How to Recover Data From an Old Hard Disk Drive

It can be so exciting to get a computer upgrade that all things aren't considered. After an upgrade, one can come to realize that data or files are missing. These will, of course, need to be recovered. It is possible to recover data, even if the computer has been upgraded or drives reformatted. Everybody knows what a hassle it is to lose important data. All the energy one puts in to do the work, not to mention valuable time and even money. This is especially true if you use your computer to conduct your business. If high availability of your data is a must to run your day to day business successfully, you'll want to read these steps right away to recover the data from an old hard disk drive.

Step 1

Recover from back up. The very first thing you would want to check is that if you had performed a back up of your old system prior to the upgrade of you computer. Then find out if you can recover from the back ups performed. You can do a restore and recover of the files of your choice using the back up recover steps on the back software. The software you probably used is one of the three most popular ones: Symantec, Netbackup Exec or Norton.
Step 2

Use a Ghost CD. If you have saved your Ghost CD and you have followed instructions to use it when you first set up your computer, you will be able to recover data from your newly partitioned hard drive. Ghost stands for "General Hardware-Oriented System Transfer", and it utilizes a disk cloning program which can be later used for recovery. Although this program was not intended for use as a back up program, it can function as such when it is time to recover deleted files.
Step 3

Utilize data recovery software. If you can install software and follow basic steps, you can use data recovery software. A sample of software is Get My Files software available from GetData. You can download this online for a fee. See the link under the Resources section for a link to the official website.
Step 4

Utilize data recovery online services. If you are a very busy individual or not as tech savvy, you can contact a data recovery service provider or company to try to recover your deleted data for you. You can search online by typing the words "data recovery companies" and you will be amazed at the search results. Check the Better Business Bureau's website (listed under Resources) to ensure that you contact the companies that are trustworthy and dependable.
Step 5

Call technical support. Most computers purchased have technical support hot-lines. Call the toll free number provided for by the computer manufacturer and ask for help on how you can recover your deleted files. They will walk you through some steps to do it correctly. They may be able to send you a disk or recovery software for a fraction of the cost. Find out also if your warranty provides for data recover support. Some companies offer that at time of purchase which can be added as extended warranty for parts and PC troubleshooting

How to Back Up a Hard Drive Using Norton Ghost 2003

Step1

Open Norton Ghost 2003 by clicking on the desktop icon or using your computer's "Start Menu". Once the software is fully loaded, you will need to open the "Tools" section.
Step 2

Plug in the external hard drive to an open USB-2 port. Load the necessary software to bring that drive online and ensure that it is powered up and has sufficient open space to copy your computer's main hard drive.
Step 3

Click "Copy My Hard Drive" on the Tools page. The "Hard Drive Copy Wizard" will start. Follow the on-screen prompts to begin the process.
Step 4

Choose the right drive to copy using the "Copy My Hard Drive Wizard". Select the destination drive from the drop-down list.
Step 5

Select the options that you want from the list. If you're using a blank hard drive to boot your computer after the backup, you will want to select the "Set drive active (for booting OS)" option and also the "Copy MBR" option. This copies your "Master Boot Record", which means that you will be using the destination drive to boot your computer until you replace your current hard drive.
Step 6

Complete the process. When you get your new hard drive installed, you can move the backed-up copy from the external back to your main drive, and you're back in business

How to Transfer data Between two hard drives

Step 1

Connect your new computer directly to your old computer with a crossover cable. This method is good if you have two fully working computers. Connect one end of the cable to each computer’s network card.
Step 2

Set each computer up to share. Make sure file sharing is enabled. Then share each drive letter on both computers. Turn off any firewalls on both computers. Give each computer a separate IP address but the same gateway and netmask. Also, go into the control panel and setup each computer on a home network with the same name.
Step 3

Find one computer from the other. Go to the old computer and look in network neighborhood for the other computer. When you see it, click on it and you will see the contents of the drive you set to share.
Step 4

Open another window and select all the information you want to copy. You can now drag or copy and paste the files you want into the window showing the drive on the new computer.
Inside One Computer
Step 1

Install both hard drives on one computer. Most likely you will already have one hard drive installed. If the second hard drive is an IDE drive, you can simply plug in where the CD ROM is connected and temporarily disconnect your CD drive. If it’s not an IDE drive, you will have to connect it to whatever device type is required.
Step 2

Prepare the drives. If your drive is new, you will need to format and partition the drive first. Once this is done, reboot the computer and both drives should be visible in windows explorer.
Step 3

Drag and drop or copy and paste your information from one drive to the other.
Media
Step 1

Use a writable CD. Simply copy and burn all of your files to a CD. You can also use a flash drive if you have one big enough and have the patience to connect and reconnect as many times as you need.
Step 2

Remove the current hard drive. Disconnect the current drive and install the second drive in its place.
Step 3

