Sony VAIO - WinME - hard drive usage and data recovery

[Guest MEB]

Discussion was originally entitled Computer failure - 02/19/2008, poster

BAP, in this discussion forum. The discussion spread to two other computers

and issues with those and their systems and other. I have split that

discussion into separate discussions with headings for the individual

potentials/issues. Please keep these discussions separated. BAP indicated

that a discussion would be created for this computer, but I do not find it,

so...

 

Background, the Microtime computer had been running Windows 98SE until the

computer started to fail. Presently diagnostic routines are being run

through to attempt a recovery. This VAIO discussion concerns data recovery

from the Microtime's hard disk.

 

Issues are:

 

1. ME is the first operating system to include *Restore Points* and newer

access routines.

 

2. The Microtime hard drive was previously determined to have a boot manager

installed upon it. A work-around was apparently used on the Microtime

computer] to bypass that manager [see Microtime discussion for reference].

 

3. The fromer Microtime hard drive may not be being accessed properly on

this VAIO computer and may be causing porblems with other drives.

 

What the discussion still needs:

 

1. The model number of the VAIO.

..

 

-------------- ISSUES --------

BAP

E. The Sony has Windows Millennium Version 4.90.3000.

***

 

5. What does *fdisk /status* from the DOS prompt show?

****

BAP

On the Sony, it shows that Disk 1, has a total of 58644MB, Free 1, Usage

100%

C: 160002

D: 42641

***

 

BAP

| **** An additional note regarding the good Computer that I am currently

| using...Sony VAIO. 'My Computer' shows that it has a Local Disk(C:), a

Local

| Disk(D:), a Compact Disk(E: CD_ROM), a Compact Disk(F: DVD), along with A:

| and an external Iomega 250 ZIP Drive. When I opened the case, I was

surprised |to see the presence of only one HD connected to the first

connector (not the end

| connector) of the cable. The end connector was open. The Primary HD has

15.5GB | capacity. The Secondary has 41.6GB. The CD-ROM and the DVD Drives

are on

| another cable.

| Any ideas?

| Thanks!

| ****

 

MEB - Okay, from now on refer to discussions related to that computer as the

VAIO[model]

It appears you have one hard disk partitioned into two, Windows will SHOW

them as separate

drives.

 

****

"MEB", I saw that the HD was partitioned, as you said, by looking at the

System Information pane of the Components/Storage Disks, in brief:

IDE Type 47, Partitions 2 total 57..27GB.

Disk 0, Partition 0, 15.63GB

Disk 0, Partition 1, 41.64GB

***

 

MEB:

Here are potential issues when connecting a drive to the secondary

connector on IDE0/channel1 - IRQ 14 [use SYSTEM > Device Manager > Hard Disk

Controllers > Primary IDE Controller > settings and resources to view].:

*****

Sorry, I can't seem to find my way around to get to that pane.

 

MEB - you are running ME which will have that in a different area.

 

***

 

MEB:

1. The present drive [apparently 60 gig] is partitioned with C {the primary

boot partition} as a

15.5 gig drive, adding another drive would move the second partition

presently being seen as the

41.6 gig drive D to drive E. The new hard drive would have to be configured

as a slave and the

first hard drive as master with their jumpers or errors and potential disk

corruption could occur.

There could also be a hidden partition involved for SONY specific recovery

or other, so it may be

larger [an 80 gig drive perhaps, though that won't presently affect what we

are discussing], what

is the actual model and make of that drive?

There MAY potentially be a hard drive conflict if the drives are not

compatible. What are the two drive's makes and models?

 

2. The two drives on the second channel [CD and DVD] will be moved to drive

F and G, but only IF the OS has not had its drives limited to only see

drives up to drive F: limited by either the driver settings, system

settings, or something like TweakUI which modified the registry or an

inclusion in the system.ini or config.sys [lastdrive=*]. If this is the

case, the lost/un-recognized drive will still cause errors even though it is

not listed in Windows, it is still holding memory and CMOS/BIOS addressing

which Windows may try to assign to other needs, or may cause conflicting

system device issues..

