Recover Files from a failling nonOS Harddrive

[Lucian_Dragos]

I know trying to use Windows for data recovery is like performing surgery with a hacksaw... Sometimes it kinda works but mostly destroys more then it helps >_>;...  So...

I have a rather old WD Black 2Tb HDD I got when 2Tb drive 1st came out that has come to the end of it's life. The problem is while most of what was\is on it was also stored elsewhere I do still have data I want to try and recover from it.

The odd thing is how it has failed.. I can read the data and even open files \ watch videos just fine from the drive itself but any attempts to copy data off it ends up running super slow.. Like it took 4 days to copy about 100Gb in a USB 3.0 toaster dock.

 

So the point here is I figure a Linux distro would be a better choice and I have a old laptop laying around to install it on, But I don't know which one and which recovery tools would be best to try with.. I would like a GUI for the most part but I can do CLI if really needed.. I was looking at mostly Mint or Centos atm

[Electronics Wizardy]

First thing is to make a image with ddrescue. Then id try to mount the drive and it should be able to copy files from it.

[Lucian_Dragos]

One more detail I should add... I do not have a drive big enough to image the whole 2Tb too so I need to be selective of what is copied..

I.E. No need to copy what is already backed up or stuff like game and program data that's easily re-downloaded \ reinstalled

 

I have DDRescue up in a tab already but didn't read much on it yet

[A.Hruskach]

Maybe the data is fragmented severely? If it is, access time and R/W speeds will be affected. Run a disk defragmenter and see how bad it is. Edit: also, make sure the usb dock is running at the correct speed, like it can only go as fast as the slowest part of the connection. So ensure your port is USB 3.0, the cable is USB3.0, and the drive is fast enough (. HDD’s that are SATAIII can be anywhere from a few MB/s to over 130MB/s. So just remember that all drives have differences. Look at rated Read / Write speeds on the drives spec page)

[Lucian_Dragos]

Though of that but even old files that have been there and copied before at normal speeds are effected so didn't want to unnecessarily stress the drive .. I have known this drive was on borrowed time for a while as S.M.A.R.T. was reporting "bad" which is why the bulk of it was backed up already.. just bad timing in failing before a replacement could be bought..

 

Oh and turns out my only dock that can power a desktop drive does not detect at all in Linux (tied 3 distros from different bases) so this whole thing is moot until I ether use Mac or Windows to get the data.. or buck up for a new dock >_>