[ale] OT: Migrating off dying HDD

[Robert L. Harris]

Put the thing on an IDE->laptop adapter in a computer with the case
open.  Get a can of the dust-off stuff from compusa.  Flip the can
upside down and every couple secs pop it with a blast of cold air.  If
you can keep it running for any durration this way use rsync to copy the
files off the drive so you can progressively get more.



Thus spake John Mills (johnmills at speakeasy.net):

> ALErs -
> 
> I have a problem repairing a friend's MsWin Dell 'Inspiron 2600' notebook.
> 
> The old HDD will only run a few minutes before it ceases to respond,
> probably due to internal overheating. I get the same results when the HDD
> is extended externally on a 'Simple Drive' PCMCIA adapter, so I really
> think it's the HDD that is causing the problem, not general internal
> overheating of the laptop.
> 
> No problem installing a new drive (now done, in fact), but I foresee a
> long and painful migration of user data, even after a clean &8-) MsWin
> reinstallation from CD.
> 
> The drive's current, usable half-life is far too little to transfer any 
> great fraction of [say] the user's documents, etc. I get perhaps 300 MBy, 
> then it clams up. Turn off, cool down, try again, and repeat ...
> 
> Questions:
> 
>  1. What directories should I copy first to migrate e-mail and web links
> of importance?
> 
>  2. It would sure be nice to migrate the whole installation if 
> I can find a suitable MS tool. Any recommendations?
> 
>  3. Other than a fan, any clever ideas to keep this #$%&!! working long
> enough to dump a good fraction of its data? (I plan setting it on a
> cold-block and see if that helps.)
> 
> I have MsWin and Linux both available as hosts, FWIW. I also have an
> adapter to connect the 2.5" notebook HDD to a standard PC-format IDE
> controller.
> 
> Thanks for any guidance.
> 
>  - John Mills
>    john.m.mills at alum.mit.edu
> 
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> 
> 
> 
>  ** CRM114 Whitelisted by: mit.edu **

:wq!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert L. Harris                     | GPG Key ID: E344DA3B

DISCLAIMER:
      These are MY OPINIONS             "We can't solve problems by using
       ALONE.  I speak for                the same kind of thinking we used
       no-one else.                         when we created them."
                                          - Einstein

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