Often users personal computers face problems hard drive that affect the operation of the system. The main causes of hard drive failure are: bad sectors in HD D and bad file system. In this article, we will describe a detailed HDD troubleshooting process, and also describe methods of data recovery on hard drives if it is defective or completely out of order. I would also like to note that problems that are associated with the hard drive should be given special attention. For example, if the HDD becomes completely faulty, then you are unlikely to be able to recover information from it. That is, all your documents, personal videos and photos, as well as other files can be permanently lost.

We read the SMART readings from the hard drive

If files are not copied on your computer, programs freeze after opening, then a possible reason for this may be bad HDD. Usually this behavior operating system related with bad sectors in the hard drive. To be sure that the problem is related to bad sectors of the HDD, and not to malware, the first step is to confirm this hunch. If the situation described above is observed on the computer, we will install the utility on it CrystalDiskInfo. This utility describes the status of all hard drives installed on your computer. You can download CrystalDiskInfo from its official website http://crystalmark.info. The utility supports Windows operating systems from XP to Windows 10.

To check information about the hard drive, the utility uses self-diagnosis technology SMART. SMART technology is used on all manufactured HDDs. Below is an example of checking SMART readings using the CrystalDiskInfo utility in a hard drive WD1200JS. From this window, you can see that the program has detected its status as " Good" - this means that this hard drive is in perfect order and you should not worry about it.

In the following image in the SMART readout, CrystalDiskInfo utility detected the status of the screw with the message " Anxiety". This message means that the hard drive already has bad sectors or it is overheating.

If you see the message " bad”, then this will mean that all bad sectors have been reassigned on the hard drive and soon it will completely shut down.

In both cases, when the program found the messages " Anxiety" and " bad”, you should make a backup copy of all data on the computer, as soon the screw will become unusable.

One solution that can temporarily fix your screw is the utility Victoria. This utility can do REMAP BAD sectors, that is, it will reassign bad sectors to backup ones. In the next section, we will describe in detail the process of REMAP BAD sectors using the Victoria utility.

Recovering a hard drive using Victoria

Utility Victoria created by a Belarusian programmer and distributed free of charge. You can download the utility on its official website hdd-911.com. The Victoria utility is distributed in two versions for Windows and DOS. In our case, we will download the Windows version. After running the Victoria utility on Windows, we will get into such a window.

To fix the hard drive, we need to go to the "Tests" tab. On this tab, we are interested in the area with the radio buttons Ignore , Erase , Remap and Restore , as well as the button Start . To fix it, we need to select the Remap radio button and click Start.

After these steps, the Victoria program will begin the process of correcting sectors, which can take quite a long time.

After reassigning the sectors, Victoria may be able to restore the bad sectors, and the CrystalDiskInfo utility will display the value "Good". But the magic fix may not happen, as the reserve sectors may simply be missing and Victoria will not be able to help. In this case, there is only one way out - do a complete HDD replacement. In addition to screw treatment, Victoria also provides verification of testimony SMART tab SMART».

I would like to note that all the operations that you perform with the help of Victoria, you do at your own peril and risk. Using the utility, an inexperienced user can damage the hard drive, as well as deprive it of warranty service.

Fixing file system problems on your hard drive

Many users on Windows computers often experience problems related to file system errors NTFS. File system problems are caused by malicious utilities and various software . Also, most often problems in the file system occur out of inexperience the PC user. For example, improper handling of the utility Acronis Disk Manager. To solve this problem, Windows itself will help us. Windows provides file system fixer. To fix the file system on a specific partition, you need to go to its properties. In our case, this is the system partition of the operating room. Windows systems 10. To start the fix, we need to go to the tab " Service».

This tab has a Check button which we will click.

After this action, a window will appear in which you need to confirm our actions.

After confirming the action, Windows will scan this partition.

After scanning, the system will display a message with the results of scanning the partition for errors.

Using this method, many users have restored their operating system to normal without having to reinstall it. If the problems lie in the HDD itself, then no disk check and reinstallation of the OS will help in this case. The only option in this case is that you can resort to the Victoria utility or do a complete replacement of the screw with a new one, while reinstalling Windows.

Recovering disks with Acronis True Image 2016

The software is the perfect tool to create a full backup all local partitions, including the system one. This opportunity is used by many administrators around the world. The created backup of local disks can be restored in a very short time. For example, if the system has been infected with a virus or the HDD is broken, in this case you will restore all OS disks in a short period of time. Find Acronis true image 2016 is available on its official website www.acronis.com. By running the program in question, we will get into such a window.

