Bad luck.

If you can boot the recovery CD and from there see files on the suspect disk, then it's still spinning and working to a large extent as a drive, at least for the moment. Assuming that the drive partitions are OS and data, and that you need to back up the data partition on another drive, then I would connect this disk as a secondary drive in your other PC and hope that it holds up long enough to copy off what you need from the data partition. Then buy TWO new drives for your mastering PC: OS and data.

If you can get hold of new drives quickly, you could wait and set up the new OS drive and the new data drive, and then plug in the suspect drive and do the data partition transfer directly on to the new data drive. I would try to minimize the power-on time of the suspect drive.

What was the squealing noise? Did the mouse become disconnected?

That Sucks, Chris.

We are talking about a "standard" HD here? The drive that failed isn't an SS drive, right? Just asking because based on what I've learned from my computer geeky friends, once those SS drives go, they're gone.

If you do try to do this yourself, I agree with Bos that you'll want to limit the time you use the bad drive... the more you use it - even looking for files - the more your chances of total failure increase. If you can get a new drive, plug the old one in as a secondary and then do the transfer once, this would likely be your best scenario.

Or, you might want to get a cloud account of some kind, and try to back it up to that... Bos or the other smart computer guys here may or may not agree with that.

Might I suggest that instead of trying to do this yourself, it may be best for you to look at a professional data recovery service?

d/

putting in a new drive, installing an os onto it, then slaving the old drive to the new one isnt too difficult. time consuming though.
pay attention to the jumpers on the back, each maker has their own way to establish master/slave it seems, if there isnt a sticker on the back showing the different configs, look it up on the mfg page.

good luck man.
fingers crossed that thing boots back up once you shut it off.

Josh is right on !
I might add that, if the drive(s) is an SATA, you don't have to bother with Master/slave

pcrecord, post: 419516, member: 46460 wrote:
I might add that, if the drive(s) is an SATA, you don't have to bother with Master/slave

My unposted point exactly. I haven't had issues with slave and master drive configuration since I stopped buying cheap IDE drives.
And that was six years ago or better.

Thanks everyone!
I have few (almost new) backups that I pulled out of another computer now sitting on my shelf. My Mastering computer is an AMD. The backup drives on my shelf came out of a Intel , I hope they fit.
The Mastering computer was barely used. Goes to show, use two drives at least. This computer came with one drive partitioned, which I planned on adding a second drive. Live and learn.

To all,
Ya, it is a SATA, HD.

To Bos, the squealing was the drive, not the mouse.

Hard drives will work on both AMD and Intel based computers. But it is possible that the OS installed on AMD won't boot on Intel because of chipset drivers so the OS may need to be reinstalled. With motivation, you could boot in safe mode and remove all MB related drivers. That way when you boot on the intel it will detect everything from scratch. But a clean install is recommanded.

Chris, I always have a cloned drive of my OS which I put nothing else on and project files are on other drives. So if my OS crashes in a session. It takes less than 5 minutes to swap the drive and continu to work. Also since it only for the os, a 160gig is enough. Oh yeah, my vsti files are on a third drive.

You could say I'm a drive nut !! ;)

I'm planning is to use those 2 backup drives now. I will do a clean install on one and use the second for the audio (as I should have long ago).
My tracking and mixing DAW has 3 drives (OS, Audio, VSTi) but I never thought the Mastering CP would die on one so fast. No warning either.
Going to fix it this weekend, thanks guys.

Unless data exists in 3 different physical locations... It doesn't exist.

There are two types of computer users... Those who haven't had a catastrophic failure, and those who don't want to experience one again.

MadMax, post: 419548, member: 1402 wrote: Unless data exists in 3 different physical locations... It doesn't exist.

There are two types of computer users... Those who haven't had a catastrophic failure, and those who don't want to experience one again.

Thanks a good quote Max!

This Mastering DAW has a few drives, all the important files are safe!
I'm recovering my data now, I followed Bos's recommendation which was the only way to grab it all. (y) I simply installed the Mastering drive in my tracking DAW, copied that data over to my backup and its now double backed up! I'm going to see if I can use that drive now as the new OS for the mastering DAW.

But the Mastering CP wont reboot from the recovery or a clean install. I've tried 4 drives and none of them will accept the CD. I've been on this for hours. I wonder if the CP is bad now. What a drag, hopfully I don't need a new Mastering CP now.

Damn, I can't get it to install a new OS onto any drive. I think something effected the BIOS

Ah, I might have the problem sorted. I have a D Link wireless USB connected. When I disconnected it from the USB hub, it took the DVD and is now appearing to prepare windows. ya!

