Archive for July, 2011

How to check the smart status of a drive you believe is failing using ubuntu linux.

To make a ubuntu cd-rom, go to www.ubuntu.com get the LTS 10.10.10 i386 version and burn a cd-rom from the downloaded ISO file.

Alternatively, go to Pendrivelinux.com and download the pendrive utility and make a ubuntu 10.10.10  bootable 1gb thumb drive to boot from.

 

boot from either, click try ubuntu

click system, administration, disk utility

click on the drive you are worried about and open it full screen and look at the smart status, or click on smart data to see the details.

 

How to recover data from a hard disk that bluescreens when you try to repair/fix it with windows.

 

Video explains how to save data/backup data using linux on a drive that won’t mount in windows (or causes blue screen of death when you plug it into any windows system to attempt recovery.)

In this case it’s a western digital 640gb 2.5″ SATA drive that has failed.