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How to Recover Data from a Failing Hard Drive with DDrescue

In this post I want to share a very powerful skill that can be used to recover data from a disk that is undergoing physical failures. I will share in another post about how to quickly tell, using SMART reporting, whether computer system issues are Hard Drive related. This is another entry in a group of posts that will focus on using Parted Magic (a bootable utility) to perform various diagnostic and recovery operations.

The great part about this, is that sending a disk for professional recovery can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. The method that we will share in this post can be done for a very cost effectively, and if you have a spare Hard Drive, it can be done almost for free (except for the $15 charge to purchase Parted Magic). This method is very safe if done carefully, because no data on the original drive will get lost. Also, a “Recovery Clone” (As I like to call it) is very useful before attempting disk pounding, file system recovery software tools to recover files. A ddrescue recovery, uses a sophisticated algorithm and is extremely patient, when creating a clone onto a healthy drive. It is designed to gently go around failing sectors of the disk and “trim them” later on in the process, so you can get as much usable data in your copy as possible.

It also is very versatile with a myriad of options and also the ability to save your progress, so that if you need to interrupt it for whatever reason (Failing disks especially sometimes, need to be disconnected for a while and then reconnected – in my experience) you can resume from where you were up to. The goal would be to get as much usable data off of the failing disk and then perform file recovery operations on the physically healthy (although very possibly badly corrupted) disk while leaving the original alone.

That’s enough intro for now – Let’s Dig In!

Step 1 – Identify Drives

This step is arguably the single most important step of all. It is crucial not to mix up the source and target drive. If we are not %1000 percent sure of which drive is the one that has the data we need and which one is the destination, we could end up in a disastrous situation where we fully erase the disk we were trying to save.

One tip that I find helpful is to not have any drives attached to the computer that we are working with before beginning. Even the boot media should be removed after Parted Magic loads. If the drive we are recovering is the internal drive of the computer then further action is needed. If we are using another computer to try to restore a drive externally, remove the computer’s internal drive as well. Now connect the drive that we are recovering.

Open a terminal window (The icon looks like a black computer screen with a “$”).

Type the command “lsblk” (No Quotes). This will display the physical disks and logical drives that the system can see. In Linux, disks get labeled sequentially – /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, /dev/sdc etc. Logical partitions (drives) are nested underneath each physical disk also sequentially – /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2, /dev/sda3 etc.

If you all you have is the single disk that we are trying to recover as described above, your output should only include the /dev/sda drives.

Now connect the second drive and type the ‘lsblk’ command again. The output should now show both sda and sdb drives.

Step 2 – Wipe the Destination Drive

If your destination drive is brand new and never been used before, you can skip this step. This step is important if the drive you are recovering to has been used before and contains data. The reason this is important is because very often the source drive is so badly damaged that the recovered partition is too corrupted to read and will require recovery software to use. In this case having the old layer of data will just result in confusion.

WARNING: BE VERY CAREFUL TO BACK UP ANY REQUIRED DATA FROM SDB BEFORE PROCEEDING. ALL DATA WILL BE WIPED.

Open “Erase Disk” from the Desktop.

Select Block Wipe and Disk Write Zeros

Select the disk that we will be wiping (in our example sdb) and accept the warnings.

Perform Recovery Clone

In the terminal type the following command to clone the damaged drive to your healthy drive.

ddrescue -d -f -r 0 -n /dev/sda /dev/sdb logfile

The breakdown of the command is as follows

ddrescue – This is the actual clone command

-d – This calls for direct disk clone which bypasses the kernel cache

-f – This means force overwrite target

-r 0 – This means do not retry failed reads

-n – This means no scrape. This avoids a lengthy step which does not usually produce results in my experience.

logfile – This is extremely important. This means that ddrescue will log progress so that it can be resumed in case of interruption. The next time you run the command with that switch and call the file, it will resume based on the file contents. It is important to copy the file to removable media before powering off the computer so that it can be used again.

