jaclaz

Yep, these are what I was looking for: The drive is reported by BIOS as having the geometry: 17475/15/63, which as said equates to: 17475x15x63x512=8,455,104,000 that once you take a whole cylider out for MBR +hidden sectors: 17474x15x63x512=8,454,620,160 8,454,620,160/1,024/1,024= ÷8062 Now the point is how the drive is detected by BIOS. Oldish BIOSes had a number of pre-determined HD sizes, then some had an "auto-detect" choice and some had an option to enter geometry of the drive manually. Check also the actual disk drive, some had a jumper to limit the shown size to 8 Gb. Post EXACT model number and whatever info you find of stickies on it AND the BIOS strings: http://www.wimsbios.com/faq.jsp you never know what can be still found around. And you really should take the (I know it's a PITA, but it's also a MUST) challenge of replacing the CMOS battery. jaclaz

You are being hit by the second "main" HD size barrier (LBA/Int13h): http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/bios/size.htm http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/bios/sizeGB8-c.html The BIOS is showing some "wrong" DATA, how did you chose the drive in it? 17475x15x63x512=8,455,104,000 But from what you wrote it seems more like a partitioning problem, maybe you used a CHS partition type (read as replied "no" to FDISK asking "Enable large disk support" ? ) Boot to plain DOS and post what FDISK says. jaclaz

This is probably what is called "let me have a second opinion" or, more probably "let me continue on the way I chose since it is the right one, no matter what you say". Just for the record and to keep things as together as possible: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=11723 jaclaz

No, that's all.

Just in case: http://www.kixtart.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=82009 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102987/en-us http://support.microsoft.com/kb/152078/en-us http://support.microsoft.com/kb/180546/en-us jaclaz

Read here: jaclaz

Not at all skeptic, rather maybe some info is missing, let's see if this helps : Isn't it peculiar that you post the app with only a reference to "UserPreferencesMask" which is, in your own words "a cryptic registry entry"? VERY nice work! jaclaz

I would have thought that a school project (which school?) would have been something more than putting together available apps (and EXPECIALLY COMMERCIAL ones like Ghost Walker). SID entries in the Registry are documented: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Identifier ...and sure you cannot load it with "GRUB", maybe you can load it with "grub4dos" by mapping a floppy image containing it and DOS. jaclaz

I don't think things will change much, however READ here: http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Damaged_Hard_Disk jaclaz

Word "XP" tags as Microsoft Word 10. Looking at a bunch of word files I can find: Microsoft Word 8.0 Microsoft Word 9.0 Microsoft Word 10.0 and "corresponding": Word.Document.8 Word 2007 is one of the apps I won't touch with the same stick I use to NOT touch Vista : http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=125258&st=12 jaclaz

Not really. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Word (Word 2007 can save as .doc allright) Each .doc file has the Version on which it was created/last saved embedded: http://word.tips.net/Pages/T000601_Determining_Word_Versions_of_Documents.html jaclaz

We are not one single inch nearer to have that stoopid CF card booting. BTW BOTH the bootsectors you posted are DOS bootsectors (invoking IO.SYS). WHAT OS are you trying to boot? However I am now back home, so: Please do the following (and EXACTLY the following): 1) Use RMPREPUSB (and NOTHING else), choose the right target 2) Leave #1 and #2 to MAX and RMPARTUSB 3) in 3 BOOT OPTIONS choose the OS you wish to boot 4) in 4 choose to partition FAT 16 AND "Boot as HD (C: 2 PTNs) 5) DO NOT tick 6) Prepare Drive 7) Install grub4dos Try booting from the thingie. If you have still a flashing cursor use HDhacker: http://dimio.altervista.org/eng/ to get a copy of BOTH the MBR and bootsector of first partition (respectively first sector of \\.\PhysicalDrive and first sector of \\.\LogicalDrive) zip them together and post them, I'll try and see if I can understand what the problem is. jaclaz

Look, GNU ddrescue AND dd_rescue are typical LINUX apps. I already pointed you to a good, known to be working GUI windows tool, TWICE: http://www.msfn.org/board/recovery-wanted-sector-t143141.html A win32 version of ddrescue is available here: http://gd.tuwien.ac.at/gnu/gnu-win32/release/ddrescue/ Use 7-zip to open the bz compressed tar archive. READ about CygWin: http://www.cygwin.com/ Take your time on it. jaclaz