Insert the CD or flash drive and copy everything to the new hard drive

How to Install an Operating System on a Flash Drive

aving an operating system on a flash drive is handy. With a flash drive OS, you carry your own system from computer to computer so you don't have to rely on other people's systems. You can also recover files from damaged systems, test hardware, and give demonstrations of Linux. Installing Linux on a flash drive is a piece of cake. Several Linux distributions have been packaged to make them easy to install from any Windows computer. This article explains how to install SLAX Linux, a Slackware derivative. SLAX is recommended because it works on any USB drive greater than 256 MB and is easy to expand with office and other programs.

ndrivelinux.com (see Resources) and follow the link to download the USB version of SLAX. It will be named something like "slax-6.x.x.x.tar."
Step 
2

Navigate to the slax-6.x.x.x.tar file you just downloaded. Using a program like 7-zip, WinRAR or IZArc, unzip the file to the root of your USB drive.
Step 
3

Your USB drive should now contain two folders, "slax" and "boot." Verify these are in the root of the drive. Note, there will also be several new files on the drive; do not remove these because they are important configuration files.
Step 
4

Open the "boot" file on the USB drive and run the program "bootinst.bat." This step is essential, as the small program will make your USB drive bootable. Once the process finishes, leave the drive in your computer and power it off.
Step 
5

Restart your computer and enter the BIOS setup by pressing the appropriate key displayed on the BIOS splash screen (generally F2 or F10).
Step 
6

In the BIOS setup, set your computer to boot from the USB drive first rather than from the CD-ROM or internal hard drive. Save your changes and exit the BIOS setup.
Step 
7

Restart your computer. It should now boot from your flash drive and present you with a SLAX Linux boot menu. Follow the onscreen instructions to boot into SLAX and enjoy.
Step 
8

There are many other types of Linux available at Pendrivelinux.com. Some require larger drives and different hardware, but all are free and can be installed on a flash drive. Play around with all of them. Running Linux on a USB drive is a great way to start out in the Linux world because it poses no risk to the host computer

Install Linux to a Flash Drive

Step1

Download the "Pen Drive Linux" installation program. Save the file to an accessible location, such as your desktop.
Step 2

Double-click on the installation program; the program will create a new folder in the same location labeled "U904p" and begin to self-extract some files.
Step 3


Download a copy of the Ubuntu 9.04 ISO. Save the ISO file to the "U904p" folder.
Step 4

Insert your flash drive into any available USB port. Open the "U904p" folder and double-click on the file labeled "U904.bat." This will activate a script which will copy the necessary files onto your USB drive; follow the onscreen instructions when prompted.
Step 5

Restart your computer and hold down the BIOS configuration key. Review the menu and select the option for configuring which device your computer will attempt to boot from first; select "USB" from the list of devices. Save your changes and exit the BIOS menu.
Step 6

Restart your computer; it should now boot from the Linux system installed on your flash drive. Follow the onscreen instructions in order to configure your new installation.

How to do a Windows XP or Vista Recovery

Windows Recovery is different from Windows Restore or Windows Repair. I have written separate articles on Restore and Repair.

When a computer is not working it can be either because of hardware or software. I have an article "How to know if it is a Hardware or Software Problem."

When a Windows XP/Vista computer is not working, locking up, presenting a BSD, only starting in Safe Mode, etc. Before Restore, Repair, or Recovery are used hardware failure should be ruled out.

Then I use Windows Restore first. If that doesn't fix it next I try Windows Repair, and finally Windows Recovery. This is because with Windows Restore and Windows Repair once you get your system back working you usually do not have to reinstall programs or worry about lost data. But with Windows Recovery you will lose programs and data.

Windows Recovery often takes your computer back to the way it was when it first came from the factory or to when Windows XP or Vista were first installed on the computer.

To recover Windows you will need the correct Windows XP or Vista installation CD and a valid product key. Brand-name desktop or laptop PCs often provide a recovery CD or have an option when the computer is working to create the recovery CD. Brand-name computers have the Windows Product Key on a sticker on the outside of the computer. If you do not have a recovery CD you may be able to get it from the brand name manufacturer. If you bought Windows retail the product key comes with the product. Hopefully you didn't throw it away.

There are ways to recover the Product Key from a working PC. See "How to find your Windows Product Key."

The major PC manufacturers often use an OEM (Original Equiment Manufacturer)copy of Windows. Hence the need for the specific Windows recovery CD for your computer. This CD is not a standard retail Windows CD. 