First of all, we will show our readers how to back up local partitions of Acronis True Image 2016. On the first tab "Backup", you can see that the entire computer is selected for backup. That is, a full backup of all local partitions, including the system partition, will be carried out. In the next block, you need to select a location for the backup. In our case, this is the local disk E. After choosing the type of backup data and where to save it, click the button Create a copylocated in the lower right corner.

Depending on the amount of data to be saved, the time to create a backup will depend.

Having completed the backup, we will describe the process of restoring the computer. To do this, we need to create a boot disk or flash drive Acronis True Image 2016. You can do this by going to the tabs " TOOLS/BOOT DRIVE WIZARD". Below is a wizard that should open.

In this wizard, we will select the first item and continue. In the window that appears, select where we will save the boot drive: into the image or to a flash drive.

After saving the boot drive, the wizard will display a final window.

After creating a bootable flash drive or optical disc with Acronis True Image 2016, you can start data recovery. To do this, boot from a bootable USB flash drive when you start the computer. After booting from the boot drive, we get to the Acronis True Image 2016 menu. We select the first item in this menu, after which we get to the main Acronis True Image window.

In the program window, go to the "" tab and find the backup copy of the entire system that we previously created.

Now, to restore the system disk with Windows and local disks, click the button Disk Recovery.

In the wizard that appears, select the item " Recover disks and partitions and continue.

In the next window, select all local drives and continue the wizard.

In paragraphs " Destination» for the first and second disks, select the original HDD. If there are many hard drives installed in the system, then be careful not to mix up the screws. In the final window, click the Proceed button.

The backup recovery time depends on the size and speed of the HDD. In our case, it took 10 minutes.

The example shows how easy it is to back up the entire computer, so if you master the Acronis True Image 2016 software package, you can easily restore it to working capacity in cases where the system is infected or the hard drive is broken. Also, after mastering the program, you will not have questions about how to recover data from a hard drive.

Data recovery with Recuva

There are times when, when reinstalling Windows or using Acronis software, users mistakenly erase all information from the hard drive. If you have exactly this situation, then you should not be upset, since all the information can be reestablish. A free utility will help us with this task. Recuva. You can download the utility on its official website www.piriform.com. After starting the utility, the user enters the wizard, which will help you restore all the data. Below is the sequential work of the wizard.

The example shows that data recovery using Recuva is a fairly simple process and almost any PC user can handle it.

Summing up

From this article, it can be emphasized that restoring a hard drive is not a very simple task, but depending on the situation, even an ordinary PC user can handle it. I would also like to advise laptop owners to handle it as carefully as possible. For example, if the laptop is dropped or subjected to a strong impact, it may damage the HDD. In addition, if you yourself have identified a problematic screw, then do not be afraid to open the case of a laptop or desktop computer yourself, since replacing the HDD is a fairly simple task. And we, in turn, hope that our material will be useful to our readers and will allow you to restore your hard drive.

Related videos

Today began like many others: I woke up, had breakfast, turned on the computer and ... got colder - the usual download “did not work”. Comp zasis - on the black screen there were unhappy system messages.

I immediately remembered that for half a year I was going to install and test ACRONIS True Image Home. And since the note came to life the second time, I decided that it was not worth tempting fate any more and began to increase my information reliability.

The multifunctional ACRONIS True Image Home software package not only provides data backup, but also provides reliable protection against a wide range of threats, including computer viruses, install unstable software and exit hard drives out of service.

With this product, you can create full computer hard drive backups, and backup copies of the most important files and data.

By timely backing up your data, you can, if necessary, fully restore your computer in the event of software or hardware failures, as well as restore any accidentally damaged or deleted files.

The price of 1 license is 499 rubles.

1. Download and install the program

After installing the program and restarting the computer, a shortcut will appear on the Desktop:

2 Click the ACRONIS True…

The ACRONIS True Image Home Main Window will open:

The main part contains "traffic light" stripes and category icons.
The type (color) of the traffic light allows at a glance to assess the current state of the system in relation to Reserve copy. This bar also displays information about the date and time of the last backup performed and its result, as well as whether backup jobs are scheduled or not.

Detailed information about the purpose of the 4 main categories can be obtained from HELP (F1).

And before continuing to use the program, I recommend that you first study at least the first 2 Help sections:

• Beginning of work
• Archiving and Restoring

The rest - in process of development of the program.