No you did not (or you completely failed to grasp the message). I will try to write it slowly, y.o.u.r . d.r.i.v.e . i.s: THERE IS NO WAY you will have it fully operational again, your only hope is to try and recover whatever data you can in the short lap of time it remains connected, than try again with another bit. The amount of data you can recover can range from 0% (zero percent) to 100% (one hundred percent), depending on an incredible number of different factors that may affect the drive, or the recovery procedure. Never assume you will be getting 100%. Data recovery is a win/lose game, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, you should get used to it. Hard disk repair (for anything EXCEPT TEMPORARY REPAIR in order to attempt recovery of data) is a no-win game, no matter how well you play (and right now you don't appear like a good player ) you will lose . jaclaz

Sure, the ones that look almost, but not quite, completely unlike the soldering gun you showed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldering_gun which can easily have a current/voltage leak through the transformer, besides being usually in the 80/100W range, which means that it will likely melt the whole stoopid little thingie! More something like : http://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_dash.html Ever guessed why something like these: http://www.kimcodistributing.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=462&ITEM_ID=417 http://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fg101.html exist? jaclaz

jaclaz

Yep, it's nothing like a crack or a password finding. The "assumptions", just like in the nice procedure by joakim is that the "encrypted something" is ALREADY mounted or however accessible (possibly on the "native" hosting machine). The known "firewire backport" is used to try and get a physical dump of memory, which is then searched for the encryption key. Another more theoretical that practical (though interesting) exploit. jaclaz

Maybe it was "Anybody?" or "Nobody?" and the answer seems like evident: NO. To clear hopefully the plot: you ask a question someone replies to you, trying to help you you don't reply or reply to say that you are gonna try to do another (technically absurd) thing, (examples): you ask another question (possibly very similar or exactly the same as one already posted and replied to you, probably also showing that you completely fail to listen to the previously given advice)- (example): Please do read ATTENTIVELY this: page__view__findpost__p__926790?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent> page__view__findpost__p__926794?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent> and please re-read ATTENTIVELY this: Currently this thread is your flat tire and these are your CNC routers: Is it so surprising that members of the board won't continue help you in running your repair business after the few first items? Now, what is the difficult part in : http://www.softcom.com.my/wd2500ks.htm Your DCM: DCM: HSCHCTJAAN Those DCM's: DCM: HBBHNTZAAN DCM: DSBHNTJCHN Is the DCM the same? jaclaz

Before anything else, try changing the partition type from 06 (CHS)to 0E (LBA). If you are lucky it will work: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21049 http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21049&st=18 I have no way right now to check the files you posted. jaclaz

Have you tried the "alternate" "NT-like" command processor? http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?&showtopic=2392 jaclaz

Kids today. When I have to remove a CPU I just shout at it really hard and hop it jumps out of the socket and into my hand.... (I usually have a large sledgehammer in my other hand to give more weight to my words ) jaclaz

In your hands or in that of a mechanic that uses them everyday? In my experience among the German tools manufacturer HAZET is also a very good brand. I would say "better" than Gedore, but "high" level tools are all at "high level", I will cite Beta and Pastorino among the Italian ones. jaclaz

Most probably slip of the finger for "Compatibility Mode". jaclaz

http://www.solidblogger.com/install-windows-7-vista-server-2008-bypass-low-ram-limit/ jaclaz

SMOOTH is a brand, the chip does quite a bit of things: http://www.dataclinic.co.uk/hard-disk-smooth-l7250.htm AFAIK those are "CALYPSO" boards and do have some data stored on them, the good news are that they should be "size independent": http://forum.hddguru.com/howto-how-replace-maxtor-calypso-iii-board-t5977.html 6Y080L0422051 if you have any functional Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 with the same RED numbers it should be a suitable replacement. As a general rule being in a hurry and performing data recovery never went well together, though. A more general rule is to READ when someone is so kind as to try and help you, this thread: http://forum.hddguru.com/what-the-necessary-critieria-for-maxtor-pcb-replacement-t7695.html already given to you: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=142756 contains ALL the info you needed, including a possible source for only the SMOOTH chip replacement and/or for a (cheaper than the one you found ) replacement PCB. jaclaz