does it show up in the Windows device manager?

 

That link is all about recovering Windows - his windows works, he just cant see this extra storage drive.

Also Recuva while not bad and free, it certainly isnt the best tool.

 

Trust me it works I had the same problem a few months back where one of my drives used for storing audio and video would no longer show up in My Computer.

 

Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management

Storage -> Disk Management

look and see if your drive shows up there, if so right click and see if maybe for some reason it has set itself as uninitialized, re-init it if so

 

It won't show up until certain files are repaired to showup the contents of the HDD atm it'll think there's nothing stored on the HDD so it can't create a list of files and dictionaries even though the data still remains their undamged, it's whatever windows makes to create a toc filelist of the whole HDD contents that's been currupted and if it isn't found no HDD will show in windows, it's of a lower level.
irc it happened to me when I got a fake virus claiming to be part of windows security alerts and then it keep shooting my off to some crappy website to further download more spyware.
When you format a fresh or purged HDD it creates a system volume information folder along with the above that I mentioned.

 

that will erase all the data....

This is wrong, data recovery software does not need the file allocation table to recover files.


I've worked in IT in various levels for 10+ years

 

Yet you can't offer him a proper solution, I never said recuva could recover those files just the ones he may lose once he restores it back to normal like deleting files of a sdcard or usb device.

 

My first reply is the solution. Getdataback doesn't require the drive to get a drive letter. As long as the disk physically detects it will scan it.

 

I've tried with crappy apps like that before none of worked and they always ask you for payment after scanning to perform the recovery.

 

Getdata back is most certainly not a "crappy app" it's professional tool and been around for some time.

 

I'm sure there's better freeware software available and why I do I need to register to them? our details are already whored out enough for profit by social networking sites.
Don't advertise shareware.
I'm sure all these anti-virus, spyware etc companies are the ones creating it to keep themselves in a job, it's a conspiracy.

 

Its a professional tool, the best ive used for this type of thing - the fact you have never heard of it just shows you arent in the field. As I said above, recuva is free but its not as good.

You also dont seem able to find their proper website, as you dont need to enter any details.

Sounds like you are clicking spammy links in google - likely how you ended up with the problems you mentioned above.

Anyway, done arguing. You are clearly not in the field, cant use google effectively and its not even you with the problem and are just side tracking the thread.

For the OP: http://www.runtime.org/data-recovery-products.htm

Yes its paid and yes other apps might be able to do it free. If they do not, I can recommend this app for being very good at what it does.

 

It doesn't show up Windows Device Manager or the dist management. I'll try the LiveCD later today and also that GetDataBack software.

Thanks for all the suggestions. If there's any other solution or ideas, please post it here as i'll keep trying recovering it.

 

If it doesnt show up in device manager - that could be a problem. However its strange its showing up in the bios, but not in device manager.

Although proper recovery software doesnt require a partition table (i.e. a drive letter) it does require the physical disk is detected and accessible.