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Old October 3rd 17, 02:15 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_2_]
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Posts: 54
Default Need Data Recovery software for failing HDD

In message ,
writes:
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I only use 120gb drives because Win98 cant access any larger. But two of


Ah, right.
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Yea, I never understood why MS made the copy process stop. All it needs
to do is post a notice at the end saying file**** was not copied. Once I


Or it could stop to tell you (that would avoid it having to store up a
potentially long list of fails), but at least carry on when you click
OK. Stopping the copy is indeed infuriating, as you don't know what it
has copied and what it hasn't, since it probably does it in a different
order than you would. But we're stuck with it.

had a saved website, and the default filename of that website exceeded
the long filename size limit. Every time I tried to copy files, it would
stop at that file. Talk about annoying. It took hours to figure out
which file was the faulty one. Then it would not allow me to rename it.
I finally deleted it using Dos.


Interesting that you could create it in the first place: obviously
whatever you are using to save websites isn't aware of the limit.
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data I am missing is mostly electronic schematics and manuals. Some are
near impossible to replace. I dont need a newer OS to use that stuff,


(All that you've acquired since the last backup?)


Yes, last backup was May 2017. I have about 20% of it on that backup.
Everything else was added since.


You've already mentioned that you've decided you'll be backing up more
often now (-:. I know the problem ... [I'm curious: what are they
schematics and manuals _of/for_? Especially that they're nearly
irreplaceable?]
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(You could even add it without removing the CD, by making one master and
one slave, though if as I think you've said the CD is faulty, you might
as well remove it at the same time.)


That CD drive was unplugged years ago. I didn't remove the dead drive,
just unplugged the data and power cables. But the cable is still in the
computer, doing nothing.


You'll need somewhere to _physically_ put the third drive - if you don't
have space in the existing drive cage for it, maybe where the CD drive
was will do, with a suitable adapter. (I did that on a friend's one
recently, where he'd upgraded to a motherboard that didn't have IDE, and
the old ZIP drive - which was in such an adapter - was thus redundant.
The adapter fitted a HD fine.)
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I didn't know you could still get new EIDE drives! Are you sure it's
new? Either way, might still be worth checking its SMART readout (using
a USB-EIDE cable-and-power-supply from your XP computer) before
committing to it.


Yes it's new. Ebay has everything..... The 120gb is new, but I also
bought a 160gb used one. It was so cheap I could not pass it up, and
guaranteed to work. I figure I can plug that one on one of my XP
machines and try to duplicate this defective one, before I mess with it.


Sounds like a plan. However, I'd make quite sure it _is_ working first,
regardless of the guarantee - all the guarantee will do is get you your
money back, not all the time you've wasted playing with it. Assuming you
can find an IDE socket on the motherboard of one of your XP machines,
run that utility I suggested on it - at least twice, ideally a few days
apart, then it will tell you if the SMART parameters are deteriorating
(and give you a predicted failure date if they are, though it may be
next century!). That only looks at the SMART data of course: there's
also one which Paul often recommends that draws a curve of how the
access speed varies across the disc (that's what it's designed for, and
is reflected in its name); this should give a smooth curve (HDs are
fastest near the start), with a few spikes downwards where XP was doing
something else for a moment while it was measuring. If any of those
spikes have appreciable width, it's a bad patch on the drive. (Or if
they're always in the same place on successive runs.)

Obviously running those - the SMART utility and the speed one - on your
failing drive would be interesting too, though it sounds as if it
definitely has a pimple.
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Do tell us how you get on!


(I've added the '98 'group in.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

The fifth bestselling detail of all time: the Ford Transit. (RT/C4 2015-5-24.)