Session harddrive crash

[Stoneroses63]

Whats up...Im really desperate right now...My computer just crashed during a protools session and I think I lost everytihng on my sessions drive that I have been recording...And everytime I try to go into my edrive from my computer it says "E:\ is not accessible. The Parameter is incorrect".....

When I first resatrted my computer when it crashed, all that was in my E drive (pro tools session drive) was my program too burn isos (alcohol)....Nothing else was there...Then it said (when i retarded my computer) to use chkdsk.exe...I used that...Tried opening up the E drive and it said not accessible...I restarted my computer again...This time that chkdsk progam went on its own in DOS and I saw it recover my files....But I still cant get into the E drive

Also, things in windows now run really slow like opening up protools or just clicking a tab....

Actually as I just restarted my computer again it did the check in DOS again....C drive and windows and protools itself are running smooth...WHen I go to E:\ now it says "E:\ is not accesible. The wrong diskette is in the drive. (volume serial number into E:\

Someone please help! I dont want to lose all the sessions! thank you

[spkguitar]

You did have that hard drive backed up, didn't you?

[Obsidian Dragon]

As everybody on this forum knows by now, (I've been preaching backup for the past few years), nothing is backed up until it is backed up twice to two different media (another hard drive, DVD+/-R, tape, another computer, etc.) It looks like your E: drive is failing big time. Chkdsk probably scrambled your data while trying to recover it too. Simply replace it and restore your sessions from the backup media. No panic.

...That is unless you don't have a backup...If not,...start panicing.

Seriously though, I know this is pretty stressful so my humor is probably not welcome. Possibly the data is still on the drive and the problem is a physical malfunction to the drive. I've had this happen to a friend of mine (no backup). Since the drive was essentially not working as I could not hear it spinning. I disconnected it and carefully opened up the drive case (voiding any and all warranties for the drive). The problem was the drive platters were stuck and not spinning. I reconnected the open drive and powered on the PC. Being careful not to damage anything inside and not to get any dust if possible, I gave the platters a gentle nudge and it started spinning up. It worked and I immediately backed up everything on his drive. After powering down the drive would not spin up again. At that point I told him to scrap the drive and installed a new one. If this is your scenario, this is an extreme solution but you may not have anything more to lose. Good luck - seriously.

[Stoneroses63]

I just started recording an album of mine a day ago so I lost about a days worth of work...I just formatted it and kept in mind that tonight I have to get an external backup harddrive..which I will be doing later...

I formated the harddrive and am able to open it in 'my computer'...The problem is, it stalls when I try copying over data to the drive from another drive or from a cd....It will just stand at one file of the bunch being transfered and all of windows will start to not move...I will click the startup button where the above stuff pops up and it wont go back down..Everything just stalls...Let me know what I can do to at least get the drive working before I go inside the computer to try to check out the actual drive..thanks

[Shan]

Someone please help! I dont want to lose all the sessions! thank you

You can try PC Inspector. But depending on what happened, It's a fifty, fifty shot. I've used the app a few times and recovered audio but the actual PT sessions usually dont make it.

I back up at the end of the day. 3 copies on 3 different drives is 100% standard policy in my studio. All clients have to purchase 2 drives for their projects. One is for backup. They take the backup home at the end of the day so it is a different location. Most of us have been there.



A hard drive is a mechanical device with moving parts. It 100% absolutely WILL GO at some point in time. It might be in 5 months or it might be in 50 years but it will go. It's only a matter of when.

Shane

[Shan]

I formated the harddrive and am able to open it in 'my computer'...The problem is, it stalls when I try copying over data to the drive from another drive or from a cd....

When a hard drive crashes, it is probably best not to use it again. You're taking another very big gamble doing that. As much as you might not want to, throw it away and get 2 new ones.

Do NOT use that hard drive again. But that's up to you.

Shane

[albee1952]

you MIGHT be able to access it long enough to copy your data to another drive. I recently was able to recover a bunch of stuff by putting the drive in a ziplock back and popping it in the freezer for about 3 hours. If you can get your stuff onto another drive, life will be good. In any case, its time to toss it unless you can afford a drive recovery service. I feel your pain.

[Stoneroses63]

Is this really true? Was it the case of your harddrive overheating? YOu just took it out of the case and put it in a freezer, put it back in your computer, and transfered over the files?

[JMS40]

Yes it can work. It causes the metal to contract and can allow a failing drive to spin. Often only briefly though. And often not at all.
It's a hard lesson I know. You can't get too obsessive about back ups.