Question about PIO mode

[maximus]

[post]10749[/post] But, could I try to recover that area (those 10GB left) with HDDSuperClone with the ddrescue image file (.img)?

Yes, as long as the GNU ddrescue attempt is based on the whole disk and not a partition. HDDSuperClone can import the ddrescue log(map) file. It is recommended to make a backup of the file before attempting the import just in case.

You seem somewhat intuitive, so I am going to give you additional information that could help with your recovery, but without specific instructions. Because the drive is going offline when it hits a bad sector, about the only way to prevent that is by a soft reset timeout when reading. If you put the BIOS in IDE mode and don’t connect the drive until after booting into Linux, the drive will be “hidden” from the OS and HDDSuperClone can access it in Direct IDE mode. With the free version you are limited to PIO mode so it won’t read very fast, but the soft reset can possibly keep the recovery going instead of having to power cycle the drive. Sorry that I do not have the time right now to make a more detailed post, but hopefully you can get the idea from it.

 

[paul90]

Sorry, I was in a travel and I didn't bring my computer... so sorry for not answering before. Thanks a lot for your words and help, invaluable!. I've learnt a lot about PIO. Now I am back to my place I am gonna continuo the recovery process.

Is interesting to know I can export my ddrescue log to your tool. I could try this, but I became a little bit paranoid with this disk and I don't know if the almost finished image (92%) would be damaged if it hits a badsector. When ddrescue finds one, it sometimes jumps to some random area and mark it as non scraped and I now my way in ddrescue so i can stop and mark them as non tried again (plus, I see all the process with ddrescueview and it doesn't try any rescued area neither; i suppose like HDDSuperClone does). My fear is not knowing what HDDSuperClone is doing and **** my recovery. Again, not because i have problems with the learning process or because your tool is not reliable (which I know it is; i did my research and your work is well known ) but because in this case there is not much room for errors because this disk does some weird stuff when it hits a badsector, but I could try for sure. Sorry, this disk is killing my mental health LOL.

I read about that kind of "soft reset" before but I never tried. I know sata can be hot plugged. Just to be sure, are you talking about disconnecting/reconnecting the data cable or the power cable too?

Thank you again for your time

 

[maximus]

s interesting to know I can export my ddrescue log to your tool. I could try this, but I became a little bit paranoid with this disk and I don't know if the almost finished image (92%) would be damaged if it hits a badsector. When ddrescue finds one, it sometimes jumps to some random area and mark it as non scraped and I now my way in ddrescue so i can stop and mark them as non tried again (plus, I see all the process with ddrescueview and it doesn't try any rescued area neither; i suppose like HDDSuperClone does). My fear is not knowing what HDDSuperClone is doing and darn my recovery. Again, not because i have problems with the learning process or because your tool is not reliable (which I know it is; i did my research and your work is well known ) but because in this case there is not much room for errors because this disk does some weird stuff when it hits a badsector, but I could try for sure. Sorry, this disk is killing my mental health LOL.

Even the free version of HDDSuperClone will stop when the drive goes offline, which sounds like what you are describing here. Ddrescue can't detect that which is why it starts marking sectors as bad, when in reality it is just because the drive is no longer responding. HDDSuperClone can detect when the drive is no longer responding properly, and will stop with a message indicating such, at which time you would need to power cycle the drive to continue. Even if you can't get your BIOS to IDE mode, this will still help you.

But understand that your drive is in bad shape, and it could die at any time. And some irreversible damage may already (if not likely) be done. I can't diagnose it from here, and can't tell you if you will be able to get any more data out or not.

Post the current ddrescue log and I will take a look and see what I can tell.

 

[maximus]

I read about that kind of "soft reset" before but I never tried. I know sata can be hot plugged. Just to be sure, are you talking about disconnecting/reconnecting the data cable or the power cable too?

That is more the equivalent of a "hard" reset (in SATA terms a COM reset, which can also be done with a command). The soft reset is a command directly sent to the drive to tell it to perform a "software reset" with the hopes of stopping its current operation to prevent lockup. But the only way to control soft and hard resets it to use the direct modes in HDDSuperClone. Hard (COM) resets are only available in direct AHCI mode, which is not available in the free version.

