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Message |
    
shaun
Citizen
Username: Shaun
Post Number: 30
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 18, 2004 - 5:26 pm: |     |
So my relatively new (6 months old) Dell 4600C with Windows XPcrashed over the weekend.
Without getting into all the gory details, after hours on the phone with Dell support, I'm at the point where I need to extract the data on my hard drive so I don't lose anything - which is critical.
Made one call to a place in Secaucus recommended by Dell, who wants $600.
Is this reasonable? I am non-techie so have no clue or reference.
Anyone local that can handle? |
monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 249
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, October 18, 2004 - 5:50 pm: | |
What happens when you've booted up, or do you even get that far?
If you can't even get that far, and you need the data, then cough up the dough (no back-up heh).
If you can boot up and stay that way for a short amount of time before a crash, you may still be able to salvage some data.
Sometimes the drive will crash after the pc gets warmed up, I've known people that have taken their drive out of the computer and put it into a freezer overnight. They then put it back in, in the morning, and have been able to have a longer run time to transfer data (still doesn't mean that some data won't be corrupted), remember to transfer only the most important data. It can help to have a fan blowing in the pc at this time too.
Make a list of what it is and where it is before you start, saves time.
Of course this won't always help you, but if you have observed that the drive freeze's up on you when the pc gets warm, it may help.
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argon_smythe
Citizen
Username: Argon_smythe
Post Number: 281
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 18, 2004 - 7:51 pm: | |
Did you try booting off another disk? Just because you can't boot off that drive doesn't mean it can't be mounted or accessed.
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ashear
Citizen
Username: Ashear
Post Number: 1424
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 9:32 am: | |
While on the subject. What hardware and software do people use for backups. I dont do it often enough and would like something automatic. Suggestions? |
Earlster
Citizen
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 601
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 10:05 am: | |
If your drive is really trashed, and you need a recovery specialist, then $600 is OK.
If the drive is still ok, but just doesn't boot anymore, then it's overkill and any local computershop should be able to put a new drive in your computer, install Windows, then add the old drive and copy the data that you need.
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shaun
Citizen
Username: Shaun
Post Number: 32
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 10:40 am: | |
It does not even boot up - looks like XP wants to get going, then a Fatal Error message pops up - never a good sign.
Dell tech support has been great. I just need to get all / as much data as possible off before Dell walks me through wiping everything off and re-loading. |
argon_smythe
Citizen
Username: Argon_smythe
Post Number: 289
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 10:56 am: | |
Dell should have provided an emergency boot disk, probably in the form of a CD. Try booting off of that and if the machine comes up, the C drive will probably already be mounted and may be readable. It will not be the boot drive but it will probably be readable and you can probably get your files off of it.
Also I assume they tried getting you booted in "Safe Mode" but if not, hold down F8 (I think it's F8) before the Windows screens start appearing and choose "Start in Safe Mode" from the list that appears.
Or did you already do all this?
As for taking backups, I just burn CDs periodically of important documents. It's the poor man's approach but it works. I make 2 copies and take one offsite. I don't do this often enough but I do it. I also have a memory stick for certain files which change frequently (financial records and so forth) which I keep updated more frequently.
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monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 251
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 11:34 am: | |
You get a fatal error on boot, but what makes you think it's your HD, it could very well be something else, if this is the case then Dell should fix it.
What is the exact wording of the error message, what exactly happens when you try to start, did you add memory, what did Dell tell you?
Shoot, shouldn't Dell be offering warranty service even if the problem is a failing HD, or don't they do that. Of course this doesn't mean they will transfer data onto a new drive, if the HD works that is. |
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