| Forum Home | ||||
| Press F1 | ||||
| Thread ID: 120077 | 2011-08-24 05:20:00 | Customer service for portable harddrive fail | sempre_vivace (16509) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1225535 | 2011-08-24 05:20:00 | I just plucked up courage to see what was left of my collection of data after my hard drive fail earlier on this month.. Won't go into too much details but I have lost data from june-dec 2010. I frequently backup data to 4 harddrives, (but must have missed this as I got married etc etc enough said!) The computer shop I took my poor dead harddrive to has TERRIBLE customer service. (Alpha and Omega Computers, Palmerston North) I gave them the harddrive on 5th aug. The lady said she would ring me on wednesday the following week. SHE DIDN'T. I have since rang THEM 3 times only to get the same spiel "we are just going to try another technique and get back to you".. They have never rung to update me on progress despite promising to do so. I have already paid them an initial 89$, and want 60$ per hour there after (if they done it the cheapest way possible) I am worried that while they are saying they are using "other techniques" to try and recover data, that they are actually not - i.e I think they are ripping me off. i.e "we have tried 5 times so that is 5 x 1hour payments please" Does it take 20 days to figure out how to get some photos off a drive? Does anyone have any advice? My faith in their ability to do their job is non existant and I want my engagement photos! Should I go in there to demand it back and take it somewhere else? Or should I admit defeat? Any advice would be great! Please no smart ass "back up your crap" (otherwise you will get a wise crack of 'did you live in a diff city from you fiance and husband, and plan a wedding for 8 months'.. etc etc) |
sempre_vivace (16509) | ||
| 1225536 | 2011-08-24 05:31:00 | If its external, did you try removing the hdd and try putting it inside the case. To see if you could access it? | Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
| 1225537 | 2011-08-24 05:41:00 | hi there - thanks for helping! it is an external one, no I didn't open up the case. I tried it on 4 different laptops and nothing would read it. On windows it kept saying "needs to format" My main question is - do you think the computer shop is messing me around? What is the usual wait time for something like this? :-) |
sempre_vivace (16509) | ||
| 1225538 | 2011-08-24 05:48:00 | I doubt it'd take 20 days lol. If they had the right software, it would probably take less than a day / or a week. Just because windows cant see it, it doesnt mean data recovery software wont | Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
| 1225539 | 2011-08-24 05:49:00 | If the drive cant be read like Speedy mentioned there are other ways to check for data recovery. Depending on what has gone wrong and the skill of the people it shouldn't take more than an hour or two (at the most) too check to see if the drive is readable. (Once they actually got to work on it) Could be something simple like the circuit board on the external case gone bung (common problem), remove the drive like Speedy suggested, and attach to another PC, copy data off, or leave it attached as a slave drive. If the internal HDD has really died, then sending it to a proper data recovery place, one for example is www.datarecovery.co.nz They charge around $90 to inspect the drive to see if they can recover data, they would disassemble the internals (the actual disc's) - of the drive and rebuild it in another case then advise on the final cost to actually recover ( then it gets expensive). If they cant recover it, then theres no hope. |
wainuitech (129) | ||
| 1225540 | 2011-08-24 05:56:00 | If you can, get it back! They seem incompetent! Once you have it back, get a copy of Linux on CD. Reconnect your drive, boot from Linux CD and it possibly will show the Windows files. If it does, copy the files to your external HHD. |
Bryan (147) | ||
| 1225541 | 2011-08-24 05:58:00 | I could try something if you get it back. With teamviewer (http://www.teamviewer.com). This will let me get into your system from here (I'm in Auckland). | Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
| 1225542 | 2011-08-25 00:12:00 | I would try using Spinrite on it. This has fixed a lot of problems I have had with hard drives. You do have to buy it but worth the price I reckon. | Barnabas (4562) | ||
| 1225543 | 2011-08-25 02:03:00 | "we are just going to try another technique and get back to you".. this could be -putting it in the freezer -trying to get a compatable logic board(could take some time) -replacing heads , do-able as a DIY if you are brave I would say they tried the usual recover software, which failed due to hardware faults. Still pretty poor service from them, if they had just bothered to keep you updated.. I doubt the usual recovery software will work, they surely would have tried that 1st. Computor Forensics Ltd can do miracles, but will cost $800+++ How much is the data really worth to you?? |
1101 (13337) | ||
| 1225544 | 2011-08-25 03:26:00 | Sounds like you're being jerked around. Places like Computer Forensics can usually do a recovery turnaround inside a week, and most would say they're the best in NZ at what they do (but are not cheap). 20 days says to me they are googling it and hoping to find a way to justify charging you. | inphinity (7274) | ||
| 1 2 | |||||