My two and a half year old Compaq laptop will not start windows. The self diagnostic test says the HD has "servo failure". Is that as terminal as it sounds?

I have a 3 year warranty so Compaq will have to fix - my problem is that I have a lot of data and programmes and settings I want to recover (I knew I should have backed up again ....... bugger bugger bugger). Obviously data is most important but putting all my programmes and settings back will also be a right pain.

Has anybody any tips or advice please as to how I can get this recovered. I am willing to pay for this service but need it done super quick - I work for myself and time is money and all the time I don't have the computer I can't do much.

Any help pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?

The servo is what moves the heads to the right part of the disk to read / write your data.

Unless they can be gently freed (gently tap? different temperature?) and then the data copied off PRONTO then yes, it's terminal.

I've used http://www.ontrack.com/ in the past. Very good and very quick, but they're not cheap The person in question set up a very good backup process after thatg experience. If you're going to use a professional data recovery service, then don't do anything before you've called them.

Edit: 00 800 10 12 13 14 (it's a free call)

http://www.retrodata.co.uk/ have an excellent reputation and compared to most of these companiees they are pretty affordable

The servo is what moves the heads to the right part of the disk to read / write your data.

Unless they can be gently freed (gently tap? different temperature?) and then the data copied off PRONTO then yes' date=' it's terminal.

I've used [url']http://www.ontrack.com/[/url] in the past. Very good and very quick, but they're not cheap The person in question set up a very good backup process after thatg experience. If you're going to use a professional data recovery service, then don't do anything before you've called them.

Edit: 00 800 10 12 13 14 (it's a free call)

Thanks for quick reply.

I have tried the "gentle tap" route without success already - I am a civil engineer after all and my motto is if it don't work hit it until it does. Could try differential temperature - are you thinking colder (fridge or freezer?) or warmer (next to radiator?).

I have looked at the website you suggest - they appear to have somebody in Epsom - not too far from me. However have you tried their remote recovery? Or would I need to get the hard disc servo working again before I could use that? By the sound of it it is more suited for accidental deletes rather than disc failure??

http://www.retrodata.co.uk/[/url'] have an excellent reputation and compared to most of these companiees they are pretty affordable

Thanks for quick reply.

They are in Dorset, which is a bit of a drive for me (want to take it personally if possible - post and couriers fill me with dread). However will give them a ring tomorrow and see what they say.

Thanks for quick reply.

I have tried the "gentle tap" route without success already - I am a civil engineer after all and my motto is if it don't work hit it until it does. Could try differential temperature - are you thinking colder (fridge or freezer?) or warmer (next to radiator?).

I have looked at the website you suggest - they appear to have somebody in Epsom - not too far from me. However have you tried their remote recovery? Or would I need to get the hard disc servo working again before I could use that? By the sound of it it is more suited for accidental deletes rather than disc failure??

The remote recovery isn't suitable in your case, and if the data's important to you, don't monkey around with temperatures, just get it to a professional outfit with a clean room and a spare HDD of your model.

And having had a look at Dr Z's link, yes they are quite a bit less expensive (especially for their slower service).

One further thing though , any data recover place will need to open up the hard drive to fix it. Once this has been done , compaq won't be happy about replacing it under warranty so you may just have to pay out yourself for a new Hard Drive unless you can persuade them to fit the new one and let you keep the faulty unit so you can send it off for recovery

One further thing though , any data recover place will need to open up the hard drive to fix it. Once this has been done , compaq won't be happy about replacing it under warranty so you may just have to pay out yourself for a new Hard Drive unless you can persuade them to fit the new one and let you keep the faulty unit so you can send it off for recovery

I think I will try to do the latter - don't see why they shouldn't let me keep the HD - no good to them is it. I think my warranty is for them to come to me (rather than RTB) so no reason why not. HP work office hours so will have to wait until tomorrow to call them. After that and before I agree to anything I will have chat to recovery people you have given me.

At the moment I am trying to find out what options are from all you brains on this website so that I won't be fooled into doing something that is not right for me. You have not let me down! If anybody else has got any other thoughts or names of data recovery people they have used in Kent (Tunbridge Wells area) I would be really grateful for further feedback

Again many many thanks. This caused me a sleepless night (it happened yesterday) but you have offered me some possible salvation.

Just a quick update and thanks to all who replied. I used Retrodata and they managed to get the lot back for me. Highly recomended and very helpful - took it myself to his house/office and he had it all on the new disk by later that day.

guess who has just bought a new external HD for back up??

Again many thanks

Could try differential temperature - are you thinking colder (fridge or freezer?) or warmer (next to radiator?).

One trick which I've used with admittedly varying success (SO AT YOUR OWN RISK, etc. etc. ) is to wrap the hard disk in a flannel, and then pop it in an air tight container (tupperware, food bag, that sort of thing), and then place it in the freezer overnight.

Next morning, sometimes the disk has contracted enough to free the heads if they are in contact with the platters, and it can run long enough to get stuff off the disk.

However, probably easier to just get Compaq to replace the disk and then use your backups...you do have backups, right?

Rob.

Just a quick update and thanks to all who replied. I used Retrodata and they managed to get the lot back for me. Highly recomended and very helpful - took it myself to his house/office and he had it all on the new disk by later that day.

Excellent news. I've never met him in person but have spoken to him online quite a bit and he is very knowlegeable about these things.

I'll have to email him and ask for my commission

retrodata, duncan there is *the man* for recovery. if it's business critical and you don't mind remortgaging your house, by all means use ontrack. otherwise, use duncan. if in doubt, give him a ring. when i had a dodgy raid array that went pop, he talked me through fixing it on the phone.

if you have zero cash though, and have nothing to lose, you could try the freezer trick. drive out, in a bag, in the freezer for an hour. stick in pc, stick in another drive and ghost it across to the new drive before it dies. works like a charm on mechanically stuck drives.

ric