 

3. The Iomega drive adds potential issues to the mix if it has been set to

always use some specific drive letter or IRQ, and/or if [as sometimes

happens] it is incompatible with this older drive you are attempting to

access.

 

4. A drive overlay may be part of the issue, but beyond that, we may also be

running across a disk or disks which have had Drive Space or Double Space

[or another drive compressor] used.

 

5. Perhaps its time to do - fdisk /status - [DOS prompt] on the disk(s) to

see what that shows [using one of the working computers with the target

drive properly configured as master or slave.

 

BAP:

****

You must be referring to the most recent Computer, Sony.

Currently, the drives shown are: A:, C:, D:, E: CD_ROM, F: DVD and G:

external ZIP Drive. All work well, except the DVD. It does not see DVD disks

created and finalized by a an RCA DVD Player/Writer. It will see commercial

DVD disks, but there appears to be a software glitch and won't play them. I

am not too interested, at this point, to get involved with that problem. I

can easily disconnect both, the Zip and the DVD disks, if that would make it

easier to get the HDs from the failed Computer long enough until my data is

recovered.

 

More on this on the New Post titled 'Disk Recovery' (RE: Computer Failure )

which will concentrate on the Sony Computer. The Microtime is not

functioning. The oldest, the Risys, might have a chance at accepting the

HD(s) of the Microtime, but it does not give me a way to transfer the Data

to

other Media other than to Floppy Disks. The Sony might be the most

promising,

unless there will be compatibility issues.

***

--

 

MEB

http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com

_________

[Guest BAP]

RE: Sony VAIO - WinME - hard drive usage and data recovery

 

****

"MEB", mission accomplished! I followed your suggestion about replacing the

Sony's Master Disk with the Microtime's Master, where some of the Data to be

recovered were, and it worked. See details in my Disk Recovery (RE: Computer

Failure ) Post.

***

 

"MEB" wrote:

>

>

> Discussion was originally entitled Computer failure - 02/19/2008, poster

> BAP, in this discussion forum. The discussion spread to two other computers

> and issues with those and their systems and other. I have split that

> discussion into separate discussions with headings for the individual

> potentials/issues. Please keep these discussions separated. BAP indicated

> that a discussion would be created for this computer, but I do not find it,

> so...

>

> Background, the Microtime computer had been running Windows 98SE until the

> computer started to fail. Presently diagnostic routines are being run

> through to attempt a recovery. This VAIO discussion concerns data recovery

> from the Microtime's hard disk.

>

> Issues are:

>

> 1. ME is the first operating system to include *Restore Points* and newer

> access routines.

>

> 2. The Microtime hard drive was previously determined to have a boot manager

> installed upon it. A work-around was apparently used on the Microtime

> computer] to bypass that manager [see Microtime discussion for reference].

>

> 3. The fromer Microtime hard drive may not be being accessed properly on

> this VAIO computer and may be causing porblems with other drives.

>

> What the discussion still needs:

>

> 1. The model number of the VAIO.

> ..

>

> -------------- ISSUES --------

> BAP

> E. The Sony has Windows Millennium Version 4.90.3000.

> ***

>

> 5. What does *fdisk /status* from the DOS prompt show?

> ****

> BAP

> On the Sony, it shows that Disk 1, has a total of 58644MB, Free 1, Usage

> 100%

> C: 160002

> D: 42641

> ***

>

> BAP

> | **** An additional note regarding the good Computer that I am currently

> | using...Sony VAIO. 'My Computer' shows that it has a Local Disk(C:), a

> Local

> | Disk(D:), a Compact Disk(E: CD_ROM), a Compact Disk(F: DVD), along with A:

> | and an external Iomega 250 ZIP Drive. When I opened the case, I was

> surprised |to see the presence of only one HD connected to the first

> connector (not the end

> | connector) of the cable. The end connector was open. The Primary HD has

> 15.5GB | capacity. The Secondary has 41.6GB. The CD-ROM and the DVD Drives

> are on

> | another cable.

