file recovery puzzle - partitions

[webworks]

Hi there folks -

We have an old computer where Windows 98se, just started to freeze on every move. All attempts to re-install win98se over itself would freeze, as well as removal of recent failed and successful windows updates.

After doing everything I could to resolve the problem and keep the same win version (necessary) I reformatted C, forgetting one quickbooks file which I thought was stored safely elsewhere on the network.

A long time ago, this machine was partitioned where software and files were made separate. Thus far, I've only used the format /s command - I have not used the fdisk command.

When I 'dir' C drive, it tells me 28,609.25 MB free.

Can anyone point me in the right direction as to how to *get to* the other partition to find the quickbooks file I forgot to move?



Any help most appreciated!

Heather Mc

[GaryRouth]

The easiest way would be to use another computer to help out. If you have an extra, or have a helpful friend with one, you can slave your hard drive in the other system [you'll need to pay attention to jumper settings and cables].

The system you use to get your files will need to have up-to-date antivirus running, just in case your troubles are virus related [It wouldn't be a good thing to infect your friends system!]. You'll want to scan the old drive for viruses before you copy over the files you want to save (you can burn them on a CD if they aren't too big).

Constant system freezing can be many things: often hardware failure related. Heat, overclocking, dying Bios battery (or faulty Bios settings), problem power supply, bad memory, failing hard drive, problem motherboard....

You can start downloading diagnostic tests for each component and test them one by one. There's a MemTest link around here somewhere (pretty sure it's at download.com, too), & to test the hard drive use the diagnostics from the hard drive manufacturer's website. Check the temperatures in the "PC Health" or "Environment" menus in your computer's Bios.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

Oh . . . just noticed that this is your first post here: Welcome to the PC Mechanic forums . . .

[webworks]

Gary - Thanks so much for your response.

Do I have to use a slave drive? (This is definitely something out of my range of knowledge!) Is there no way that I can get into the "file storage" partition after reformatting the other partition? Shouldn't I be able to do this through DOS and then to a floppy? When I'm at the C prompt in DOS, it says only 28 megs... it just seems like it would be possible to find the other part of the drive... maybe there is some miracle partition utility I can download to a floppy to explore the whole thing?

Maybe I'm dreaming - It has been literally years and years since I've attempting anything like this ;(

[GaryRouth]

If I knew of a way to use a floppy for this, I'd be happy to pass that information along. But I don't use DOS much anymore, so I don't know of anything that would do. The problem with DOS would be that even if you could find the files, what could you do with them in DOS - it's likely that they are too big to go to floppy (you're limited to 1.44mb each), and we don't know the health of your hard drive.
_____________
It's very possible that the system freezes are due to some part that is failing, so any repair that relies on your computer to do the fixing may fail. That's why removing the hard drive from your system & installing it as a slave in another system has a better chance of success.

If you have a friend who knows about the jumper settings and cabling of hard drives, it'd make things a lot easier for you. Or you can venture in yourself. Basically, the drives will either be set to "Cable Select" or "Master/Slave" by the placement of a little pin-cover called a "jumper". There's often a little diagram right there on a sticker on the hard drive showing you where to put the little jumper. With the Cable Select (this is the "CS" setting, often etched into the metal near the pins), your drive would go on the middle, gray connector on the cable. In a "Master/Slave" setup, you'll probably still use the same connector, but the jumper will be on the "SL" (slave) pins. You'd also connect a plug from your computer's power supply to the hard drive, too.

If your quickbooks data is in small chunks, you might be able to copy some off onto floppy in 1.44mb. After you've booted into DOS, try switching to the data partition by typing a capital D followed by a colon, then use the 'dir' (directory) command again. If you assigned a different letter to your data partition, it can't hurt to try guessing different letters until you find it.

Post again with any questions you have - I'm typing in a big hurry (I've got some system maintenance to do on a mainframe in a few minutes) - So hopefully I didn't leave too much out!
. . . Gary

[webworks]

Thanks so much for offering as I would need all the help I can get! If I do need to treat as slave, I'll probably just bring it in somwhere else to have it done. But first, I'm going to attempt this: http://www.partition-recovery.com/ (small utility added to a floppy boot disk)

The quickbooks file is one file, and it will probably be bigger than a floppy, but luckily this computer has a zip drive, which it actually recognizes. So here goes - I hope and pray this utility finds my file!

Then I can just scrap this thing and forget it! It's amazing how a simple mistake of forgetting one tiny file...can create such an effort that would otherwise be unnecessary

[GaryRouth]

Good luck with your project - that's a promising looking program (it does a Lot of things: pretty handy). . .

. . . I'm getting a little older, and getting better at forgetting things all the time. Must be Nature's way of making sure I get my exercise undoing all the messes I make forgetting stuff