You can get more information in the official manual here GNU ddrescue Manual.

Although it can seem a bit intimidating, with the proper care, ddrescue can be a powerful tool to recover a damaged drive.

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How to Create a Windows 10\11 Install and Repair Disk

There can be many reasons why we may need to use a Windows install disk. Sometimes, windows can simply use a refresh install, or you may be installing Windows from scratch on a new system or after a hard drive replacement. You can also use a Windows disk to recover from a corrupted install and a myriad of other repair options. The good news is that it is very simple to create a Windows disk. Simply follow the below steps to create a Windows Recovery Disk.

NOTE: Creating a windows disk will wipe everything on the USB drive you select.

Navigate to Windows Download Page

Search the web for the terms “Download Windows 10” or “Download Windows 11″. On the download page, scroll to the ” Create Windows installation media” section and select Download Now.

Create installation media

Run the downloaded tool. After accepting the license agreement and selecting language and edition, select “Create installation media”.

Choose media creation method

You can now decide whether to allow the tool to create the disk for you or to simply download the iso (disk) file. There are times when the iso file can come in handy for example if you like to manually flash a disk using another media creation tool or if you want to run the windows installer straight from Windows. Generally, however, it is simpler to allow the tool to create the disk for you.

Select USB Drive

Make sure to choose the USB flash drive that you want to create the install disk on. As noted before, the disk you create will get completely wiped so be very careful to choose the desired disk. Select Next and then you are done.

Boot from the install disk

For details on how to boot and install Windows from an install disk, check out this article.

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How to Speed up your Computer Exponentially for Minimal Cost with SSD Upgrade

Oftentimes we find ourselves working with a computer or laptop that seems to be not responsive or just sluggish. Of course there are many variables, but under the right conditions you can make your computer snappier than ever with not that much effort. There are multiple ways to upgrade your computer but by far, the most noticeable change comes when swapping out a system drive that runs on a spinning Hard Disk Drive (HDD) for a Digital Solid State Drive (SSD).

Confirm your system would benefit

The first step to determine whether your computer could benefit from putting in an SSD is to confirm that your computer actually is running on a HDD. The easiest way to check on a Windows computer is to search in your search box for the term ” Defragment and Optimize Drives”. That box will provide the “Media Type” Solid state drive or Hard disk drive. In the below example we can see both types of disks in the same computer. In practice, the main benefit would be if the C: drive was a Hard disk drive whereas in this example the system is already running off of a Solid State Drive.

Clone Or Clean Install

The next step is to decide whether to clone or to clean install Windows. Cloning a disk refers to a sector by sector copy from one disk to another. This process does not copy files and has no awareness of the operating system or any data contained on the disks. Typically, the target (destination disk) needs to be the same size or larger than the source (original) disk. The benefit of this method is that it keeps all your files, programs and settings exactly where they were. There are some downsides to this method, however.

A) It’s not clean. Sometimes, it’s better to start fresh. If your system is bogged down by years of downloads, apps and bloatware, now would be the perfect time to start fresh.

B) Size. For cloning to work best, the new drive needs to have the same capacity as your existing drive. The typical Hard drive that ships with a computer is 1 TB or 500 GB. SSD prices vary depending on size, so unless you are storing years’ worth of pictures or videos you may only be using 100 GB or less and a 250 GB SSD will be more than enough for you.

C) HD Health. Cloning a drive from a disk with health issues can cause file system corruption on the target, so you need to ensure that the source drive is healthy. I will be writing another post on methods to check hard drive health.

Cloning should only be chosen for situations where it will be impossible or very difficult to find your program installation files and\or licensing information. Otherwise, it is much more preferred to do a clean install. This post will focus on this second method. I will write a separate post on cloning.

