XP cannot see my HDD data recovery

[mickthetree]

Hi All

Hopefully you can shed some light in my direction.

Originally I had a dual booting system with xp on both boots. One (40GB) for work stuff & one (80GB) for home use. I also had a 120GB storage drive they could both use.

I installed Linux on the first disk. I believe now that the first disk contained the boot information for both xp disks. Does this sound right? Anyway, linux was setup fine, but I couldnt get back into windows on my second disk. I ended up putting xp back onto the first disk as well, but xp now cant see the second disk either.

So I am now at the situation where I have a fully working XP machine and the data disk is fine, but the second XP disk (with some important data on it) wont boot.

This disk in question can be seen by XP in the disk managment, but it doesnt have a drive letter and it shows as a dynamic disk. I have run the manufacturers analysis tools on the drive and it shows as perfectly healthy. I also have a USB caddie that I have tried the disk in but it wont show up when plugged in.

Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Paul

[mickthetree]

Sorry, I should have clarified my actual question. All I need to do is get some lost data off the drive then the drive will be reformatted and reinstalled.

Hope this helps!!

[-pops-]

Just a thought but, when you put the errant disk in the USB caddie, do you change the jumper settings?

My reasoning is that if that disk was a subsidiary disk on the original setup i.e. a slave drive, it wouldn't be seen when placed in the caddie unless you changed the jumper to be master.

[mickthetree]

Ah! I did try it in the caddie but left the jumper on slave.

I'll try it again now with the other jumper setting.

BTW!!!!!!! I just downloaded File scavenger from downloads.com. It instantly found every file on the disk that I need!!!!!

It is $45 though. does anyone know of a freeware version of this same thing?

Thanks

[Layla Tov]

Try this Operating System to recover your data:

" Windows XP Live CD : runs directly from CD without install or Harddisk.

Features: Opera browser and Full Microsoft Network Environment (including Remote Desktop Connection), Data recovery and rescue kit etc.. TRY OR DIE ! (225 Mb - iso (in two rar file segments)) MUST C ! MUST GET ! IMMEDIATELY ! "

FedoraXP

Important ! :

If you have some deleted or damaged data on your hard drive DO NOT boot up with a normal Windows

or other R/W operating system , because it may will overwrite your deleted data (for instance with the System Restore files (in the System Volume Information) or other temporary files in other partitions or with the page file)

Pull out your Harddisk with the deleted data from your computer before you do anything and boot up onto an other undamaged, healthy HDD or LiveCD linux (Knoppix) after do this :

1. Download the Fedora XP Operating System from the link above to your RAMDRIVE (must have at least 512 MB RAM )

2. Write the Fedora XP onto a writeable/rewriteable CD (must have an other CD RW drive attached next the Knoppix bootup CD drive)

3. Insert your damaged HDD and boot up FedoraXP

4. Start Total Commander from the Start menu and Run the GetDataBack (NTFS or FAT32 version

depending on your filesystem type of damaged data)

from the PROGRAMS directory.

5. Close the Total Commander (!)

6. Follow the steps in the GetDataBack program to recover your damaged data

Good Luck !