BLARGH!!! Why must HDD fail right before homework is due???

[AmEv]

So I start up my lappy in the morning.

No problems.


Boot up in class to do homework.

"Kernel panic, cannout mount dev/sda1"
(Linux eqivalent of BSoD)


So I wait it out and take it home.

Ubuntu LiveCD and GPartEd says that I have five bad sectors.
I try mounting the drive.
It just timed out.

Ugh. Months of schoolwork LOST.

So I format to NTFS. Took a reboot, but it worked.

Output from command prompt:


C:\Documents and Settings\Ammon>chkdsk F: /f
The type of the file system is NTFS.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
File record segment 65876 is unreadable.
File record segment 65877 is unreadable.
File record segment 65878 is unreadable.
File record segment 65879 is unreadable.
File record segment 65880 is unreadable.
File record segment 65881 is unreadable.
File record segment 65882 is unreadable.
File record segment 65883 is unreadable.
File record segment 65884 is unreadable.
File record segment 65885 is unreadable.
File record segment 65886 is unreadable.
File record segment 65887 is unreadable.
File record segment 65888 is unreadable.
File record segment 65889 is unreadable.
File record segment 65890 is unreadable.
File record segment 65891 is unreadable.
File record segment 65892 is unreadable.
File record segment 65893 is unreadable.
File record segment 65894 is unreadable.
File record segment 65895 is unreadable.
File record segment 66280 is unreadable.
File record segment 66281 is unreadable.
File record segment 66282 is unreadable.
File record segment 66283 is unreadable.
File record segment 66284 is unreadable.
File record segment 66285 is unreadable.
File record segment 66286 is unreadable.
File record segment 66287 is unreadable.
File record segment 66288 is unreadable.
File record segment 66289 is unreadable.
File record segment 66290 is unreadable.
File record segment 66291 is unreadable.
File record segment 66304 is unreadable.
File record segment 66305 is unreadable.
File record segment 66306 is unreadable.
File record segment 66307 is unreadable.
File record segment 66308 is unreadable.
File record segment 66309 is unreadable.
File record segment 66310 is unreadable.
File record segment 66311 is unreadable.
File record segment 66320 is unreadable.
File record segment 66321 is unreadable.
File record segment 66322 is unreadable.
File record segment 66323 is unreadable.
File record segment 66324 is unreadable.
File record segment 66325 is unreadable.
File record segment 66326 is unreadable.
File record segment 66327 is unreadable.
File record segment 66680 is unreadable.
File record segment 66681 is unreadable.
File record segment 66682 is unreadable.
File record segment 66683 is unreadable.
File record segment 66684 is unreadable.
File record segment 66685 is unreadable.
File record segment 66686 is unreadable.
File record segment 66687 is unreadable.
File record segment 66688 is unreadable.
File record segment 66689 is unreadable.
File record segment 66690 is unreadable.
File record segment 66691 is unreadable.
File record segment 66704 is unreadable.
File record segment 66705 is unreadable.
File record segment 66706 is unreadable.
File record segment 66707 is unreadable.
File record segment 66708 is unreadable.
File record segment 66709 is unreadable.
File record segment 66710 is unreadable.
File record segment 66711 is unreadable.
File record segment 66720 is unreadable.
File record segment 66721 is unreadable.
File record segment 66722 is unreadable.
File record segment 66723 is unreadable.
File record segment 66724 is unreadable.
File record segment 66725 is unreadable.
File record segment 66726 is unreadable.
File record segment 66727 is unreadable.
File record segment 66728 is unreadable.
File record segment 66729 is unreadable.
File record segment 66730 is unreadable.
File record segment 66731 is unreadable.
File record segment 66732 is unreadable.
File record segment 66733 is unreadable.
File record segment 66734 is unreadable.
File record segment 66735 is unreadable.
File record segment 66736 is unreadable.
File record segment 66737 is unreadable.
File record segment 66738 is unreadable.
File record segment 66739 is unreadable.
File record segment 66740 is unreadable.
File record segment 66741 is unreadable.
File record segment 66742 is unreadable.
File record segment 66743 is unreadable.
File record segment 67080 is unreadable.
File record segment 67081 is unreadable.
File record segment 67082 is unreadable.
File record segment 67083 is unreadable.
File record segment 67084 is unreadable.
File record segment 67085 is unreadable.
File record segment 67086 is unreadable.
File record segment 67087 is unreadable.
File record segment 67088 is unreadable.
File record segment 67089 is unreadable.
File record segment 67090 is unreadable.
File record segment 67091 is unreadable.
File record segment 67092 is unreadable.
File record segment 67093 is unreadable.
File record segment 67094 is unreadable.
File record segment 67095 is unreadable.
File record segment 67104 is unreadable.
File record segment 67105 is unreadable.
File record segment 67106 is unreadable.
File record segment 67107 is unreadable.
File record segment 67108 is unreadable.
File record segment 67109 is unreadable.
File record segment 67110 is unreadable.
File record segment 67111 is unreadable.
File record segment 67120 is unreadable.
File record segment 67121 is unreadable.
File record segment 67122 is unreadable.
File record segment 67123 is unreadable.
File record segment 67124 is unreadable.
File record segment 67125 is unreadable.
File record segment 67126 is unreadable.
File record segment 67127 is unreadable.
File record segment 67128 is unreadable.
File record segment 67129 is unreadable.
File record segment 67130 is unreadable.
File record segment 67131 is unreadable.
File record segment 67132 is unreadable.
File record segment 67133 is unreadable.
File record segment 67134 is unreadable.
File record segment 67135 is unreadable.
File record segment 67136 is unreadable.
File record segment 67137 is unreadable.
File record segment 67138 is unreadable.
File record segment 67139 is unreadable.
File record segment 67140 is unreadable.
File record segment 67141 is unreadable.
File record segment 67142 is unreadable.
File record segment 67143 is unreadable.
File record segment 67480 is unreadable.
File record segment 67481 is unreadable.
File record segment 67482 is unreadable.
File record segment 67483 is unreadable.
File record segment 67484 is unreadable.
File record segment 67485 is unreadable.
File record segment 67486 is unreadable.
File record segment 67487 is unreadable.
File record segment 67488 is unreadable.
File record segment 67489 is unreadable.
File record segment 67490 is unreadable.
File record segment 67491 is unreadable.
File record segment 67492 is unreadable.
File record segment 67493 is unreadable.
File record segment 67494 is unreadable.
File record segment 67495 is unreadable.
File record segment 67504 is unreadable.
File record segment 67505 is unreadable.
File record segment 67506 is unreadable.
File record segment 67507 is unreadable.
File record segment 67508 is unreadable.
File record segment 67509 is unreadable.
File record segment 67510 is unreadable.
File record segment 67511 is unreadable.
File record segment 67520 is unreadable.
File record segment 67521 is unreadable.
File record segment 67522 is unreadable.
File record segment 67523 is unreadable.
File record segment 67524 is unreadable.
File record segment 67525 is unreadable.
File record segment 67526 is unreadable.
File record segment 67527 is unreadable.
File record segment 67528 is unreadable.
Still outputting even now; that's not the complete list!

