Disk-Restore.com
Software and tips to help you restore a hard drive and recover data from fixed and removable disks.
Frequently Asked Questions
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My computer won't boot. Which one of your programs do I need?

We offer several products that will create a CD that you can use to boot your PC. For your con- venience, we have created a chart showing the features of each program. Check it to see which programs will create a boot CD. Of course, if your computer doesn't boot, you'll have to download and install the program on another computer to burn the boot CD.       Back to FAQ's

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My Windows won't start. Do I have to re-install it?

A complete Windows re-install should always be a last resort. First try repairing the installation using the appropriate recovery tools from a boot CD created from one of our software products. If this doesn't work, and you have performed a Windows backup or a disk/partition clone using the software, you can restore from this backup. If you haven't done either, try to find a Windows CD and boot from it. Check here for some tips on making repairs using that CD. If none of this works, be prepared to do the re-install.       Back to FAQ's

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Why should I back up, aren't hard drives a lot more dependable than they used to be?

Hard disk drive technology has come a long way over the years, providing inexpensive, high capacity digital storage. Unfortunately, like any other electronic components, they are prone to failure. Couple that with the fact that they also have mechanical parts moving at high rates of speed and you'll find that hard disks are one of the least reliable devices in a computer.

It's puzzling why so many users, and especially businesses, don't make any attempt to backup their important data. It isn't difficult nor is it time consuming if the backups are scheduled to take place automatically late at night or even when computers are shut down for the day.       Back to FAQ's

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Will using Windows System Restore get rid of viruses or spyware?

In short, No. Windows System Restore actually takes your computer back in time to a previous good configuration by restoring the registry to the date of your choice. By doing this, the registry no longer contains the information placed there by a virus or malware. However, any files created or infected by the rogue program remain on the hard drive, often re-installing the same entires into the registry at a later date.

To effectively prevent infection or eliminate viruses or other malware, good antispyware and antivirus software needs to 1. be installed on the computer and 2. kept up-to-date with the latest downloads. A quality program such as PC Tools Spyware Doctor with Antivirus is a good choice. Updates are automatic and can be set for the days/times of the user's choice.

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It takes forever to install Windows XP or Vista, then the Service Packs. Is there a quicker way?

Anyone who has had the unenviable task of re-installing Windows, then downloading and re-installing the latest service packs, knows how time-consuming this task is. But, there is a way to streamline the entire operation by incorporating the service packs and any other desired Windows updates all in one installation. The only requirements are that you have the original Windows CD, a DVD burner, and the free program meant just for this purpose. This free program and all the instructions to create a slip-stream install disk for XP or Vista are here: nlite (XP) or vlite (Vista)       Back to FAQ's
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How do I make my computer boot from the DVD/CD drive?

If you've already tried a boot CD, but the system wouldn't boot from it, or tried to boot your hard drive instead, you'll need to enter the BIOS configuration and make sure that your CD/DVD drive is set first in the boot sequence. This setting is typically found in the Advanced BIOS Settings. For information on accessing the BIOS, click here.       Back to FAQ's

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How do I know what type of hard drive is in my PC?

Unless your computer is an old network server, you can expect to find one of two types of hard disks inside. Either PATA (also known as IDE) or SATA. There are obvious differences between the two. Open your computer case and look for one of these two drives.       Back to FAQ's

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How do I set up a second PATA hard drive as a slave so I can clone my existing disk to it?

If your PC has an existing PATA hard disk, you can attach another PATA disk to either it or to the CD/DVD drive. There are two ways to do this. 1. You can set the small jumper on the back of the first device to the master position and the secondary hard drive's jumper to the slave position. There is usually a diagram on the cover of the drive or the back of the CD/DVD drive showing the correct position for the jumper. Now, you can hook up the drive to the available connector on the data cable (make sure the red stripe is next to the power connector), then plug in the power connector. When you restart your system it should recognize the new drive as the slave.

2. You can also set the jumpers on the two devices you're connecting together to the CS (cable select) position. In this instance, you must make sure that the drive you want to be the slave is connected to the middle connector on the data cable. The device at the end of the cable will be recognized as the master.       Back to FAQ's

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Can I install an IDE (PATA) hard disk in my PC if the only IDE connector is used by the DVD drive?

Yes, you can set up the PATA hard disk as either a master or slave and the DVD drive as the other of the two choices. Use one of the methods given in the previous answer above to do this.

If there is only one IDE connector, and the DVD drive is at present the only device connected to it that means that your hard disk is a SATA drive. There are probably at least two SATA connectors on the motherboard and you can attach the PATA drive to one of them by using an IDE Drive to SATA Cable Converter.       Back to FAQ's
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Can I use an SATA drive in a PC that only has IDE (PATA) data connectors or vice versa?

