Backup Your Data

[blacklabel]

The hard drive in my laptop died without warning a couple of days ago. It's warrantied through Best Buy but they're wanting up to $1,600 to pull the data off the drive. Yeah, that's not going to happen. Looks like I'm going to need to brush up on how to recover data off of a dead drive.

I've got a server built specifically to back my stuff up to but got lazy and hadn't done it in a year. Lesson learned, don't risk losing thousands of family pictures, movies and music.

Anyone know of a decent service to help me out with pulling my stuff off of this drive?

[wARmachine15]

I has several laptops stolen from my house before. Had all my data double backed up on several external drives which were hidden in the house. Those were found by the thief and stolen too. I lost everything from tax records to over ten years of digital pics.

Lesson learned the hard way. Back up to an online service.

[bigshane]

The 10,000' overview of how I usually approach it.

If the laptop is my only computer, Buy a replacement HD and install it, reinstall windows and get a running system.
Buy external enclosure (USB) for the failed drive and install it in the enclosure.
See if it can be mounted. 9 out of 10 times it can, and I pull the data off.

If it is clicking or grinding and doesn't want to mount. I put it in the freezer overnight (in a ziploc bag with a packet of silica gel, so it doesn't frost and condensate when it thaws later).

Take the iceberg drive out, plug it in and try again.

If these are a no go, and the data is that important, then $1600 is not that unreasonable for true physical data recovery. To be done properly it often involves a clean-room environment, identical hardware (large inventory of drives/parts/controllers/firmwares for all the variations), and pulling the platters out surgery style.

ETA: Don't pay too much for the enclosure (sub $20 if you shop around). Here's (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=103&cp_id=10305&cs_id=1030504&p_id=8086&seq=1&format=2) one from Monoprice for about $10

[blacklabel]

I said fuck it and told them to ship it off. Clean data start. Yay.

[HoneyBadger]

The 10,000' overview of how I usually approach it.

If the laptop is my only computer, Buy a replacement HD and install it, reinstall windows and get a running system.
Buy external enclosure (USB) for the failed drive and install it in the enclosure.
See if it can be mounted. 9 out of 10 times it can, and I pull the data off.

If it is clicking or grinding and doesn't want to mount. I put it in the freezer overnight (in a ziploc bag with a packet of silica gel, so it doesn't frost and condensate when it thaws later).

Take the iceberg drive out, plug it in and try again.

If these are a no go, and the data is that important, then $1600 is not that unreasonable for true physical data recovery. To be done properly it often involves a clean-room environment, identical hardware (large inventory of drives/parts/controllers/firmwares for all the variations), and pulling the platters out surgery style.

ETA: Don't pay too much for the enclosure (sub $20 if you shop around). Here's (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=103&cp_id=10305&cs_id=1030504&p_id=8086&seq=1&format=2) one from Monoprice for about $10

+1 for monoprice for cables, connectors, chargers, and just about everything else!

[cstone]

If you don't want to run a network storage device, the next best thing is to set up a back up schedule for all of your data onto an external drive. Additionally, you could keep a working copy of your data on a USB thumb drive (16GB devices are pretty cheap at MicroCenter).

Here is a simple command line script you can cut and paste to do regular backup: xcopy "c:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\*.*" "e:\Work Backup\My Documents" /d /y /s
This is from a WinXP box and can easily be modified for a Win7 or Win8 box.

IMO, the best, free backup solutions are run from a live Linux CD. "DD" is a great tool for creating disk images. I keep disk images for every machine I have in the house. After the machine is set up and optimized to my liking, I take an image. If I make any major changes to the machine I will replace the image.

Find a back up scheme that works for you and be diligent in your chores. There are those who backup and those who haven't suffered a data loss yet. Learn from the pain of others.

Be safe.

[Firehaus]

I just had a drive recovered. $850, my guess is best buy uses a similar place and marks it up.

http://www.sectorlogics.com/

[Rooskibar03]

$60 bucks a year, Carbonite.

http://www.carbonite.com/en/v2/index

[KestrelBike]

The 10,000' overview of how I usually approach it.

If the laptop is my only computer, Buy a replacement HD and install it, reinstall windows and get a running system.
Buy external enclosure (USB) for the failed drive and install it in the enclosure.
See if it can be mounted. 9 out of 10 times it can, and I pull the data off.

If it is clicking or grinding and doesn't want to mount. I put it in the freezer overnight (in a ziploc bag with a packet of silica gel, so it doesn't frost and condensate when it thaws later).

Take the iceberg drive out, plug it in and try again.