In order to be able to recover lost information, or return the computer to a certain working state, it is necessary create an archive user data or the entire system.

If you are planning protect only certain data(for example, your current project) and you are less concerned about the ability to restore the operating system with all settings and applications, back up your files and folders. A small archive size will save disk space or reduce the number of removable media used.

Backup copy ( image) the entire system drive will be larger, but will allow you in a few minutes restore system in the event of serious damage to data or equipment. In addition, the process of creating image is generally faster than archiving files and can significantly reduce the time it takes to back up large amounts of data.

Let me give you a few tips that you can use to plan your backup.
The system disk image should be saved in Acronis Secure Zone or, even better, not in partition C: on the main hard drive, but on another hard drive. This provides additional assurance that you will be able to restore the system in the event of a failure of the primary hard drive.

You should also keep your data separate from the operating system and applications, for example, on the D drive. This speeds up the process of creating images of a disk (or partition) with data, and also reduces the amount of information that needs to be restored.

Let's start with the main - Backup the entire system disk (C:):

4. In the Backup and Restore window, click the operation Data archiving
(or select the menu item Actions -> Create archive).

You can also start a backup directly from the Windows Explorer window by right-clicking on the desired drive and selecting New from the context menu. Then the program will automatically select the type of backup My computer.

Follow the next steps in the Backup Wizard:

5. In the Backup Type window, select "My Computer" and click the [Next] button.

6. In the Select data to create backups window, select Disks and partitions.
This will create an image of an arbitrary set of disks/partitions.

A disk archive is less compact and takes longer to create than a file archive, but it allows you to restore the system in a matter of minutes after software or hardware failures.

7. In the window Section selection select disk FROM: and click the [Next] button.

8. In the next window File exclusion do not change anything and click the [Next] button

9. Since we are backing up for the first time, we click the [OK] button

The window " Where to save the archive».

The "further" from the copied folders you place the archive, the higher the probability that it will survive in case of data corruption in these folders. For example, saving an archive on a different hard drive will protect it in case the original drive becomes corrupted.

You can also store archives on a network drive, FTP server, removable media - this is also reliable, but there are some technical features (see Notes in the Help section Where to save the archive).

As a last resort, you can store archives on your computer in Acronis Secure Zone or in Archive vaults. In this case, you do not need to enter a file name. In order to take advantage archive repository it must first be created using the Archive Vault Creation Wizard. This is done in the 4th category "Controls" (see fig. 3)

Since I have external hard drive (K:), then I will create a folder "reserv" on it and save the archive file in it:

10. Select an external drive (in this example - K:)

11. Click the button [Create a new folder]

12. Enter the name of the folder, for example "reserv" and click the [OK] button

13. Enter the name of the archive file or click the button [Name Generator]:
the "address" of the archive will appear in the Folder field - K:\reserve\MyBackup.tib

The Backup Mode window opens.

15. Since we are backing up for the first time, we select Creating a complete archive and click the [Next] button.

Acronis True Image Home can perform complete, incremental and differential backup.

At complete In a backup, the archive includes all archived data as of the moment the archive was created. A full backup always underlies subsequent incremental or differential backups, and can also be used as a standalone backup. The recovery time for a full backup is minimal compared to the recovery time for incremental and differential backups.

incremental the archive only contains data that has changed since the last full or incremental backup. Therefore, such an archive usually has a much smaller size and is created somewhat faster. But, since it does not contain all the data being backed up, in order to restore it, it is necessary to have all previous incremental archives and the full archive created first. The incremental archives and the full archive must be in the same folder.

Unlike incremental backup, which adds one more file to the existing "chain", when differential copying creates an independent file containing all data changes in relation to the last full archive. As a rule, a differential archive is restored faster than an incremental one, since there is no sequential processing of a long chain of previous archives.

Thus, for ordinary users who are not fond of frequent system changes, it is advisable to occasionally make a full backup of the system, for example, once a month. And if you are only interested in the latest state of the data, in order to restore them in the event of a fatal system failure, it is reasonable to apply regularly (for example, once a week) differential copying. This method is especially effective when the changes occurring in your data are small in relation to the total amount of this data.

This is true for incremental copying. Incremental copying brings the maximum benefit when it is needed. often save the state of the data and be able to return to anyone from these states. Creating a full backup once a month and an incremental backup everyday, you will get the same result as if you did a full backup every day. Incremental archives are much smaller than full or differential archives.