> | Any ideas?

> | Thanks!

> | ****

>

> MEB - Okay, from now on refer to discussions related to that computer as the

> VAIO[model]

> It appears you have one hard disk partitioned into two, Windows will SHOW

> them as separate

> drives.

>

> ****

> "MEB", I saw that the HD was partitioned, as you said, by looking at the

> System Information pane of the Components/Storage Disks, in brief:

> IDE Type 47, Partitions 2 total 57..27GB.

> Disk 0, Partition 0, 15.63GB

> Disk 0, Partition 1, 41.64GB

> ***

>

> MEB:

> Here are potential issues when connecting a drive to the secondary

> connector on IDE0/channel1 - IRQ 14 [use SYSTEM > Device Manager > Hard Disk

> Controllers > Primary IDE Controller > settings and resources to view].:

> *****

> Sorry, I can't seem to find my way around to get to that pane.

>

> MEB - you are running ME which will have that in a different area.

>

> ***

>

> MEB:

> 1. The present drive [apparently 60 gig] is partitioned with C {the primary

> boot partition} as a

> 15.5 gig drive, adding another drive would move the second partition

> presently being seen as the

> 41.6 gig drive D to drive E. The new hard drive would have to be configured

> as a slave and the

> first hard drive as master with their jumpers or errors and potential disk

> corruption could occur.

> There could also be a hidden partition involved for SONY specific recovery

> or other, so it may be

> larger [an 80 gig drive perhaps, though that won't presently affect what we

> are discussing], what

> is the actual model and make of that drive?

> There MAY potentially be a hard drive conflict if the drives are not

> compatible. What are the two drive's makes and models?

>

> 2. The two drives on the second channel [CD and DVD] will be moved to drive

> F and G, but only IF the OS has not had its drives limited to only see

> drives up to drive F: limited by either the driver settings, system

> settings, or something like TweakUI which modified the registry or an

> inclusion in the system.ini or config.sys [lastdrive=*]. If this is the

> case, the lost/un-recognized drive will still cause errors even though it is

> not listed in Windows, it is still holding memory and CMOS/BIOS addressing

> which Windows may try to assign to other needs, or may cause conflicting

> system device issues..

>

> 3. The Iomega drive adds potential issues to the mix if it has been set to

> always use some specific drive letter or IRQ, and/or if [as sometimes

> happens] it is incompatible with this older drive you are attempting to

> access.

>

> 4. A drive overlay may be part of the issue, but beyond that, we may also be

> running across a disk or disks which have had Drive Space or Double Space

> [or another drive compressor] used.

>

> 5. Perhaps its time to do - fdisk /status - [DOS prompt] on the disk(s) to

> see what that shows [using one of the working computers with the target

> drive properly configured as master or slave.

>

> BAP:

> ****

> You must be referring to the most recent Computer, Sony.

> Currently, the drives shown are: A:, C:, D:, E: CD_ROM, F: DVD and G:

> external ZIP Drive. All work well, except the DVD. It does not see DVD disks

> created and finalized by a an RCA DVD Player/Writer. It will see commercial

> DVD disks, but there appears to be a software glitch and won't play them. I

> am not too interested, at this point, to get involved with that problem. I

> can easily disconnect both, the Zip and the DVD disks, if that would make it

> easier to get the HDs from the failed Computer long enough until my data is

> recovered.

>

> More on this on the New Post titled 'Disk Recovery' (RE: Computer Failure )

> which will concentrate on the Sony Computer. The Microtime is not

> functioning. The oldest, the Risys, might have a chance at accepting the

> HD(s) of the Microtime, but it does not give me a way to transfer the Data

> to

> other Media other than to Floppy Disks. The Sony might be the most

> promising,

> unless there will be compatibility issues.

> ***

> --

>

> MEB

> http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com

> _________

>

>

>

>