New Computer, won't boot

[g1976b]

Hi all,

I'm a first time poster and I appreciate all of your help in advance. I've got a Lenovo IdeaPad that has been acting buggy from about 3 months after I purchased it. It's only about 6 months old, but now seems to be permanently dead.

I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit, with a 500gb HD, and 4mb RAM with a dual core processor.

I've had various errors and BSOD's, but now I'm consistently getting the 0xc00000e9 error message. I'm no expert, but I feel like I've tried about everything I can.

So far, I have:

-tried running file repair (no luck)
-tried going to a restore point (Windows couldn't find ANY)
-tried running a system disk to fix the issue, but it couldn't find any installed OS
-tried running disk check from DOS...showed nothing
-pulled the HD and put it into an external enclosure, then hooked it up to another computer: for a 500gb HD, it only showed about 300mb of storage...and NO FILES

I'm at a loss. It's under warranty (the hardware anyway) but that doesn't solve my data issues. I just want to get the data off of the HD before I send it to the manufacturer for repair. I've always been led to believe that it's rare that it ever gets to the point where it's IMPOSSIBLE to get data off even a "broken" HD, but I'm at a loss.

Please help!

 

[profdlp]

This thread might be worth a look, as it's the same error and was successfully solved:

http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-...gr-error-0xc00000e9-unexpected-i-o-error.html

Have you tried the diagnostic test from the HD manufacturer?

You might also give TestDisk - CGSecurity a shot and see if it can find and recover any partitions.

 

[g1976b]

Dead?

Thanks, profdlp. I did check that forum first but for that (lucky) individual the repair worked. Mine has not after running many times. Here's a brief update:

-I ran one diagnostic (from the wrong HD manufacturer) and it showed the drive status as "FAIL"

-I tried going through the TestDisk but since I can't boot anything up on the "bad" laptop I'm not sure how to utilize the software. Probably something simple, but I can't figure out how I could boot this from a CD

-Downloaded and burned a CD of the correct HD manufacturer which provided me with a failure code "Defective Device".

Not sure there's more that can be done.

 

[profdlp]

Sorry to hear that the drive is bad.

... I've always been led to believe that it's rare that it ever gets to the point where it's IMPOSSIBLE to get data off even a "broken" HD...

That may be technically correct, but it then becomes a question of how far you are willing to go and how much you are willing to pay to recover it. Only you can decide what your data is worth to you. You do have backups, right?

Professional data recovery is your best bet, but you could easily pay $500 to $1,000 - or even more. If that's not possible, there are some things you can try. If you're considering the professional option then disconnect the drive and leave it alone. Anything you try on your own is only going to make it more difficult and more expensive.

If there is no way you are going to go the pro route, here is what I would try:

1) Seal the drive in an anti-static bag and stick it in the freezer for several hours.

2) Familiarize yourself with TestDisk, just in case you can get the drive running. You might need to recover a partition which has been scrambled due to the failing drive before you can get at the data on it. Recuva - Undelete, Unerase, File and Disk Recovery - Free Download is another tool I'd have handy.

3) Once the drive is frozen solid, have another computer ready to go where you can (hopefully) copy your data - you may only get one chance, so be ready to work fast. Hook up the drive and see what you can find.

Good luck!