Do not forget that you need to store all incremental and differential archives in same folder where the full archive is located. If you create a new full backup, you will need to save its incremental and differential backups in the same folder as this full backup.

Note

An incremental or differential backup created after disk defragmentation can be much larger than usual. This is because the defragmenter changes the location of the files on the disk, and these changes are reflected in the archive. That's why after defragmenting the disk, it is recommended to re-create a full image.

16. In the next window, leave the option Use default options and click the [Next] button

17. The Archive Comments window will open. If you wish, you can enter your comment or immediately click the [Next] button.

18. In the next window, click the [Proceed] button.

After some time (20 - 30 minutes), the program will please you with a message about the successful creation of the Archive.
From 44GB, an archive of 29GB was obtained.

Congratulations! We have completed the main part of the work.

Let's make one more finishing touch - we will create boot disk.

In some cases, Acronis True Image Home can be launched exclusively from a bootable floppy disk or CD (for example, if the information on the disks is so damaged that the computer cannot be booted).

If you purchased the program on a CD, then this CD is bootable and is sufficient. The installer also offers to create boot disks. However, you can also create them after installation is complete.

You will need a blank writable or rewritable CD or other removable media that your computer can boot from, such as a Zip drive.

Let's create a boot disk on a CD-R blank:

19. Insert a blank disc into the drive.

20. Select menu item Service -> Create a boot disk.

22. Click the [Proceed] button.

After creating the disc, label it and set it aside in a place that excludes the possibility of damage.

For today, that's all!

But in order to get maximum protection further you need to develop your own backup policy in accordance with the characteristics of your system and your tasks, i.e. you should determine: with what regularity and what types of reservations are optimal for you and strictly follow them.

I will share this information later - as I master Acronis.
Follow blog updates or subscribe to News by E-mail (in the right column).

Activating Startup Repair

The Startup Repair feature allows you to start Acronis True Image Home 11 without loading the operating system, if for some reason the operating system stops loading. Using the "Startup Repair" feature, you can run the standalone version of Acronis True Image Home 11 and repair corrupted partitions by pressing the F11 key during bootup. Unlike booting from bootable media created by Acronis, you do not need separate media or a network connection to run Acronis True Image Home 11.

If, when creating a backup in the Acronis Secure Zone, you skipped the step of activating the Startup Repair feature, there is no need to repeat everything again.

Run the program. In the main program window, select Tools > Startup Repair.

The "Startup Repair" activation wizard will appear.

Before you start, you can use

What does it give?

You can install Windows on your computer and make a full disk backup, which will contain nothing but Windows, only clean Windows. Reinstalling the operating system takes at least 30 minutes of real time, and restoring the operating system using Acronis True Image will take no more than 5 minutes. The same can be said for HDD since already installed programs and all sorts of files, for example, walkthroughs of games or a thesis. Now this data will definitely be lost with you during a standard recovery. A diploma can be done for several months, which then may not be restored.

Acronis True Image allows you to get rid of fear for your data. You can copy your data to another drive, a hidden partition, or an FTP server. A new version True Image has received full integration into the Windows 7 control panel, which allows you to do archiving with almost no effort. The program can be used for free in trial mode (Trial), and then it can be purchased. Learn how to backup Windows system and restore. Perform a clone of the Windows operating system. By purchasing this video course you will be satisfied

BACKUP AND RESTORE

VIDEO COURSE Restoring Windows with Acronis 2016

Acronis True Image is already quite a popular system recovery, data backup and archiving application known to many people. This program gives you confidence in the safety of your data and their easy recovery on your computer. You can make it so that only individual folders or files will be backed up, any user data of your choice, and possibly entire partitions and even complete hard drives.

What does it give? You can install Windows on your computer and make a full disk backup, which will contain nothing but Windows, only clean Windows. Reinstalling the operating system takes at least 30 minutes of real time, and restoring the operating system using Acronis True Image will take no more than 5 minutes. The same can be said for a hard drive with already installed programs and all kinds of files, for example, game walkthroughs or a thesis. Now this data will definitely be lost with you during a standard recovery. A diploma can be done for several months, which then may not be restored.

