Laptop crashed!

[GTRS Fiero]

Yesterday afternoon, the laptop I use for the newsletters started behaving oddly.  I got to a stopping point with what I was doing, and did a test.  The laptop crashed.  Blue screen with frown.  I rebooted it.  No boot device available.  Joy.  So, I grabbed a new drive.  Tried cloning the old drive, but can't get the drive to stay up.  So, a full reload is in my future.  Joy.

[TopNotch]

What method did you use to clone the drive, and did you do it with it still in the laptop, or removed?

[GTRS Fiero]

I tried R-Drive.  Unfortunately, the bad drive usually does not detect in the BIOS, or the program.  After maybe 20 tries, I did get it to detect, but it errored out during the cloning.  R-Drive is a good product, but not free.

I think the drive electronics died.  There is no clacking noise.  The drive does spin up.  I was tempted to swap the control board.  I may try the freezer method.

I tried with the drive in the laptop, but it really doesn't matter.

If it was the mechanicals, I'd try Pineapple, or Gear Replicator.

[TopNotch]

Suggestion: Remove the drive from the computer and connect it to a USB adapter. Do the same with the target drive. Connect both to a Linux system and use the "dd" command to copy the drive. I have duplicated a number of drives that way, and it always works.
Caution: The dd command is dangerous, and will blindly over-write the target, so make sure you specify the correct drive as target.
Actually, you don't need a Linux system. I have Tiny Core Linux (actually Micro Core -- the non GUI version) on a USB key that I can boot on any system, and then use it to run dd and duplicate drives.

[GTRS Fiero]

I have used dd, as well as various frontzends that manipilate dd.

For the heck of it, I disassembled the laptop to remove the drive, which would have to be done, anyway.  The old drive will not come up on the USB adapter.

I also have a self-contained copy device.  It does not detect the old drive.

This is just a loss of some hours of work.  Everything was backed up, except about 1,600 pictures in my downloads folder (edits done to pictures I had taken).  Still, it will take 4 hours to reload the system, plus some configuuration

[TopNotch]

The drive may be locked up with what some call "stiction". Shake it vigorously and try detecting it again. What do you have to lose if it's dead?

[GTRS Fiero]

The drive spins up.  It isn't the motor.

The system does not get a response from the electronics.

[GTRS Fiero]

I did try TopNotch's method.  No dice.  I tried the freezer method.  No dice.

Soldering is not my strong suit, but I'm going to try swapping the drive electronics.  I really only want the stuff that was in my downloads folder, but it isn't the end of the world if I don't get that stuff.

Meanwhile, the laptop is reloaded with the new drive.  OS, drivers, FTP application, graphics applications, Office applications, browsers, backup software.  The restore/sync is almost complete.  Most of my settings are in place.  PDF applications are installed.  I had to change some fonts.  I missed a few browser tabs.

[GTRS Fiero]

The drive came up.  I got some fonts copied off, which allowed me to continue work on the newsletter.  I wanted to get some images, but have to reset some permissions, first.