File recovery freeware

Thanks, Oren.

I'll Google something like "Award Winning Freeware File Recovery" and see what comes up.

One problem I've found is that you have to be careful about how long ago the web pages you get were put on the internet. If I get award winning freeware from 1987, that's not what I'm looking for.

Try something available from filehippo.com, I saw a few that might work but I have paid versions of software that will do it so I'll post links to the freeware programs I believe may work. ^_^

TDD

you may also find these useful

I wouldn't be messing with file recovery soft (which is doubtful anyway), I'd be looking for partition management/repair/recovery/rescue programs. I can't remember them all but I have used one from Paragon in the past and - generally - I think well of Paragon software. Here is a link to their free rescue program...

...and to their other free programs (they have paid ones too, more bells and whistles)...

Another option is to get a bootable linux CD and see if it can read your drive. IOW, I doubt it is the drive, more likely Windows. If you have another computer, trying the drive on it might bring joy as well.

Finally, hardware failure (other than the drive) might be the problem; specifically, the power supply unit.

Yep. Can't read partition table is frequently the whole drive down. I just had that symptom and re-seating the Sata cable cured the problem.

Booting up with a Linux CD is a great suggestion. Windows seems to just do mysterious things when confronted with an error, but Linux produces readable diagnostics.

When a drive went bad in my laptop, Windows just hung. A Linux boot CD told me the drive wasn't accessible.

I don't think the machine will turn on at all for most power supply issues.

I suppose it depends upon exactly what the issue is but I'm here to tell you that some will mimic a failed/failing drive.

A few years back I had a drive that gave me fits...sometimes good, sometimes not readable. I tried everything I could think of, finally tried a different PSU. Bingo, drive worked perfectly.

Thanks guys.

I Googled "Award Winning Freeware File Recovery" and downloaded about 17 different programs on top of the ones suggested in this thread. Unfortunately, file recovery programs seem to all deal with undeleting DELETED files, and in this case nothing has been deleted. I expect the problem is a corrupted file allocation table because every computer I put the USB drive in tells me the drive has not been formatted, and asks me if I want to format it. That tells me the problem is with how the USB drive has addressed the files stored on it, not with the files themselves.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

Yep. I use Linux as my main OS and have recovered dozens of Windows drives by using it.

If there is a file system error other than what would normally invoke a chkdsk /f , Windows will not mount the volume. No problem however from Linux

| Unfortunately, file recovery programs seem to all deal with undeleting | DELETED files, and in this case nothing has been deleted. I expect the | problem is a corrupted file allocation table because every computer I | put the USB drive in tells me the drive has not been formatted,

Any partitioning program should be able to recover corrupted or deleted partitions, which then makes the files available. I'm not sure about USB sticks, though. I have one stick that's not seen at all in one particular Win7 laptop. I have no idea why. I don't trust them with anything other than moving files from one place to another.

Just wondering here... Is that USB stick encrypted?

Try this:

| > I have one stick that's not seen at all in one particular | > Win7 laptop. I have no idea why. I don't trust them with | > anything other than moving files from one place to another. | | Just wondering here... Is that USB stick encrypted?

No. It's a Sandisk "Cruzer". I have two. One has a white slide and the other has red. That's the only difference I know of. The Win7 laptop sees all sticks but the red Cruzer. All other machines I've used the red Cruzer in see it fine. I tried to rule out different variables (OS, specific USB plug, etc) but never found an explanation.

Yes, I think that's possible. The power supply puts out multiple voltages. Only one voltage could be effected and I suppose that could be the voltage the drive needs. Wikipedia says the 12v output was for disk drive motors.

I was really guessing when I said "most power supply issues". I really don't have details on how power supplies normally fail. Without data, it's still my best guess.

Could have been intermittent failure of 12v part of PSU (I guess).

The USB ports use 5 volts DC. There are other odd voltages for different CPU's but the power supply will put out +12v -12v +5v -5 and the one I'm holding right now puts out +3.3v at 20.0 amps. ^_^

TDD

I think it is more likely that when he replaced his power-supply he fixed a loose connection on the supply lines to the drive(s) (which are usually tapped multiple times with the ampex connectors).

First thing we always did on the mainframes was reseat the cards and the peripheral connectors.

Check the simplest things first? ^_^

TDD

There is some paid digital recovery software available at no cost today

TDD

note for future reference: capitalization does not assure spelling accuracy. :)

However, it IS a big improvement over patrician.