Prerequisite Tools

Before you begin, you will need to make sure that you have the following

Screwdriver – For a laptop you will need a Phillips screwdriver with a small head, but for a computer, a regular Phillips will suffice

Sata to USB – In order to transfer the information from one your HDD to your SSD, you will need either a hard rive dock, Sata to USB adapter or a Hard Drive enclosure. These are all inexpensive and can be easily found on Amazon

Windows Install Media – Windows install media can be created for free on any running Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer on a Flash drive that is 8 GB or larger. See this post on the steps to do so.

Replace Hard Drive with SSD

The first step is to determine how much storage you need to purchase. Typically, a 250 GB SSD should be enough, but if you are using more than 125 GB then you should scale up to the next level. A good rule of thumb is to leave yourself at least %50 room for scalability.

The next step is to gain access to the Hard Drive and identify it. Computers are fairly straightforward, but laptops can be a bit more difficult. Some laptops, on the other hand have a panel to provide access to the hard drive. Here is a sample laptop with the back removed. Look for a youtube guide for your model computer.

Remove the hard drive and replace it with the SSD that you purchased. It is usually held in by just a few screws. Then close up the computer.

Install Windows

Plug your Windows Media into your computer and then power on the computer. There is a special Key combination to enter the boot menu so that you can boot from the USB drive. Each manufacturer is different, but here are some common ones.

Dell Tap F12 repeatedly while you power on the computer until a blue line shows up under the Dell symbol

HP Tap F9 repeatedly while powering on the computer until you reach the boot menu.

Acer F12, but it is disabled by default. You can enable it in the BIOS by tapping F2.

Lenovo F12 or enter or escape. Typically, there is a message when powering on the computer about which button to push.

Asus Tap F2 to enter the BIOS and then choose your boot device in the temporary Boot override section in the BIOS.

Confirm your language and keyboard settings and select Next.

Select Install Now

Accept the License Agreement

Select Custom: Install Windows Only

Choose the SSD Drive and select Next

At this point Windows will install itself. Wait for it to finish until you reach the Out of Box Setup Experience.

Run through the rest of the computer setup.

Update\ Set up Computer

After a clean install Windows will need to install drivers and firmware before it is ready to be used. This used to be a notoriously drawn out and convoluted process involving manufacturer downloads, but with Windows 10 and 11 this is all handled in Windows updates itself.

Restore Your Files

Attach your old laptop to your computer using either a Dock, USB adapter or an enclosure.

Identify the drive letter of the external Windows installation. (In this case it’s D:)

Right click the start menu icon on the bottom left of the screen and select WIndows Powershell (Administrator) Note: It’s important to select the administrator option.

Type the following Xcopy d: c:\backup /s /c and then select D for Directory creation. (replace d: with your external drive letter and C: with your system drive).

Your files should now all transfer to C:\Backup.

Congratulations! Your computer is now running on Solid State Drive!

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How to DIY Laptop Screen Repair

For many of us who have owned and used laptops for business or leisure, the above picture is a familiar sight that fills us with dread. The story is always the same, with some degree of variation. Either we accidentally dropped the laptop or pressed too hard on the screen. Next thing we know there is an ugly splotch on the screen and we panic because the last thing we want is to purchase a new on, not to mention the potential of losing your data. Professional repairs can also cost hundreds of dollars if we were to go that way.

However, I want to share a secret with you. Oftentimes, replacing the laptop screen can be done quite easily with no special tools other than a small screwdriver (which some screen sellers include pro bono). There are caveats and some variation across laptop models, but the main process is very similar and often straightforward.

Here, I will chronicle the screen replacement process of a very common laptop model, but please read through the “gotchas and warnings” at the end of the article before attempting the repair.

Remove Bezel

Remove Bezel

The first step is to remove the plastic Bezel of the laptop. In some models it is held in place by glue as well as plastic “snaps” so try to be gentle but firm. I find that if you keep tugging at it slowly in one of the corners and are patient, it will begin to give. Slowly work your way around the screen. I prefer to use my fingernails only, but if yours are cut short, use a plastic pry tool only. Try to avoid the metal versions.

