Posted by Charles_Ca on 3/16/07 6:23pm
Msg #180279

NDWA or PAW, some suggestions please...

Last week I was on the road and on the last day my laptop refused to boot; I couldn't even get into my bios to change my boot sequence to check. I occasionally get a spalsch screen wth the Sony Logo (my lptop is a Sony Vaio) and sometimes I get the security screen that allows me to decide whether I want to start in safe mode, when I clicked on safe mode once I now get the same screen but many of the letters are wrong and nothing happens now. I have a cople of questions.

1. Is it possible to pick up a virus from Wi-Fi sites even if you have an up-to-date firewall and securty hardware, (I use the Zone Alarm security suite)

2. Is it possible that I have a problem that is unrelated to the hard disk, I've called around and everyone tells me it has to be the hard disk without looking at it but I hear it spool up, i can hear it spining and the heads sound like they are scanning and parking when shut off.

3. If it is a hard disk failure how does one recover the data? Is going to a company who specializes in data recovery the only way, or is it ossible for someone who has a smidge of understanding do data recovery themselves.

Any advice wuld sure be helpful. When I talk to the computer techs I can hear the dollar signs in their brains. Now my Vaio is at least 5 years old and I probably should considering getting another laptop ut I hte to just toss my data. I have backup discs and the original discs for all of my applications so the only thing I'd be out is the data.

Thanks!

Reply by BrendaTx on 3/16/07 6:47pm
Msg #180285

Re: NDWA or PAW, some suggestions please...not one

of those guys, but...

I would get one of these little devices, then remove the hard drive and put the supposedly ailing hard drive in the enclosure, plug it into my desktop or other laptop and try to recover the data that way.

http://www.ppa-usa.com/product_pages/enclosures/2162.htm

Reply by Charles_Ca on 3/16/07 6:59pm
Msg #180289

I was wondering about that Brenda...

Have you tried it? I just want to get someffo my data back from the disk, at this point I don't think the laptop owes me much. Thanks!

Reply by BrendaTx on 3/16/07 7:13pm
Msg #180294

Re: I was wondering about that Brenda...

My son has one. He recovers laptop data with it all the time. He's in charge of about 350 desktops and 50 laptops. When one of the professors laptops goes down, he goes and picks it up and takes it back to his office, slaps the hard drive into the enclosure and tries to recover all available data. He copies that on a media storage device and reloads it into the professor's new lap top (or onto a new HD).

I personally have never used an enclosure...but he uses it all the time.

Reply by PAW on 3/17/07 10:41am
Msg #180345

Re: I was wondering about that Brenda...

I made my own from parts of a USB external drive that went bad. If the drive is recoverable, then this allows access to the drive, eliminating the PC/laptop that originally housed the drive. However, if the drive is not recoverable, it won't make any difference.

There are other ways to recover data, but it can get expensive. Search for some of the "soft" approaches that use low-level software to address the drive. Sometimes you can recover the data that way, if the errors are "soft" errors. If it's a hardware failure, like the head is physically damaged, then "soft" approaches won't work either and a "hard" approach would be required. A "hard" approach is actually using different hardware, but keeping the medium (disk) in tact.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 3/16/07 6:57pm
Msg #180288

Sounds like more of a CMOS problem than a hard drive problem - if your hard drive was dead, you would see a message like "Drive not found" when you tried to start your computer.

The computer is at least 5 years old and has suddenly gone stupid - perhaps the the battery on the motherboard needs to be replaced...

Reply by Charles_Ca on 3/16/07 7:00pm
Msg #180290

Battery???Doh!!Never thought of that. Thanks Mike! n/m

Reply by Lee/AR on 3/16/07 7:08pm
Msg #180293

OK...this is smart-aleck, but cute...

It's a PICNIC problem. (Problem In Chair; Not In Computer). Hope the new battery solves the problem for you, Charles. And am sooooo glad there are lots of people on NR with lots of suggestions and lots of knowledge.

Reply by Charles_Ca on 3/16/07 7:33pm
Msg #180297

Re: OK...this is smart-aleck, but cute...LOL -

You are right that was cute and Not Rot is a treasure trove of great people and and great minds: well for the most part anyway

Reply by BrendaTx on 3/16/07 7:19pm
Msg #180295

Re: Battery???Doh!!Never thought of that. Thanks Mike!

If it is a battery problem, it's been my experience that you can still boot and go into CMOS set up. I have removed my battery more than once in older computers to get back to the default settings. They still booted but sometimes you have to mess with it a little bit to get it up.

If you have a Sony Vaio, I think you need to hit the F1 key (or tap it a time or two) to get into set up. Sometimes it's the F2 key, or the Esc key, sometimes the Delete key.

Reply by Charles_Ca on 3/16/07 7:35pm
Msg #180298

Re: Battery???Doh!!Never thought of that. Thanks Mike!

You're right Brenda, it is the F1 key and nothing happens, neither does it with the F8 key which starts up in "Safe Mode" but the problem doesn't appear to my untrained eye to be a hard drive problem either so I will press on. Thanks

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/16/07 7:36pm
Msg #180299

Uh, Brenda!

Did you happen to catch the score of the KU-Niagra game just concluded? 107-67 in favor of the good guys...but then who's counting?

Reply by BrendaTx on 3/16/07 7:47pm
Msg #180302

Re: Uh, Brenda! Congrats, Dennis!

Quite a lead, too. Not too shabby.

So, we'll both be playing KY teams next week. Wouldn't it be something if we met in Atlanta!?

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/16/07 7:50pm
Msg #180303

The "Other" Texas Team...

...from the Big 12 just won their game in convincing style over New Mexico State.

Reply by Ndwa on 3/16/07 9:36pm
Msg #180313

I don't think it's the HD nor the battery...

Most likely bad memory module(s).

Reply by Charles_Ca on 3/16/07 9:52pm
Msg #180315

Re: I don't think it's the HD nor the battery...Do they just

go bad all of a sudden??

Reply by Ndwa on 3/16/07 11:44pm
Msg #180324

Re: I don't think it's the HD nor the battery...Do they just

Yes, they fail more frequent than you'd think. They are the hardest working piece of electronic in a computer.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/17/07 5:09am
Msg #180330

What Region are They In?

March Madness encompasses more than just basketball!

Reply by BrendaTx on 3/17/07 4:22pm
Msg #180364

Re: The "Other" Texas Team...Dennis...

Don't know about the other team but Louisville and TAMU have been neck and neck for dang near three hours now...One minute to go and Louisville is 69, Texas is 68.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/17/07 6:03pm
Msg #180368

I Heard on Good Authority (From My Son!)...

...Texas A&M beat Louisville 72-69! Gig 'em Aggies!

Reply by BrendaTx on 3/17/07 9:04pm
Msg #180409

Re: I Heard on Good Authority (From My Son!)...

Thanks, Dennis...yep, they won but I gotta say that Louisville did NOT look too shabby. What a game it was. Neck and neck all the way. Louisville could have easily had it going the other way in the last minute...but they choked at the free throw line.

We'll be in San Antonio next facing either Memphis or Nevada.

Good luck to the Jayhawks next week!