[quote]Hi there,



My computer crashed all of a sudden and it makes a clicking each time I turn it on. I suspect itmight be the hard disk but your guess is as good as mine.



If a computer savvy among you would be willingto look at it to try to perhaps disgnose the problem - I'd be happy take you out for coffee!



PLEASE get back to me ASAP!



Thanks so much!![/quote]



[quote]I just wanted to share information with those who travel a lot and have difficulties parking their cars at the airport. It seems that not so many people know about the valet parking options, so I recommend this one: www.parking-friend.com

or a direct link:[/quote]



I'd first take the side of the case off, check if it is a fan, you can isolate where the sound is coming from by removing one side(one side will have 1-2 screws or thumbscrews)



If it is a fan it could be overheating and turning off, if it is the hard drive and clicking, I do hope you have backups as once to the point of clicking it is not good chances to recover it.



One tip on this is to put the hard drive in a zip bag and into the freezer(alone just the drive) sometimes you can get a few hours to days more life out of it after freezing it for a few days. However even if you get it up with this tip do NOT depend on it working again and save all you can do CD or DVD or another hard drive.



I am here around Geneva but can't really get around to easily and don't know the bus system that well :)
StephenSQL, Jan 5, 2009 @ 17:40

wow a quote from another post I made is there, ignore it......not sure how it got there!
StephenSQL, Jan 5, 2009 @ 17:41

Try and unplug the power to the CD drive and floppy drive.



I had the same once when i replaced the cdrom with a cdrw drive. the cdrw drive simply used so much more power, that the power supply could not handle it.

Henrikrp, Jan 5, 2009 @ 23:18

[quote][quote]Hi there,



My computer crashed all of a sudden and it makes a clicking each time I turn it on. I suspect itmight be the hard disk but your guess is as good as mine.



If a computer savvy among you would be willingto look at it to try to perhaps disgnose the problem - I'd be happy take you out for coffee!



PLEASE get back to me ASAP!



Thanks so much!!



[quote]

One tip on this is to put the hard drive in a zip bag and into the freezer(alone just the drive) sometimes you can get a few hours to days more life out of it after freezing it for a few days. However even if you get it up with this tip do NOT depend on it working again and save all you can do CD or DVD or another hard drive.



I am here around Geneva but can't really get around to easily and don't know the bus system that well :)[/quote]





If it doesn't work, you've made professional data-recovery just one step more difficult (and thus expensive).

I'd recommend against using this practice. It may work, it may not.

You can just as well bang the drive on a flat table (upside-down) once or twice (if one of the heads has crashed, it might get re-adjusted this way).

But just because it worked for me (with somebody else's harddrive), doesn't mean it works for you.

Sidenote: when I had finished recovering his 8000 MP3s (he was almost crying) and Gigabytes of video from Startrek, Friends to generic porn, I asked him where he had located his data - documents, spreadsheets etc.

The empty look I got was somehow priceless. "Data? What data?"



For future reference:

Have you considered using an online backup-service?

If your data is worth something, it may be worth more than the monthly fee...



http://www.mozy.com seems to be reasonable.

Also, there's a relatively new Swiss startup: Wuala (http://wuala.com) that does distributed encrypted online backup.



Personally, I started to use Apple's excellent TimeMachine with a cheap USB disk-drive - but that doesn't really protect against fires, lightning and other hazards that usually destroy all local data....
rainer_d, Jan 5, 2009 @ 23:22

[quote][quote][quote]Hi there,



My computer crashed all of a sudden and it makes a clicking each time I turn it on. I suspect itmight be the hard disk but your guess is as good as mine.



If a computer savvy among you would be willingto look at it to try to perhaps disgnose the problem - I'd be happy take you out for coffee!



PLEASE get back to me ASAP!



Thanks so much!!



[quote]

One tip on this is to put the hard drive in a zip bag and into the freezer(alone just the drive) sometimes you can get a few hours to days more life out of it after freezing it for a few days. However even if you get it up with this tip do NOT depend on it working again and save all you can do CD or DVD or another hard drive.



I am here around Geneva but can't really get around to easily and don't know the bus system that well :)[/quote]





If it doesn't work, you've made professional data-recovery just one step more difficult (and thus expensive).

I'd recommend against using this practice. It may work, it may not.

You can just as well bang the drive on a flat table (upside-down) once or twice (if one of the heads has crashed, it might get re-adjusted this way).

But just because it worked for me (with somebody else's harddrive), doesn't mean it works for you.

Sidenote: when I had finished recovering his 8000 MP3s (he was almost crying) and Gigabytes of video from Startrek, Friends to generic porn, I asked him where he had located his data - documents, spreadsheets etc.

The empty look I got was somehow priceless. "Data? What data?"



For future reference:

Have you considered using an online backup-service?