The Product Key is tied to the computer. If a PC came with XP Professional SP2 or Windows XP Home SP2 you will need the matching recovery CD. A disk for Windows XP Home cannot be used to recover a Windows XP Professional computer. The same is true for the different versions of Windows Vist

Step 1

1. If there is important data or irreplaceable programs and files on the computer backup the computer and verify that you have a good backup.
Step 2

2. I recommend a backup program that boots from the computer’s CD drive.
a. A lot of stores sell USB Hard Drives that come with this type of backup software.
b. Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost can create a bootable CD from a working computer.
c. With the bootable CD in the CD drive turn the computer on and follow the directions to boot from the CD drive.
i. See article “How to get a computer to boot from a CD drive.”
d. Follow the backup programs direction to make an image of the hard drive onto a removable disk drive.
Step 3

If Windows is rendered unbootable and you do not have a backup of the programs and data, I advise moving and adding the computer drive to a functioning windows computer and backing up the damaged drive from there. I cannot over emphasize the need for a backup before you do a Windows Recovery or Windows Repair.
Step 4

If the computer has programs or data important to you then only proceed once the computer is backed up.
Step 5


You will need to power on the computer to open the CD drive and insert the Windows CD or the manufacturer's Windows Recovery CD. Then close the CD drive and turn the computer off.
Step 6

Start the computer. It should boot from the Windows CD that you put in the CD drive in Step 5 because most computers are set to boot from the floppy drive, then the CD drive, and finally the hard drive. Sometimes as the computer is booting you will be asked to press a key to boot from the CD drive. If you have problems see my article on "How to boot a computer from the CD drive."
Step 7

Now you have three choices. First you may reinstall Windows over itself by following the directions Windows gives to do that as you progress through the options presented by the Windows CD. Follow the Windows CD directions and reinstall you windows to the existing windows partition and directory. When it is finished you will have to reinstall all of the windows updates. You will need to connect to the Internet and go to Start, All Programs, Windows Updates. Then you will have to check which programs that you had installed still work or not. Of course you will have to reinstall programs and data that do not work.
Step 8

Your second choice is when you find that the CD you boot from simply asks if you want to follow directions and restore the computer to its factory default settings. By following this path your computer will be put back to exactly the way it was when you brought it home from the store. When you turn it on it will act brand new and none of the programs, updates or data you have ever added to the computer will be there. This is a clean recovery and installation.
Step9

Third with an actual Windows CD you will have choices presented as you did with the first option when the computer boots from the CD. As in the first method you wait for the Setup screen to appear. It presents three options: to run the Setup program that installs Windows (this is what you did in the first choice above i.e. Step 7)or to run the Recovery Console to repair Windows, or to quit without doing anything. In this third choice you want to get into the recovery console to try to fix Windows without losing your programs and data. You are using this most difficult method because Windows Restore, Windows Repair, or doing Step 7 above i.e reinstalling Windows over itself did not work.
Step 10

After you choose to go to the recovery console you will have to enter the administrator's or user's password to gain access to the system. If you are using Windows XP Home edition, it installs you, its installer, as the Computer Administrator by default, which is the top-level User Account that allows you to install software and make changes to the system, etc. However, you have to enter User Accounts in the Control Panel to set the password for the Computer Administrator account or no password is required when Windows starts up or to enter the Recovery Console.
Step 11

The Recovery Console itself looks like the standard Windows XP command prompt but you can only use certain commands, some of which are very powerful, so don't use them unless you know what you are doing.
Step 12

When it starts the Recovery Console lists the versions of Windows running on the system and numbers them. There is usually only one and it is number 1. Enter the number 1 and press Enter. If you just press the Enter key you will exit from Recovery Console.
Step 13

Recovery Console provides a MS-DOS type prompt but many MS-DOS commands don't work and the folders you can get to are limited. At the command prompt type: help and enter to get a list of commands.

You can change to the root of drive C: by entering the cd \ command.

If you want to find out the options of any of the commands you now know are available type in that commands name with a /? after it. For example, enter CHKDSK /? to find out what it can do.
Step 14

With some of these tools you may be able to replace a corrupt file in your windows or windows system directory. You might be able to get your system to work and save your current programs and data. But most likely you will use step 7 or step 8 to get a working computer. Then you will need to reinstall all of your programs and data

How to Fix Wireless Internet Connection Problems

Step 1

Make sure your computer is not too far away from your wireless router and you have a good signal. By placing your mouse pointer over the wireless connection icon, located in the bottom right corner of your taskbar, you can check to see if your signal strength is good. Anything less than a good signal can cause intermittent connections. SOLUTION: You will need to relocate your wireless router closer to your computer.
Step 2

If you have a 2.4 GHz wireless home phone, take notice if you lose the internet connection when placing or receiving a call. These wireless phones interfere with wireless routers because they both operate on 2.4GHz frequencies. If this happens you need to power down the router and then turn it back on. This will happen occasionally but not all of the time. SOLUTION: (1) upgrade your wireless phone to 5.8GHz, (2) use a corded phone or (3) use a wired internet connection to your router.
Step 3

If steps 1 and 2 did not solve your internet connection, borrow a friend’s laptop with a wireless card and see if their laptop can connect to the internet. Be sure to set your friends wireless connection settings to the same settings that your wireless card is set to. If your friend’s laptop connects to the internet then you may have a bad wireless card. Try reconfiguring your wireless card settings before going out to purchase an external wireless card.
Step 4

If your friend’s laptop can’t connect to the internet, try resetting the router to the factory defaults. Change the settings on the wireless card to the same settings as the factory default on the wireless router. If this works you are back in business. If it does not work for either computer, the wireless portion of your router is bad. SOLUTION: Purchase a new router or use a wired connection to one of your router ports