 

[paul90]

Even the free version of HDDSuperClone will stop when the drive goes offline, which sounds like what you are describing here. Ddrescue can't detect that which is why it starts marking sectors as bad, when in reality it is just because the drive is no longer responding. HDDSuperClone can detect when the drive is no longer responding properly, and will stop with a message indicating such, at which time you would need to power cycle the drive to continue. Even if you can't get your BIOS to IDE mode, this will still help you.

I didn't knew that HDDSuperclone managed that kind of errors so well. I am happy for learning more about HDDSuperClone so I've read some threads and it looks like it gives you more control of what is happening and manage errors in a more complex way so I gonna read its manual because it looks very interesting. Full respect to you.

But understand that your drive is in bad shape, and it could die at any time. And some irreversible damage may already (if not likely) be done. I can't diagnose it from here, and can't tell you if you will be able to get any more data out or not.

Post the current ddrescue log and I will take a look and see what I can tell.

You are right and don't worry I understand the situation and it's normal for you to not been able to give me a better advice without been in front of the problem.

By the way this is my GNU ddesrescue map:

0x275AE2E00 + 1
# pos size status
0x00000000 0X275AC3600 +
0x275AC3600 0x00000200 -
0x275AC3800 0x0001F400 /
0x275AE2C00 0x00000200 -
0x275AE2E00 0x27B21FECD0 +
0x2A27CE1AD0 0x225A5FAD4 /
0x2C4D7415A4 0x00000200 -
0x2C4D7417A4 0X4823A71DC0 +

I gonna wait for your opinion and advice about what you would do in this situation and I will read manual of HDDSuperClone in the mean time. Probably I am gonna backup my mapfile and then do the export thing so I can give your software a try .

I read about that kind of "soft reset" before but I never tried. I know sata can be hot plugged. Just to be sure, are you talking about disconnecting/reconnecting the data cable or the power cable too?

That is more the equivalent of a "hard" reset (in SATA terms a COM reset, which can also be done with a command). The soft reset is a command directly sent to the drive to tell it to perform a "software reset" with the hopes of stopping its current operation to prevent lockup. But the only way to control soft and hard resets it to use the direct modes in HDDSuperClone. Hard (COM) resets are only available in direct AHCI mode, which is not available in the free version.

I didn't knew the difference. Thank you. Know that's is more clear to me. More things to add to my notes!!.

 

[maximus]

[post]10878[/post] I gonna wait for your opinion and advice about what you would do in this situation and I will read manual of HDDSuperClone in the mean time. Probably I am gonna backup my mapfile and then do the export thing so I can give your software a try .

My advice is actually to do exactly that. Import the ddrescue log into HDDSuperClone and run it (obviously after you make a backup copy of the log). Considering the ddrescue log file you presented, I would recommend you use the Reset Log option under the Tools menu. That will put all non-finished areas back to non-tried, but it keeps all finished areas. By what you describe, HDDSuperClone will stop when the drive goes offline, as in the results you got from hdparm. Every time there is an error, HDDSuperClone performs a simple identify device command to make sure the drive is responding, and if not it stops with a message. You would need to power cycle the drive, but the read area that caused the issue should at least be marked so as not to be tried again until the next phase. If you have to keep power cycling the drive many times then you need to look further into getting your BIOS to show the drive as IDE.

FYI if you choose Direct IDE mode in HDDSuperClone, it will only list source drives that are seen as IDE. If you can see the drive listed when in Direct IDE mode, then you can work with it and utilize the soft reset timeout.

 

[paul90]

Finally I managed to recover the rest of my disk on my holidays. Everything but the badblocks (the disk was in a 'good' shape after all). I read the documentation of HDDSuperClone and tried it. I had some problems with my BIOS (a bit old) and my SATA disk couldn't work as IDE but because there was only a few gigabytes left and very few badsectors. I have learned a lot these weeks thanks a lot for your help!. I like your tool it stops when it has to even when the disk goes to sleep. I just followed your tips, import the mapfile, reset it and powercycled my disk manually when I needed to continue the image with HDDSuperClone.