hard drives

[smarie]

I'm want to learn everything that I can about these "little mcahines"...So, in "laymen's" terms, can someone try to explaine to me how dificult it would be for someone to extract the data that is stored on a hard drive? And what exactly does the hard drive store? Does it store every web page that you have visited? Who would you reccommend to do this 'extracting"? Thanks so much for your time.....

[iisbob]

Take a trip to this site; ( just click on th name-it's a hyperlink )

Harddrives (http://www.computerhope.com/help/hdd.htm)

it should give you some of the basics, don't forge to peruse Charles site ( the PCguide itself ) , it's also a great tutorial on PC's.

If you're trying to recover data from a old drive, say one that may have failed, it does take some specialization to perform this. If it runs even a little bit however, you may be able to " read " the data yourself by hooking it up to your PC and attempting to access it.

Post back if you have any other questions and the folks here will try their best to help you http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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iisbob
"640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates, 1981"
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

[smarie]

Hmmmm......So, iisbob, how do I find someone to look at the data that is stored on the hard drive? I need to know what's on there.....
Thanks again for all your help...

[Paleo Pete]

OK, what are you trying to find? If you just want to know whether windows has been installed on the drive, or DOS, and what version, that's fairly easy. If you need to find cerain files, not difficult either, but it might require a bit of knowledge of DOS.

The hard drive stores data in binary form. Ones and zeros. That's it. It uses a form of magnetic storage similar to a cassette tape. Think of it as a huge permanent floppy disk, it works almost exactly the same way.

Yes, every website you ever visit is stored in a file.

Data recovery companies could possibly recover information from a drive, but it's usually more expensive than buying a new one.

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Support the right to keep and arm bears.
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[smarie]

Good Morning Pete, and thanks for getting back to me.
This is the "situation". I NEED to know what websites have been visited on this computer within the last year. And I would like to know what would be the easiest way to get that information. Thanks again for your time.

[geebee76]

Hi smarie,

Could you please confirm the condition of the drive in question.

Has the drive suffered a complete physical failure?

Is the drive suffering from a software problem , which isn't allowing you access?

Is the drive functioning properly, but you just need information on where to look?

This information will help others answer your questions.

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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You are making progress if each mistake is a new one!

Sig from Here (http://www.oneliners-and-proverbs.com/)

geebee76@hotmail.com

[smarie]

Good Morning Geebee 76 and thanks for replying so fast. In response to your questions, no physical failure, no software problem ... I am interested in retrieving data from this hard drive for personal reasons. I am investigating whether or not something was done on this computer. All history, temp files and cookies have been deleted (conveniently). So, how difficult would it be for a person who has only been using a pc for merely a yr., to get this info? I am a woman "on a mission" and appreciate all the help that I can get. Thanks again for your time.

[bassman]

I'm almost afraid to touch this one now,
Someone is gonna get in big trouble http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif
The best thing you can do is check with local computer shops and locate a Data Recovery Service. They are expensive and there is no guarentee they will get anything off of it.
Good luck

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If I tell you to think for yourself, then you're not doing it.
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This is not directed at those asking questions in order to gain knowledge. That shows you are thinking.

[ranchdog]

OUCH. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/mad.gif

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......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
...... Kickin' A Rock....

[iisbob]

The problem is that Data is never actually " deleted ", Windows just ignores the data when you tell it too delete-marking the area where that info was stored as now available to reuse, so that when new data is downloaded/created, etc..., windows will use that previous space to write the new data-now the info you deleted is truely gone.

So you see the problem that a recovery service has, it is a very difficult process to try to recover data that has been written over, this is the premise behind the DOD's ( dept. of Defense ) use of program that randomly write data to a drive over and over again ( 1's and 0's ), precisely so that data recovery is not possible.

If the individual in question has any inkling about this, and maybe downloaded a software application to do this ( Nukem is one i know of ), then you'd be wasting your money to try and get it recovered, you wouldn't have a very good chance. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

You can try the above mentioned steps to try and access the drive, hook it up to your PC and just try to access it-as Pete suggested DOS would be the easiest way to perform this ( all you need is a basic Windows
98 Startup Floppy ). If you don't know how to do this, then i would check with a local PC shop, just tell them you wish to recover some files, they shouldn't charge to much just to check the drive.



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iisbob
"640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates, 1981"
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

[azonicbruce]

Hey there smarie. Like bassman said, I don't know if I want to even touch this but I've been in this situation before. I don't know how you could find out what's been going on the past year, but I DO KNOW how you can find out what's going on from now on.

It's a progam called spIE http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/cool.gif, and it does various things but one of it's features is that it logs every website visited, and can ALSO log every keystroke (so you can see what types of words/things are being put into search engines and such); also, only YOU can view these logs because they are password protected; AND most of all, it does all this INVISIBLY!!! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif They (whoever they are) can delete the history folders and temp files and cookies all they want, but YOU will still be able to see where they've been. They'll never know what hit 'em! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/tongue.gif

There are a few catches, though. You can ONLY have one Web browser on your computer: Internet Explorer. If you have others (Like Netscape or Opera or AOL) you should unistall them and hope "that person" doesn't notice. spIE won't log anything visited using these other browsers. Also, you need to buy the REGISTERED version of spIE, the free version doesn't run invisibly.

Here's the link to download the program: http://satacoy.com/spie/

Click the "download" button on the left and then click link to get the REGISTERED version. It costs $30.

If you need more info about running, installing the program, post a reply.

MOST IMPORTANTLY , you need to remember that people (especially those who are guilty of something) DO NOT respond well to being ATTACKED. The "AHH-HAH!" attitude won't help you solve any problems (assuming that you want to work a problem out). The thing you REALLY need to do is learn to COMMUNICATE!! If the person isn't telling you that they are doing something "wrong", then there's a reason. YOU may think that reason is ONLY because they don't want you to find out. You don't know, however, if this is something they themselves see as a problem. Who knows, they may see it as a problem but just don't know who to turn to for help. I don't know your situation (nor would I really like to), but just be forwarned that YOUR "solution" may not have the outcome you'd like it to. Enough "Dear Abby" advice from me; all I'm saying is approach this situation with caution.

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You catch more flies with honey, than with a rifle!

[This message has been edited by azonicbruce (edited 09-25-2001).]

[VR7DETA]

Smarie
Do a search with www.google.com (http://www.google.com) Type in "HDD Data Recovery"and
you will find what you are looking for.
http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by VR7DETA (edited 09-25-2001).]

[MangMang]

Could you please do us amazingly curious bunch a favour and update us on your adventures.

I feel attacked with a need to know how this story will unfold.

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Mark Burnett is the Devil...thank goodness.