If your data is worth something, it may be worth more than the monthly fee...



http://www.mozy.com seems to be reasonable.

Also, there's a relatively new Swiss startup: Wuala (http://wuala.com) that does distributed encrypted online backup.



Personally, I started to use Apple's excellent TimeMachine with a cheap USB disk-drive - but that doesn't really protect against fires, lightning and other hazards that usually destroy all local data....[/quote]



Freezing it won't make professional data recovery any different, super cold is a means they use themselves.

Banging it if a head is stuck can easily scratch the platters and that will result in worse damage.



I do this a lot and have friends in professional data recovery.
StephenSQL, Jan 5, 2009 @ 23:27

Thank you guys for the tips. Unfortunately, being the computer idiot I am, I'm not even certain which one the hard disk is (no, I think I do know), let alone taking it out, freezing it or slamming it on the table! Anyone willing to try doing that? Or guide me/ give step-by-step instructions? Much appreciated!

If it doesn't work, you've made professional data-recovery just one step more difficult (and thus expensive).
I'd recommend against using this practice. It may work, it may not.
You can just as well bang the drive on a flat table (upside-down) once or twice (if one of the heads has crashed, it might get re-adjusted this way).
But just because it worked for me (with somebody else's harddrive), doesn't mean it works for you.
Sidenote: when I had finished recovering his 8000 MP3s (he was almost crying) and Gigabytes of video from Startrek, Friends to generic porn, I asked him where he had located his data - documents, spreadsheets etc.
The empty look I got was somehow priceless. "Data? What data?"

For future reference:
Have you considered using an online backup-service?
If your data is worth something, it may be worth more than the monthly fee...

http://www.mozy.com seems to be reasonable.
Also, there's a relatively new Swiss startup: Wuala (http://wuala.com) that does distributed encrypted online backup.

Personally, I started to use Apple's excellent TimeMachine with a cheap USB disk-drive - but that doesn't really protect against fires, lightning and other hazards that usually destroy all local data....[/quote]

Freezing it won't make professional data recovery any different, super cold is a means they use themselves.
Banging it if a head is stuck can easily scratch the platters and that will result in worse damage.

I do this a lot and have friends in professional data recovery.[/quote]
vulcanina, Jan 7, 2009 @ 13:35

Oh this just in: now each time I turn it on, a black screen with white text pops up that lays out option for starting windows: start windows normally, start in safe mode, etc. Problem is no matter which option I select, it just freezes and never actually starts.
That a development?

Freezing it won't make professional data recovery any different, super cold is a means they use themselves.
Banging it if a head is stuck can easily scratch the platters and that will result in worse damage.

I do this a lot and have friends in professional data recovery.[/quote][/quote]
vulcanina, Jan 7, 2009 @ 13:39

[quote]Oh this just in: now each time I turn it on, a black screen with white text pops up that lays out option for starting windows: start windows normally, start in safe mode, etc. Problem is no matter which option I select, it just freezes and never actually starts.

That a development?

[/quote]



I'm in Zurich, so I cannot directly assist you.

But your disk is dying. That's quite sure.

If nobody volunteers, the only solution is to call for professional data-recovery:

Kroll onTrack will do it, for a fee that can be anything between 500 and 1500 Euros.

For diagnosis, you will pay 125 CHF upfront (http://www.datenrettung.ch/datenrettung/diagnosepreis.aspx). They will analyze the disk and tell you what can be recovered and what not.



The 64000 dollar question is: how much was the data worth on the disk?



You could also try to find help in the local yellow-pages - but nobody can say if the one-man-company you will most-probably reach won't make matters worse....





Best Regards,

Rainer
rainer_d, Jan 7, 2009 @ 14:28

Nina,



Why don't you install a new hard disk and re-install operating system on new disk and then think of salvaging your data from old drive.



Ciao
Onlyone, Jan 7, 2009 @ 21:50

Vulcanina,

I'm not a PC expert, but StephenSQL (one of the guys who answered you) is the guy who manages the servers for glocals.com, so I'd take his advice real seriously.

He's now in Geneva (he lives in the US), and I think he might some free time tomorrow (Thu) morning. If I were you I'd write to him, and see if you can bring the PC to him for a look. He's a magician, really.

Good luck,

Nir
Nir Ofek, Jan 8, 2009 @ 00:55

[quote]Nina,



Why don't you install a new hard disk and re-install operating system on new disk and then think of salvaging your data from old drive.



Ciao[/quote]



This is pretty good advice, if the other drive gets to the windows bootup it seems like the drive is not yet fully dead.



It may have some very bad sectors and need some recovery but if you get another drive as slave this one as a secondary it may well be able to have most of the data restored quickly with only a few sectors inaccessible.



It looks like I will indeed be heading out of town here this morning and the possibility that I will be around today is very small.