The bottom portion of the Bezel is often stuck to the tape around the screen’s control board\digitizer. Run your finger along the top of this section of Bezel while unsnapping it so that the sticky adhesive will remain on the bezel for you to reuse.

Once the bezel is fully freed, pry it off completely from underneath.

Disconnect the Screen

Remove screws

The vast majority of screens are held in place by four screws. Simply remove these. There are some other methods that the manufacturers use, so if you do not see the screws or metal tabs, look for a video guide for your laptop for details on how to remove the screen.

Disconnect Video Cable

NOTE: Disconnect the battery before moving to the next step.

Gently disconnect the video cable from the screen. They are generally taped down. Loosen the tape with your fingernail prior to disconnecting the cable. Many cables also have a metal clasp that you need to unhook (As pictured above).

Order\Install Screen

Once your screen is disconnected, you can get the searchable part number from the lower left corner of the screen. There are many codes here, but in general, the most searchable manufacturer model code will have the screen size as the second or third digit. Common screen sizes are 156 (15.6), 173 (17.3) 14 and 116 (11.6). The first digit is the manufacturer, some common ones are B (AU Optronics), N (ChiMei Innolux), LP (LG Philips). In this example we have a ChiMey 15.6 screen with a part number of NT156WHM-T00. You can find more information about laptop screen part numbers here.

The manufacturer does not matter, but please search for the part number directly wherever you go to purchase your screen so you can ensure compatibility. I prefer to purchase from Amazon but there are some dedicated websites that sell laptop screens. The main things to ensure are that screen size, resolution, pin count and form factor match your screen. you can alternate between Matte and Glossy as this is just a matter of preference.

Mount new Screen

Carefully, unbox the new screen when it arrives and connect the cable firmly. Usually there is a noticeable “click” when it is in place correctly. Tape the cable back down then mount the screen. There is no need to put back all the screws until we can verify that it is working. Also leave the protective film on at this time.

Reconnect the power (either the battery or connect the AC adapter) and power on the laptop. If the screen is fuzzy, power off the laptop and disconnect the power again and then check the cable connection.

If it is working, tighten the remaining screws and slowly remove the protective film. Firmly but gently snap the bezel back into place. Take care on the bottom section where the video cable runs, to ensure that it is securely in the grooved paths intended for it, prior to snapping that section back.

Congratulations! You have successfully replaced your own laptop screen and brought your computer back to life!

Words of Caution

  1. No amount of reading or video watching will give you the experience to compare with a professional repair. You may find that you are having more difficulty than you expected. If that happens, simply stop and then bring it in to a repair shop. If you are careful, you should not make things worse than they were before but any laptop repair comes with some inherent risk.
  2. Before attempting a DIY repair, please connect the laptop to another computer monitor so that you can back up your information and also confirm that nothing else was damaged in the incident. For laptops with traditional Hard Drives, they will often fail as the result of a fall. There is no sense in repairing the screen only to find out that your Hard Drive is borked. (We will post another guide on upgrading\replacing a damaged hard drive and salvage data so perhaps it may be worth it to repair after all, but it is always good to know before investing time and money for the part.)
  3. It is advisable not to order the new screen until you are able to open the screen and get the part number. This also helps you avoid a situation where you order the screen and then cannot continue the repair.
  4. This is a general guide, each laptop will have its own unique method, but there are plenty of video laptop opening guides to help you find one for a laptop model very close to yours.
  5. This guide is geared for laptops that have a plastic bezel rim around the screen. For those that have the glass stretch to the rim similar to a phone or tablet (most laptops that flip around like the Lenovo Yoga series), it is advisable to replace the entire display assembly. You can price that against a professional repair to see what makes more sense for you. I plan to post a guide on opening the back of the laptop to help with that.

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