Yes. There are converters or adapters that will allow you to connect a SATA drive to an IDE connector on the motherboard. Conversely, adapters are available to connect a PATA drive to an SATA cable.       Back to FAQ's

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I want to install a larger capacity hard drive in my computer, where do I start?

First determine whether you need a SATA or PATA hard disk. Once you've figured that out decide how much storage capacity you need. As of this writing you can buy a 1.5 terabyte hard drive for less than $150. That's a huge amount of disk storage, much more than most home users need. How about a 500 gigabyte drive (1/2 terabyte) for under $60. That's cheap! Anyway, only you can decide how much capacity you'll need.

After obtaining the disk, hook it up to the data and power cables. If it is a PATA drive, set it up as slave using the instructions given in a previous answer above. Boot the computer with a CD containing disk cloning software. Choose your original drive as the source and the new drive as the destination. Decide whether you want to clone disk-to-disk or partition-to-partition. In other words you can clone the old disk to the new disk with all the new additional space in that partition. Or, you can clone the old partition to a partition the same size on the new disk. Using this method, you could create one or more additional partitions on the new disk.

You might also want to think about leaving your old disk in the computer as a backup drive. After reformatting it you could then copy an image file of your new hard drive partition to that disk for safekeeping, use the disk for backing up your data, or both. Just make sure there is room in your case for both hard drives and that they can be arranged in a way that will allow the data cables to reach properly.       Back to FAQ's

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Why would I want more than one partition on my hard disk?

Well, you might not. Most users are perfectly happy with a single large partition containing the operating system software, application software, utilities, games, data, etc. There are some advantages to having that extra partition or two, though.

The best use for an extra partition would be to store you data. Most software programs allow you to choose the location where they store (and access) the data files they create. This means that if Windows gets corrupted, you would still be able to access your files using the safe mode command prompt or a DOS boot disk.

Or, you could create an image file of your entire C: drive by using one of the software products designed for this and store that image file on the additional partition. Then, if Windows craps out, just boot from the CD that you created with the software and restore the image.       Back to FAQ's

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Why won't Windows XP recognize more than 131gb of my new hard drive?

If you install Windows XP from an early version that doesn't include Service Pack 1, you'll find that it only recognizes a partition of 131 gigabytes on the hard drive. You can fix this by doing one of several things:

        1. Create a slipstreamed install CD with SP2 and SP3 on it and re-install Windows. See this
        information from a previous answer.
        2. Keep the 131gb partition and create another partition in the unallocated space (after
        you've installed SP2 or SP3).
        3. Keep the 131gb partition, install SP2 and 3, then use a partition manager to resize the
        partition to include the unallocated space on the disk.       Back to FAQ's
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I want to install a RAID setup in my PC. How do I do it?

RAID can be either hardware or software based. In most cases, home users will be using software RAID. Most new motherboards come with RAID drivers and software designed for SATA drives and is relatively easy to configure, although a fresh install of XP requires a floppy disk with the drivers on it. The key here is that the hard drives used should be identical or, at least, very simlar in size and speed. RAID offers few advantages for most home users. An explanation of the various kinds of RAID included with most home computers can be found here.       Back to FAQ's

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I want to speed up my computer? Should I buy a faster hard drive?

It depends. If you have plenty of system memory (2 gigs for XP, 3 for Vista) then the next logical step would be possibly upgrading the hard drive.

If your existing drive is a 5400 rpm model in a desktop computer or a 4200 rpm drive in a laptop, I would say buy a new drive. The access speed will be noticeably faster. If you don't know what the rotational (rpm) speed of your disk is, you'll need to pull it out of the computer and look at the make and model number. Using this information, check on the manufacturer's website for the specs.

If the drive is already a 7200 rpm model, you're probably not going to see much difference in performance unless:

1. The capacity is relatively small and the disk is getting full. If you have lots of stuff on the disk, such as programs and data that you need to keep, you may want to upgrade to a larger drive. A full disk does not perform well.

2. A small cache memory. This is basically buffer memory that holds recently accessed data from the disk. If you need to access that data again it will be pulled from the cache rather than having to be retrieved from the disk. Older 7200 rpm disks had a 2 megabyte or smaller cache. Most drives now have at least 8mb and some large drives as much as 32mb. While the benefits of larger caches is debatable, there is little question that under heavy use in disk-intensive applications there can be at least a minor performance gain.

3. SATA vs PATA. If you currently have a PATA drive, but your computer has SATA connectors, upgrading to a new Serial ATA drive can have some performance benefits. The max transfer rate for PATA drives is 100 or 133mb/s while first generation SATA is 150mb/s and SATA-II is (theoretically) 300mb/s.

It also helps to do disk maintenance such as that described here. You'll see a big difference.
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