deviant art

Deviant Login Shop  Join deviantART for FREE Take the Tour
[x]
more ▶

Featured in Groups:

Details

March 27, 2006
Link
Thumb

Statistics

Comments: 11
Favourites: 0
Views: 62 (0 today)
[x]
Anyone know how to restore the MBR of a hdd?
My hdd seems to have died, i tried putting it into a USB adaptor to plugin and it says the file format is "raw" and it needs to be formatted. I think it has something to do with the fact that i deactivated it to run chkdsk but i cant seem to reactivate it. If i plug it in with my other two SATA drives winxp doesnt seem to let me load up.
:iconkheng:

Dead HDDby ~kheng

Journals / Personal©2006-2013 ~kheng
Add a Comment:
 
:icontex777:
I had the same problem, except I was trying to partition it and it completely screwed the drive. I used a file recovery program PC Inspector, it detects all attached storage devices *IS A FREE PROGRAM*, works well, try it. I would just put it in like normal, boot off of another, and then scan it, but it takes a while.

[link]

When you say it died, are you sure it's the MBR? Either way ^^^ that should help you recover the files.
Reply
:icontex777:
And after you do that AFAIK the only way to fix it is to reformat it if there isn't a bigger problem....
Reply
:iconpyrix:
Forgot to say, if you cant recover the MBR, try useing Volkov file commander (dos based, but managed to read a disk that wouldn't even boot to windows) to get the stuff off you dont have a backup of somewhere (I had to use this only yesterday, then formatted and reinstalled drive Partition. Unfortunatly, was my C: disk - but I got the stuff off it that i needed (game save files, any work i didnt have backed up to a) school, b) my PDA witha 2gb Memory stick, or c) my website. But anyways, i hope the tools on that CD (bootable image, download, burn to disk, stick in drive, reboot) Will be of some help. Have fun know :p
Reply
:iconpyrix:
Not sure how'll you go, but try the tools on Hiren's Boot CD - more specifically Winternals Disk Commander - think I saw an optiuon to salvage the MBR in there somewhere. Lord knows that CD's saved me more than once :p
Reply
:icontechraven:
As MGS and Banditking said.

Option two is plugging the USB controller into a LINUX or BSD machine, and seeing what it says. KNOPPIX is pretty good about seeing the files, and the burner controller works with everything current. It won't fix, but you might be able to save your data. No promises, but I've had some luck this way.
Reply
:icontdbk:
=TDBK Mar 27, 2006  Hobbyist Digital Artist
Uh.. good luck man. I wish I could help but I'm not too sure what to do for you. Are you saying that windows does not even see the drive? Or that windows will not even boot when the drive is installed?
Reply
:iconkheng:
~kheng Mar 27, 2006  Hobbyist Digital Artist
yea windows doesnt see it cos i deactivated to run chkdsk
Reply
:icontdbk:
=TDBK Mar 27, 2006  Hobbyist Digital Artist
Hell, I wish I was there I would try to help you out.

A cable connecting the drive to the rest of the computer may be damaged or the master boot record on the drive coul be damaged. Hell I have no idea what I could do from here.

good luck man.
Reply
:iconmgs0008b221:
Insert the windows install disc, go to the repair console when prompted, and type /help

I believe the commabd is /fixmbr

/help will give you a lsit of commadns though, try that.

Make sure you boot to the disc, that option is in BIOS.
Reply
:icondarkestknight1:
i argee with shadow-nova but alone files you want not the system files its go to reformat ur computer i have 4 hardsdrives adding up to 100gb and one of them is FULL of crap illl never see or use again

btw: no
Reply
Add a Comment: