Desktop Issue, Windows XP

[KandKsMama]

Sorry if this is in the wrong spot.
Several weeks ago I went to log on to my desktop and when I went to open a program it just kept showing the hour glass like it was loading. When trying to click on anything else it began to freeze up and would not do anything else. Someone mentioned running a SMART test to which I did and got an error hd251. Everyone has told me my hard drive is gone and because my husband tried to run a Windows recovery that failed and froze (it stayed up in the same spot for over 4 days) that I can basically consider everything gone on my hard drive. Normally I am very tedious and upload and backup just about everything but after the birth of my second child only 13 months after the first I have been slacking and had not uploaded much of anything since my oldest was born almost 2 years ago. Should I just assume everything is gone and to move on? I would be heart broken if that were true and have been holding out hope that there might be a slight chance. All my children's and wedding photos are on there, as well as every design, graphic and website I have ever created. What are my options? Am I looking at a lot of money if anything is savable on the computer?

 

[nobardin]

You may be able to retrieve all the data you want to save from your hard drive 1 of 2 ways

1) Take the hard drive out of your computer and set the jumper on the back to cable select (see your hard drives documentation or the manufacturers website fo that information if you don't know it) Then put the hard drive into another computer (not as the master or only hard drive in it) Boot the computer up and copy any files you want to save to a cd, a usb stick or the other computers hard drive (if it will)

2) Call "Geek Squad" at best buy and explain your problem, and they may be able to repair and/or retrieve any important data/pictures/movies etc.. that you don't want to lose (I have a friend that had their hard drive completly fail and "geek squad" was able to retrieve their data for them) Then you would need to purchase another hard drive and install your operating system on it.

Please post back and let us know the results. If you were able to save the data and files you were wanting to save.

 

[CCT]

You may find this a useful guide for 'slaving' your old HD;

http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2007/04/23/how-to-slave-hard-drive/

 

[KandKsMama]

Thank you I am going to try the first one but also call Geek Squad and see what they say. I will let you know what happens.