Hard Drive Unreadable

[resevil83]

Computer does not recognize 200 gb internal hard drive. The computer intermittently recognizes hard drive. (Computer will only recognize hard drive when the hard drive power is unplugged and re-plugged in.) When windows starts it immediately runs chk disk application. Chk disk runs utility but the scan never ends. It finds each part of the hard drive unreadable.The hard drive makes grinding noises every once and a while.

I was hoping that the drive may be somewhat salvageable? Is there any way I can get off the information. I will definitely set up a raid now that I've learned the hard way.

[guestolo]

Can you slave the drive or boot up with a live distro of Linux?

[resevil83]

Sorry, I don't have Linux, but I will go and get it if you think it will help.
Will Linux be better suited to run a dead/dying or unreadable drive than Windows XP?

[guestolo]

I was thinking something in the lines of Knoppix
But it may not get to computer to boot

Did you try to slave the harddrive?
What model of harddrive is it?
Could possibly try the manuf. hard drive diagnostic utility

I have used the old freezer trick in the past and got a harddrive to run long enough to pull out information
I took the harddrive out of the computer
Put it in a ziplock bag and stuck it in the freezer for a few hours
Put it back in the machine and it actually worked
The HD was making clicking sounds, so had to work fast