I have personally recovered many a drive that were near to death but would partially load up.

StephenSQL, Jan 8, 2009 @ 07:58

[quote][quote]Nina,



Why don't you install a new hard disk and re-install operating system on new disk and then think of salvaging your data from old drive.



Ciao[/quote]



This is pretty good advice, if the other drive gets to the windows bootup it seems like the drive is not yet fully dead.



It may have some very bad sectors and need some recovery but if you get another drive as slave this one as a secondary it may well be able to have most of the data restored quickly with only a few sectors inaccessible.



It looks like I will indeed be heading out of town here this morning and the possibility that I will be around today is very small.



I have personally recovered many a drive that were near to death but would partially load up.

[/quote]



Fixing a computer is very much like fixing a car. It seems pretty clear that it is the hard drive, so consider that akin to the transmission going on your car. Now, do you just get rid of the car or do you fix it is the question. My advice - buy a used or new computer and give the old hard drive to someone who can use something like Norton Ghost to recover the data. You are looking at a repair that takes 5-6 hours of work so a coffee is nice, but this is not a small task IMO.
smoore4, Jan 8, 2009 @ 11:30

hi everyone and happy new year..

2 thoughs came to mind when reading this thread:

#1  when does one stop saying Happy New Year?
#2  I went skiing outside montreal at -25c weather and brought my digital camera...although i took lots of pictures, i cannot see them as the shutter will no longer open when the camera is on...i tried the "hardrive" trick of sticking the camera in the freezer...but im afraid my camera still doesn't work...what do i do? Do I phone the valet-parking at the airport?

I am happy to be back and read all of you....

keep the threads coming in 2009...

cheers

diva
divagirl, Jan 10, 2009 @ 00:37

the only fact that we have so far is



and the update ""



Faulty harddrive is one option

Power problem another

HDD Failure is not to be ruled out, but I think it is amazing, that so many people are convinced it is the harddrive, based on that little inform,ation, that is available.

Since you actually gets that error message, it means, your Harddrive is working at least to the point, that it can detect Windows is installed.

In the menu you mention, try "Last known good" to get in, but otherweise my best advice to you is, to have someone actually LOOK at the computer.



I send you a PM. feel free to call me, and I will see if i can assist you on the Phone.

Geneva is to ofar from Zürich, to have a look myself.
Henrikrp, Jan 10, 2009 @ 00:55

[quote]hi everyone and happy new year..



2 thoughs came to mind when reading this thread:



#1 when does one stop saying Happy New Year?

#2 I went skiing outside montreal at -25c weather and brought my digital camera...although i took lots of pictures, i cannot see them as the shutter will no longer open when the camera is on...i tried the "hardrive" trick of sticking the camera in the freezer...but im afraid my camera still doesn't work...what do i do? Do I phone the valet-parking at the airport?





I am happy to be back and read all of you....



keep the threads coming in 2009...



cheers



diva[/quote]





#1 January 6th, AFAIK. "Heilige Drei König" - "Epiphany". But I've also read January 7th and I have no credible online-source to back-up those claims ;-)

#2 your camera does most likely not have a conventional hard-drive (if it has, I pitty you) in the sense desktop-PCs have. Cameras have flash-base storage cards (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital_card). The trick only applies to hard-drives with rotating platters (see this wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard-disk)



You can put that card into an external card-reader with USB-interface (available for little money in most computer-shops), or use an internal reader that your PC/laptop might be equipped with. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_reader#Memory_card_readers

Then, you can at least save the photos.

For the camera, I'm not sure. Frozen shutter seems to be a relatively common problem with several causes (non-exhausting quick google-search). It did not yet happen to me.

I would suggest posting as a separate new thread ;-)

Or try searching google for "YOUR_CAMERA_MAKER frozen shutter" without the quotes.

Or go to a camera-shop. Repairs are expensive, though and are usually only worth the money with DSLR cameras where you also have a collection of lenses that buying a new camera would render useless. Needless to say that repairs of DSLRs are even more expensive...





cheers,

Rainer
rainer_d, Jan 10, 2009 @ 01:12

Hi,



What is your situation with your pc, I could have a look if its not too late. I am in Onex (Ge)
celebes, Jan 18, 2009 @ 22:40

[quote]Hi there,



My computer crashed all of a sudden and it makes a clicking each time I turn it on. I suspect itmight be the hard disk but your guess is as good as mine.



If a computer savvy among you would be willingto look at it to try to perhaps disgnose the problem - I'd be happy take you out for coffee!



PLEASE get back to me ASAP!



Thanks so much!![/quote]



kill it with fire...





:P just kidding

must be the disk or the PSU. Sometimes hard drive disks tend to act weird on a faulty PSU.

Remember to back up often as well...
konstantinos, Jan 19, 2009 @ 02:19