TCS - ReadMe.1st: Shareware for Recovering Lost Data, Part 2

ReadMe.1st: Shareware for Recovering Lost Data, Part 2

by Ken Johnson
Tulsa Computer Society
From the May 1997 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter

Last month we began looking at shareware and freeware data recovery programs available on BBSs, online services, and the Web. This month we'll continue with some additional programs. As always, read the documentation that accompanies the programs carefully. Some utilities aren't compressed disk "aware," and using them on a DoubleSpace or Stacker disk may make problems worse. Many use low-level DOS functions and shouldn t be run with Windows or Windows 95.

Tiramisu - good, and good for you

TIRAMISU reconstructs data from a hard disk crash. It can read drives without readable boot sector, readable Fat or readable directories; it can in fact handle drives that are not recognized by DOS anymore. TIRAMISU works by creating a Virtual Drive in Expanded memory, with its own file manager showing lost directories and files on the damaged drive. These can be viewed and copied to another drive. The program is nondestructive; it writes nothing to the crashed disk. Recovered data is restored to another destination (hard disk, floppy, network drive).

TIRAMISU 2.0 works in DOS, Windows 3.1, and Windows 95, and include multi-partition recovery. The unregistered version will check if it can recover data from the crashed drive, but will not restore files to another drive. Actually to recover files, you will need to register your copy of TIRAMISU ($99).

The registration for Tiramisu is high, but given it's ability to access and recover data from disks that aren't even recognized by DOS anymore probably makes it worth the price. It is a heavy-duty recovery tool for the worst case scenario. Then again, if you routinely back up your hard drive, a simple restore to another drive will be much easier than slugging through the bad drive with this program.

Details:
Tiramisu Data Recovery 2.0 (TIRAMI.ZIP)
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/data_recovery
$99

EDDY the Disk Editor

EDDY is a shareware disk and directory editor. The program runs from DOS, includes a PIF file for running under Windows 3.1. (In crisis mode don't complicate matters -- do recovery directly from DOS, without Windows running.) Beyond editing, EDDY provides file manager functions, like full screen directory views, file finder, file viewer, backup, and printer setup.

EDDY has several data recovery features. Files, RAM, and disk addresses can be viewed in hexadecimal format; you can mark bytes from this view and copy them into a file. Files can be changed by adding or deleting bytes, or modifying bytes within the file. Likewise, you can "patch" bytes anywhere on the physical disk, except for the Master Boot Record. High-order bits can be stripped from files, enabling you, for example, to recover text from a damaged word processing document. And EDDY can make copies of entire disks, including boot sector and FAT, or just parts of the system area (boot sector, FAT, root directory, hidden sectors), which can be restored in case of problems.

EDDY's preventative measures (for example, copying the boot sector and FAT) are common to many of these recovery programs. However, some of EDDY's features are sophisticated, particularly the ability to copy data from RAM to a file, and modify the length and bytes within a file. These aren't for novices though; brush up on your hexadecimal display knowledge to tell what you're doing.

Details:
EDit DirectorY 8f (EDDY.ZIP)
$29.95

Fix Boot

FIXBOOT, from Zvi Netiv, will install a standard boot sector to a floppy. If possible, the program will identify the type of disk and automatically do the install. However, if the disk is damaged, you can specify the size of the disk with the /S switch (FIXBOOT A: /S). FIXBOOT supports disks from 360K to 2.88Mb, including the Microsoft MSDMF-32 1.7Mb format.

(Every disk has a boot sector containing important system information such as the partition table, independent of whether the disk is DOS bootable or not. If the disk was originally bootable, FIXDISK will retain that, as long as the disk was formatted with MS-DOS or PC-DOS version 4 or higher.)

FIXBOOT can come in handy if you have a Windows 95 disk2 infected with a boot sector virus. This is the only WIN95 installation disk not write protected, and it can become infected if there is a virus already on the machine you are trying to upgrade. Then the WIN95 upgrade fails. Simply run FIXBOOT with the /S switch, and specify 6 as the required format. This will revive the ruined Disk2 and you can restart the installation.

Details:
FIXBOOT (FIXBOOT.ZIP)
ftp://ftp.netzcomp.com/private/netz
http://www.comsecltd.com (U.S. Vendor)

Freeware

Defending Your Data

Defend Your Data (DYD), from the National Computer Security Association (NCSA), is packed with programs to protect your hard drive and recover lost data, along with general utilities. Most of the programs are older freeware, and all run from the DOS command line. Since most of the programs are several years old, they're perhaps best suited for older PCS. Check out each program's documentation for specific information on each utility.

Recovery features of the DYD programs include making a backup copy of the hard drives FAT (File Allocation Table) and root directory, determining cluster ownership, viewing contents of the FAT, displaying the hex starting cluster and hex length of files, converting RAM data to a disk file, saving and restoring Track 0 of your hard drive, and floppy disk diagnostics.

Details:
Defend Your Data (DYD.ZIP)
Registration varies according to the individual program

Disk Exerciser

DiscEx is a disk exerciser program that runs from the DOS command line. It puts a disk through its paces, looking for errors. With DiscEx you can "burn in" a disk drive or cause a disk to fail that is having intermittent problems. You can set the number of passes DiscEx makes, with each pass performing 500 random reads of the disk. For each read, DiscEx displays on screen when the pass is successful and how many passes remain. If an error is encountered, a "Data error reading drive A:, Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail" message, so select Abort.

Details:
PC Disk Exerciser 1.03 (DISCEX.ZIP)
Freeware



As you can see, there are a number of shareware and freeware programs available online to help you recover lost data from hard disks and floppy disks. Just make sure to add some of these programs to your utility toolkit now -- before disaster strikes!




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Kenneth E. Johnson is Assistant Editor of the American Bar Association's Network 2d newsletter and Contributing Editor of DOS World Magazine. His book The Lawyer s Guide to Creating Web Pages will be available in April 1997 from the American Bar Association. He is also a coauthor of WordPerfect Law Office Solutions for DOS and of WordPerfect law Office Solutions for Windows.



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