What can I do?

[mDust]

So I start up my lappy in the morning.

No problems.


Boot up in class to do homework.

"Kernel panic, cannout mount dev/sda1"
(Linux eqivalent of BSoD)


So I wait it out and take it home.

Ubuntu LiveCD and GPartEd says that I have five bad sectors.
I try mounting the drive.
It just timed out.

Ugh. Months of schoolwork LOST.

So I format to NTFS. Took a reboot, but it worked.

What can I do?

http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_PageUse that to try and recover your partition table. You may be able to get some/most/all of your data back. Usually, bad/unreadable blocks are permanent, physical damage though.

[AmEv]

Was unable to retrieve anything.



Now, ideas to revive the HDD to a usable state?

Can't afford anything right now. A whole $5 cash to my name.

[mDust]

Was unable to retrieve anything.



Now, ideas to revive the HDD to a usable state?

Can't afford anything right now. A whole $5 cash to my name.
The drive should work but be reporting a smaller size.
Is the whole drive full of bad blocks? You might be able to fix it with a low level format (http://www.ariolic.com/activesmart/low-level-format.html) if so. Generally, the whole disk can't be damaged unless something physically broke inside and skipped around the surface of the disk...which is very unlikely but not impossible. It's probably the drive controller itself that is bad. If there were important data on it still you might be able to find a dead drive of the same model on ebay and swap the PCBs to see if that would fix the problem. But after a few formats it isn't worth the risk of not fixing the issue. Chances are you'll have to just save up for a new HDD (http://diskcompare.com/). :(

[AmEv]

Crap.....


"65 bad sectors."

[mDust]

Crap.....


"65 bad sectors."

I believe a sector is 512 bytes...so you've lost ~33Kb of storage space. That's nothing. I wouldn't store anything important on that drive, but it should still work just fine...for how long though? Who knows.

[TheMainMan]

I'd say SpinRite but it's pretty expensive for a one time fix. Worked wonders on a couple of drives I had that were failing. As far as recovering the data, I know a number of ways in Windows that will pull stuff off a drive that has been deleted or from sectors that haven't failed. There should be some Linux equivalent I'm sure.

[SXRguyinMA]

I've got a 500GB Seagate on my desk with a bad PCB, been waiting for a few years to save the $$ to send it out and get the data off. I keep trying it every now and then for giggles, won't even show up, and it just chirps once every 30 seconds or so till I unplug it

[slaveofconvention]

Have you tried ebaying for an identical drive to pull the PCB from and see if you can get the data off yourself?

[AmEv]

Thankfully, the homework that was on there was turned in. So not important.



Well, I got XP Home installed on it.


Does anyone know Toshiba's direct support email address? Toshiba site says it came with XP home originally; the license code was peeled off before I received it.

[AmEv]

Here's the jist of it:


I went to Toshiba's site, looking for recovery media.


It says lappy had XP home previously installed on it.



Hey, what do you know? I have an OEM reinstall of XP Home in my garage.

I install Home succesfully. I'm typing on lappy right now.

"Invalid license key"

What?!?


I'm unable to put in my key because the sticker was peeled off.

So MS tries to sell me Win 7. OUT OF THE EQUATION; 7 IS TOO FRlKKIN MUCH! $150 for the OS? (Now I know why some people call MS Money Sucker.)
(end of rant)

So I look at options otherwise. It says either put in your code or contact us.
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/#tab4

My question is, what should I say? It is a Toshiba laptop, and I know that it has a valid license builtin? Or what?
Definitely NOT show them this thread, though.

[Fuganater]

Use the same key you had on it. If it does not validate call MS and say you are reinstalling due to a filed HDD. They will give you a new code. 15 minute process.

[AmEv]

I received it without the key/code/sticer. That's the problem.

The sticker was clean peeled off. Probably because the numbers wore off, so they saw no use of it staying on.

I will try saying it was a failed HDD.

[Cale_Hagan]

check your pm's.:banana: