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To all the sceptics: been using SpinRite since 2007 on many HHDs and it has saved us _many_ times. Steve Gibson knows hard drives and their recovery better than

To all the sceptics: been using SpinRite since 2007 on many HHDs and it has saved us _many_ times. Steve Gibson knows hard drives and their recovery better than anyone. Highly recommend it if you need to recover a drive.

paulryanrogers 2y ago
Yet there are testimonials here in this thread that it can make a damaged drive worse. For some use cases the professionals are worth their high fees. SpinRite is for low stakes situations or folks who cannot afford better. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40479468 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40479468
- nelsonic 2y ago
  Disagree. SpinRite is for a hard drive that still runs but the computer does not recognise. i.e. it's a great diagnostic tool! If the drive doesn't power-up or "clicks" (because the reader broken) then yes, of course take it to "pros" first to see what they can do. But the "pros" use SpinRite and charge you $50/hour. And if you live somewhere remote where there are no competent technicians ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I've used SpinRite to recover "photo backup" drives for relatives where their local PC repair shop said "nothing can be done". For that relative it's their life on the HHD, couldn't be more high stakes than that (to them) and I trust it without any hesitation. SpinRite just goes to work and a few hours (sometimes days) later it magically works again. Easily worth the $89 Steve charges for it.
  - paulryanrogers 2y ago
    I didn't mean unqualified repair shops. Rather professional recovery services who specialize in getting data off of damaged and failing drives.
  - epcoa 2y ago
    > “pros" use SpinRite and charge you $50/hour. Data recovery experts definitely do not use SpinRite (I cannot speak for every corner computer shop and random 13 year olds on the next claiming to be data recovery experts) > Easily worth the $89 Steve charges for it. ddrescue and photorec are free.
ikiris 2y ago
My anti tiger rock also has kept my life tiger free.
- nelsonic 2y ago
  Thank you for reminding me to step away from my computer and get some fresh air. :-)
8372049 2y ago
Have you tried ddrescue?
epcoa 2y ago
> Steve Gibson knows hard drives and their recovery better than anyone No he doesn’t. He’s a charlatan. http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=181&t=2929 http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=181&t=2929 He uses the same marketing speak since 40 years ago when MFM drives were the norm even though hard drive technology has changed fundamentally at all layers. If you have questionable media the safest thing to do is make an image, not try to “repair” the device in place. I’m not a sceptic, I just know what I’m talking about. Anyone with a slightly detailed knowledge of modern hard drives knows that the SpinRite claims are hogwash. It would be harmless if it didn’t actually waste precious time on marginal media not simply trying to make an expedient image.

paulryanrogers 2y ago

Yet there are testimonials here in this thread that it can make a damaged drive worse. For some use cases the professionals are worth their high fees. SpinRite is for low stakes situations or folks who cannot afford better. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40479468 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40479468

nelsonic 2y ago
Disagree. SpinRite is for a hard drive that still runs but the computer does not recognise. i.e. it's a great diagnostic tool! If the drive doesn't power-up or "clicks" (because the reader broken) then yes, of course take it to "pros" first to see what they can do. But the "pros" use SpinRite and charge you $50/hour. And if you live somewhere remote where there are no competent technicians ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I've used SpinRite to recover "photo backup" drives for relatives where their local PC repair shop said "nothing can be done". For that relative it's their life on the HHD, couldn't be more high stakes than that (to them) and I trust it without any hesitation. SpinRite just goes to work and a few hours (sometimes days) later it magically works again. Easily worth the $89 Steve charges for it.
- paulryanrogers 2y ago
  I didn't mean unqualified repair shops. Rather professional recovery services who specialize in getting data off of damaged and failing drives.
- epcoa 2y ago
  > “pros" use SpinRite and charge you $50/hour. Data recovery experts definitely do not use SpinRite (I cannot speak for every corner computer shop and random 13 year olds on the next claiming to be data recovery experts) > Easily worth the $89 Steve charges for it. ddrescue and photorec are free.

ikiris 2y ago

My anti tiger rock also has kept my life tiger free.

nelsonic 2y ago
Thank you for reminding me to step away from my computer and get some fresh air. :-)

8372049 2y ago

Have you tried ddrescue?

epcoa 2y ago

> Steve Gibson knows hard drives and their recovery better than anyone No he doesn’t. He’s a charlatan. http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=181&t=2929 http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=181&t=2929 He uses the same marketing speak since 40 years ago when MFM drives were the norm even though hard drive technology has changed fundamentally at all layers. If you have questionable media the safest thing to do is make an image, not try to “repair” the device in place. I’m not a sceptic, I just know what I’m talking about. Anyone with a slightly detailed knowledge of modern hard drives knows that the SpinRite claims are hogwash. It would be harmless if it didn’t actually waste precious time on marginal media not simply trying to make an expedient image.