If these are a no go, and the data is that important, then $1600 is not that unreasonable for true physical data recovery. To be done properly it often involves a clean-room environment, identical hardware (large inventory of drives/parts/controllers/firmwares for all the variations), and pulling the platters out surgery style.

ETA: Don't pay too much for the enclosure (sub $20 if you shop around). Here's (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=103&cp_id=10305&cs_id=1030504&p_id=8086&seq=1&format=2) one from Monoprice for about $10

the freezer trick has saved my butt plenty of times.

[hatidua]

http://www.g-technology.com/

[asmo]

I used to do forensics in a previous life.. The freezer trick is a lifesaver.

If the drive clicks or chatters (loudly) TURN IT OFF IMMEDIATELY. All you are doing is damaging the platters and making it harder to recover the data.

If the drive doesn't click or chatter and it can't be mounted via USB let me know. I have some tools that may help.

[asmo]

Oh.. and store all your data on a RAID-6 (or better) NAS.

[TheGrey]

I had Laptop of Denver successfully recover my data last year for about $100.00.

I don't trust or recommend Best Buy to anyone.

[blacklabel]

Going forward, I'll have weekly full image backups to my server, all documents pictures etc will hit another backup on a separate physical drive on the server and finally must have documents will be in Dropbox as well.

It's all prepped and now I just need to remember to do it nightly/weekly.

[TheGrey]

Going forward, I'll have weekly full image backups to my server, all documents pictures etc will hit another backup on a separate physical drive on the server and finally must have documents will be in Dropbox as well.

It's all prepped and now I just need to remember to do it nightly/weekly.

That sounds like a good plan. Do you have a program that will automatically back up your information where you want? That way you won't need to worry about remembering.

[J]

How does one back up their data? I wonder if I should back up the files and DB from COAR.

[cstone]

How does one back up their data? I wonder if I should back up the files and DB from COAR.

No need. Those massive server crashes give us all plenty to talk about when the system comes back up [LOL]

[blacklabel]

That sounds like a good plan. Do you have a program that will automatically back up your information where you want? That way you won't need to worry about remembering.

I'll have it scheduled with the cloning software to complete it's image on a specific night and time then shutdown the laptop once it's completed.

[clublights]

One thing I love about the newer versions of Mac OS X ( the last 3 or 4 ) is built in back up. Mines does it over the wireless network hourly.

[GilpinGuy]

I've been backing up my data on an external hard drive because the HD in my laptop seems to be doing werid things. I can save my files, photos, etc. fine, but I can't seem to get Windows 7 to make a disk image. It fails every time. I've been troubleshooting this for a few days now. [Bang]

[Byte Stryke]

One thing I love about the newer versions of Mac OS X ( the last 3 or 4 ) is built in back up. Mines does it over the wireless network hourly.


and still i get calls "BUT DEY SAY IT SUPPOZETA BACKUP AUTOMAGICLY!"

yeah... you have to configure it and it will

"Whazzat mean? I donnow how ta configers nuffin."


[Bang]

[cstone]

and still i get calls "BUT DEY SAY IT SUPPOZETA BACKUP AUTOMAGICLY!"

yeah... you have to configure it and it will

"Whazzat mean? I donnow how ta configers nuffin."


[Bang]


Are you answering the phone with your best imitation of someone from Bangalore?

[cjmore]

How does one back up their data? I wonder if I should back up the files and DB from COAR.

No it gives all of us plausible deniability

[bigshane]

with all this discussion about diligent backups, remember two more things.
1. A backup doesn't exist unless it's been restored. Make sure you test your restore operation occasionally, Otherwise you'll be even more pissed the next time.
2. Data is volatile and does not exist unless it's been backed up twice in two different physical sites. (cloud, safe deposit box, relative's house, etc...)

[mitch]

I have about 1TB of space available for remove backups if anyone with a higher post count than me would like to use the "Friend" backup with Crash Plan (crashplan.com). This space is backed up as part of my unlimited (448bit + passphrase secured) plan with them. Download their client and read up a bit; PM if you'd like to use some of that space.

[funkfool]

with all this discussion about diligent backups, remember two more things.
1. A backup doesn't exist unless it's been restored. Make sure you test your restore operation occasionally, Otherwise you'll be even more pissed the next time.
2. Data is volatile and does not exist unless it's been backed up twice in two different physical sites. (cloud, safe deposit box, relative's house, etc...)

Amen... one is none, two is one and neither can be counted on unless you have done a recover to prove the verity of the method.

[clublights]

and still i get calls "BUT DEY SAY IT SUPPOZETA BACKUP AUTOMAGICLY!"

yeah... you have to configure it and it will

"Whazzat mean? I donnow how ta configers nuffin."


[Bang]

Well stupid is still stupid ....