Acronis True Image allows you to get rid of fear for your data. You can copy your data to another drive, a hidden partition, or an FTP server. The new version of True Image has received full integration into the Windows 7 control panel, which allows you to do archiving with almost no effort. The program can be used for free in trial mode (Trial), and then it can be purchased for about $ 30 (at the time of writing Acronis True Image Home 2016

As an alternative to the standard Windows functionality for data backup and recovery, the software product from company Acronis work on resuscitation of the operating system can be carried out both in desktop mode and from removable media, and even in its own recovery environment. Just as you can get into the pre-boot troubleshooting mode of Windows 7 by pressing the F8 key during system boot, so in the environment Acronis recovery can be accessed by pressing the F11 key during boot.

The Acronis Recovery Environment will be discussed below. Let's consider the functionality Acronis True Image 2016 in Windows preload mode.

1. Acronis Recovery Environment when booting Windows

Getting into the Acronis Recovery Environment while booting Windows is much easier than fiddling with the regular system environment. In versions of Windows 8.1 and 10, the moment from the computer's self-test to the system boot process is very fast. And the F8 key, as well as the combination Shift + F8, with which, ideally, the standard recovery environment supposedly starts, the operating system simply does not have time to perceive. The Acronis bootloader will also flicker on the monitor screen for a short time, only a couple of seconds, but this time will be enough to press the rescue key F11.

Acronis Recovery Environment when booting Windows- this is the same functionality that True Image offers on bootable removable media created in the desktop mode of the program. This is the ability to restore Windows, non-system disk partitions and individual files in the pre-boot mode of Acronis True Image, regardless of the operating system. In the event of a critical failure of Windows, when it stops loading, you can get into the Acronis Recovery Environment without a bootable USB flash drive or DVD, only by pressing the F11 key. And there already carry out an operation to restore the system from a previously saved backup.

The Acronis Recovery Environment, of course, by those same couple of seconds allotted for pressing the F11 key, increases the usual Windows boot time. But it eliminates the need to create and store bootable media. So, many modern PCs and laptops are already equipped without a DVD drive, and in such cases the only bootable media can only be flash drive. If there is no second computer device in the house so that it can be used to quickly create a bootable Acronis True Image flash drive, a separate flash drive will have to be initially sacrificed in case of problems with Windows.

Alas, not all users will be able to use the Acronis Recovery Environment when loading Windows at a critical moment. Many device owners with BIOS new format UEFI will have to forgo its benefits and enable a regular BIOS if they choose to use a tool like a third party recovery environment when booting Windows. In the future, perhaps this problem will be solved.

Activation of Acronis Recovery Environment at Windows startup is carried out inside the True Image desktop program. Below we will consider the operation of the recovery environment using the current version of 2016 of Acronis True Image as of the date of writing this article.

1. Activating Acronis Recovery Environment

Launch TrueImage.

When using the trial version of True Image 2016, which can be downloaded for free on the official Acronis website and freely tested for a month, click the button.

In our case, there are already two Windows backups stored on the non-system disk partition.

Switch to the program section and click the inscription "More tools".

The system explorer will open with separate True Image utilities. We launch the utility.

In the window for activating the recovery environment when loading Windows, click, respectively,.

Recovery environment activated successfully.

That's it - after that, every time you start Windows, for a couple of seconds we will see the Acronis bootloader window with a notification that you can get into the recovery environment by pressing the F11 key.

1. Windows Recovery

Having got into the Acronis Recovery Environment using the F11 key, in case of problems with Windows, we can return it to the state from a previously created backup. Press Enter in the boot menu window.

We fall on start page True Image functionality in preload mode. Choose .

In the next window, click "Update Backups" so that all the files on your computer ".tib"- Acronis True Image backup format files - appeared in the table below. If Acronis backups are not detected automatically during scanning, you can specify the path to them manually using the search button below. After the available backups appear in the table below, select the current one, call the context menu on it and select .

Recovery method during Windows resuscitation - disks and partitions. We press "Further".

We put marks on the boot record MBR, and to the section with Windows . We press "Further".

We do not change anything in the recovery configuration. Just click "Further".

In the target disk selection window (the drive to which the data will be restored) in our case, only one hard drive is visible. Therefore, there is no need to choose. We press "Further".

The Windows recovery process has started. We can wait until it finishes, or we can use the options to automatically turn off the computer or restart.

After restarting the computer, we will find Windows in the state in which it was saved at the time the just used backup was created.

You can disable Acronis Recovery Environment in exactly the same way as you can enable it. We go to the program section, click the inscription "More tools", run the utility from the system explorer. Only now we press the inscription "Deactivate".

Download Acronis software True Image 2016 from the official site:
http://www.acronis.com/en-us/personal/computer-backup

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