Question One of my drives crashed. Can I recover any data? How to go about it?

[SkyNetRising]

1) There should only be one Paging File, on drive C:, and all configured to allow Windows to manage paging.

With small size C: partition it's actually smart to move pagefile to a different drive.
OP has 120GB OS drive with only 4.7GB free space on it.
Having pagefile there is not an option (unless you upgrade OS drive to a larger capacity).

 

[Beachhead1985]

Did you run Minitool Parition Wizard free?
Did you try Partition Recovery wizard it?
Did you manage to recover lost partition?

Not sure about latest version. But version 9.0 allows to recover partitions without paying anything.

All Versions of MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition - Filepuma.com

MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition All-in-One Free Disk Partition Manager Tool for Windows PC

www.filepuma.com

Partition Wizard is running now, been about 10-11 hours. At about 6 million of about 7 billion sectors checked.

So, have not tried partition recovery wizard yet, but when I started, it gave me a warning that I couldn't "Save" any data with the free version and needed to upgrade to pro. The website is pretty clear in the provision supports data and partition recovery. I'm fine with paying, presuming it works.

 

[Beachhead1985]

1) There should only be one Paging File, on drive C:, and all configured to allow Windows to manage paging.

2) For now, turn off and otherwise disable all other energy and power saving functions/apps, etc.. Especially custom settings, etc. that Windows is complaining about.

3) Focus on recovering disks and partitions.

= = = =

What/how are you configuring "custom" power settings?

Once the drive issues are all resolved, the system running without errors and problems, and all data is fully and properly backed up then you can revisit power related concerns and requirements.

Okay, I'll move the paging file when I clone the drive, but that will be after I get this done.

Power plan is changed to the stock high performance, because it's doing the partition thing and I don't want it going to sleep on that.

 

[SkyNetRising]

So, have not tried partition recovery wizard yet, but when I started, it gave me a warning that I couldn't "Save" any data with the free version and needed to upgrade to pro.

Then get Partition Wizard free - version 9.0.

 

[Ralston18]

Power plans are intended to save energy when the host system is idle. I.e., the system is doing nothing.

I would not consider or expect a system to view partitioning or re-partitioning as being idle.

If something like that should happen then that is why backups are mandatory at all times......

 

[Beachhead1985]

Then get Partition Wizard free - version 9.0.

I'll try and track it down. Thank you! is it faster?

 

[Beachhead1985]

Power plans are intended to save energy when the host system is idle. I.e., the system is doing nothing.

I would not consider or expect a system to view partitioning or re-partitioning as being idle.

If something like that should happen then that is why backups are mandatory at all times......

So, right now, especially; it doesn't matter so much which one I pick, so long as it's not my custom plan?

...which mainly draws errors because it's not a standard power plan.

 

[Ralston18]

Stop/disable all power plans: custom or otherwise.

Objective being to fully exclude any given power plan as a possible culprit.

Explain more about that custom power plan: what is it and how is the plan implemented?

 

[Beachhead1985]

Stop/disable all power plans: custom or otherwise.

Objective being to fully exclude any given power plan as a possible culprit.

Explain more about that custom power plan: what is it and how is the plan implemented?

Well, it has to have some kind of a power plan to run; it's a "pick one" arrangement so far as I can see.

I can dig up the specifics later, but it's not relevant ATM because I set to the standard "High-performance" plan. But basically; don't shut the screen off unless I'm away for a while and don't go to sleep unless it's been several hours. Something like that.

 

[Ralston18]

The system needs power to run - that is correct.

However, a power plan is something different in that power is reduced in some manner when a component is not in use.

= = = =

Open the Command prompt with admin rights.

Run "powercfg /list" (without quotes) and post (you can use Copy and Paste) the full results.

Here is what the results look like on my computer:

C:\Windows\System32>powercfg /list

Existing Power Schemes (* Active)
-----------------------------------
Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e (Balanced)
Power Scheme GUID: 49ef8fc0-bb7f-488e-b6a0-f1fc77ec649b (Dell)
Power Scheme GUID: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c (High performance) *
Power Scheme GUID: a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a (Power saver)

C:\Windows\System32>


References:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/w...ice-experiences/powercfg-command-line-options

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/43698-delete-power-plan-windows-10-a.html

Not sure about what your custom power plan may entail. Just disable that plan and fall back on one of the default plans.

No customizations of any sort.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I'll try and track it down. Thank you! is it faster?

No it's not faster.
They seem to have removed some features in later versions.

 

[Beachhead1985]

The system needs power to run - that is correct.

However, a power plan is something different in that power is reduced in some manner when a component is not in use.

= = = =

Open the Command prompt with admin rights.

Run "powercfg /list" (without quotes) and post (you can use Copy and Paste) the full results.

Here is what the results look like on my computer:

C:\Windows\System32>powercfg /list

Existing Power Schemes (* Active)
-----------------------------------
Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e (Balanced)
Power Scheme GUID: 49ef8fc0-bb7f-488e-b6a0-f1fc77ec649b (Dell)
Power Scheme GUID: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c (High performance) *
Power Scheme GUID: a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a (Power saver)

C:\Windows\System32>


References:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/w...ice-experiences/powercfg-command-line-options

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/43698-delete-power-plan-windows-10-a.html

Not sure about what your custom power plan may entail. Just disable that plan and fall back on one of the default plans.

No customizations of any sort.

Here is what I have now.

Existing Power Schemes (* Active)
-----------------------------------
Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e (Balanced)
Power Scheme GUID: 39f55f41-bdb0-4e4f-b7c1-56efb49c41f4 (Normal Plan) *
Power Scheme GUID: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c (High performance)
Power Scheme GUID: a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a (Power saver)

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

 

[Beachhead1985]

No it's not faster.
They seem to have removed some features in later versions.

Is there a way to make it run faster? It's only at around 9.5mil of 7.8 billion sectors, not even 1%

 

[Beachhead1985]

Additionally; in terms of hardware replacement; I am looking at replacing the problem HDD and my stressed F-Drive (Audio-Visual) with a pair of these:

N300 Pro 3.5in NAS HDD, SATA III, 10TB.

I'm new to "NAS" drives, but poking around, they seem to be nearly the standard; it's this or "gamer" drives, mainly. However, the specs for my Motherboard say it does JBOD and various forms of RAID 0, 1 and 10. So will that even work?

On track for SATA III though.

Are these okay drives? My research indicates that they are a pretty good buy, especially right now.

I'll put off a new external drive until boxing day, I think, just for financial reasons.

 

[Ralston18]

With a normal power plan then Windows should be not be putting anything into sleep or hibernation while you are working to recover data.

As a follow-up check look in Reliability History/Monitor and Event Viewer.

Any sort of error codes etc. should be investigated further.

= = = =

Forego RAID of any version.

Plenty of links in the Storage forum that address RAID and RAID issues.

 

[Beachhead1985]

With a normal power plan then Windows should be not be putting anything into sleep or hibernation while you are working to recover data.

As a follow-up check look in Reliability History/Monitor and Event Viewer.

Any sort of error codes etc. should be investigated further.

= = = =

Forego RAID of any version.

Plenty of links in the Storage forum that address RAID and RAID issues.

So NAS is good then? But will my Motherboard support it? It supports SATA III