Now for the long process to reload and update.

This is after a complete long installation that I found the motivation to clone my OS drive (once ready). I use Acronis True image, it can create a image file or a clone drive. Many other software do the same. It saved me a few times when I tested a software that made my OS crash. ;)

I've always used custom built PC's "built" for me. The failure on this is leaving me a bit green on reinstalling so more help is needed.

I'm using 500Gig drives. For the C drive, do I need to create a special partition first?

You only need one partition but it has to be an active partition as I recall

I would look at how many GB your OS and DAW stuff takes up in total. Then make a partition about 50 gig bigger for breathing room.

This does not include your data from the DAW, you know, tracks and stuff.

Boot able. This is what it would be.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-boot-partition#1TC=windows-vista

You may have done this...just trying to help.

Thanks Brien, that was the answer I needed. :)

Thanks John, doing that now!

audiokid, post: 419594, member: 1 wrote: Thanks John, doing that now!

Cool.

Also, if you end up with a "little sliver" of space left over on that drive, I mean one too big to add to the C: drive, but too small to be a "big drive" of it's own, then here's what I do:

I had 20 gig left over, so I created a partition there ('cause I paid for that space, dangit!), and made it my "tools" drive. On this drive are small applications, most of which don't require installation, like VirtualDub and Large Address Aware, etc. They don't muck up the registry since they don't install, rather they just run on their own. I have this tools collection for the odd jobs that come every now and then.

THings like:

1. Somebody wanted a live recording mastered, and they knew it needed heavy work (EQ, noise, etc.) But they recorded it with a camcorder, so I need VirtualDub to split it out to audio only. They were very happy with the end product when I was done.

2. Converting from some weird codec or format.

3. Small utilities that repair damaged files that can't be otherwise loaded at all.

4. Converting documents from .mobi to .pdf, etc.

5. Joining into one file a bunch of smaller files. (Happened to me twice!)

Lots of small tools for small jobs that makes my life easier. YMMV.

John, I'm thinking about that space now. But how do you know what doesn't need the registry?

PS

The C drive (well C and D now) is 500gig.

I have 190 gig left. The OS doesn't seem to allow a partition larger than 200gigo_O

The registry has a record of everthing...it's similar to the FAT (file allocation table). You can adjust e.g. make bigger or smaller, the partitions after the fact if need be.

A sliver as John mentioned, can be removed using this procedure.

If it needs more explanation I will do that but for now, know that what you set up does not mean you are stuck with it.

Partition sizes can be adjusted directly in the OS via administration plugins, no special software is required.

How to adjust partition size;

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/resize-a-partition-for-free-in-windows-vista/

Ps...There should not be a limit on partition size. That might apply to terabyte but not to gigabyte size hard drives.

I've been trying that but must be doing something goofy.

audiokid, post: 419597, member: 1 wrote: John, I'm thinking about that space now. But how do you know what doesn't need the registry?

Anything that doesn't need to install. These are programs that are .exe's by themselves with maybe a .dll or something that all has to be in one folder.

They are usually very small because off this.

So would firefox be something I could install on that other C drive? Or, my Prism interface control panel? Or my D-Link wireless. These are .exe?

No. Even if you specify a different location for Firefox, it will still be an "installed" program, thereby putting itself in the registry.

I've just accumulated these tools as needed. I never set out to collect them, it just happened over time.

And another thing...I install some things for one job, then uninstall them to clear things up. But let me recommend:

http://www.revouninstaller.com/

Revo will do the uninstalls for things you had to install. Revo takes out registry entries, and finds files that were not uninstalled. Next best thing to never having had something installed. Keeps my system clean.

Prolly too late... but as cheap as drives are now, I even more emphatically recommend using one drive and just take the whole thing for the C: drive, and don't bother partitioning.. otherwise your drive data bus will still get choked shuttling data on/off the partition.

MadMax, post: 419608, member: 1402 wrote: Prolly too late... but as cheap as drives are now, I even more emphatically recommend using one drive and just take the whole thing for the C: drive, and don't bother partitioning.. otherwise your drive data bus will still get choked shuttling data on/off the partition.

Thanks , I'm thinking that too, Max. So, I've not put anything in this until I confirm its a superior way to allocate systems data.
My Mastering DAW is smoking fast! As inconvenient as this has been, I'm liking the learning process and seeing results.

I should be back to mixing by tomorrow. :D