Help!!! My hard disk has failed. The hard disk is a 40GB slim MAXTOR. I created four partition on it and was using two of the partition as backup for my files.
How the trouble started:
It happened that the generator in the office went off and restarted while my PC was on. By the time I returned to my desk to put on the PC it could no longer boot. It was showing the following error:

Primary Master HDD Error
Run SETUP Press
F1 to Resume

I thought it was a minor problem. So I removed the hard disk and attached it to another pc as slave. But alas, it still came back with the same error message only this time

Primary Slave HDD Error
Run SETUP Press
F1 to Resume

Whenever, I run setup, I discover that the BIOS configuration is showing that the hard disk is not available. But when I scanned for hard disk under BIOS SETUP, the full specification of the hard disk get displayed. Unfortunately, after saving the specification and returning to the booting area, the same error message gets displayed. When I return to BIOS SETUP, the hard disk will not be showing.

If I press F1, the computer start seeking for the OPERATING SYSTEM from other sources other than the HARD DISK.

When slaved to another computer. The same error still get showing. However, after pressing F1, the computer will boot normally, but the hard disk will neither show up under DISK MANAGEMENT, nor under Hardware Profile. That is, it is treated as none existing. I have tried using different OS, WIN98, WIN2000 and WIN XP. It is the same result.
It was then I realise that "wahala don sele" (there is trouble). For more than 3 days I was combing the internet to get solution because I have files on the hard disk that spans several years work. In my wildest dream I never imagine that a hard disk will just pack up like that. So foolishly, I have been backing up my files in the fourth partition of the hard disk.

Please, if anyone knows how I can get my files off this hard disk. Kindly post the solution. Thanks in advance.

check this out,
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-2862.0.html

Y do dont u look 4 d manufacture site of d HD on d net. Contact them, trust me they r d best to help u out on this. Ok,man?

Hello SCRIBE,there two things involved,
1.Your system shows errors on HD
2.Your system shows HD specifications in BIOS SETUP. eg sectors

If it is 1,then your HD read/ write head might have been damaged
If it is 2,then you may need to let go and fomatt the HD.(if it does not work,HD is permanently damaged and all infomation is lost)

Seems like the circuit on 'top' (not the platter inside the case) of the hard drive got fried. What you can do is:

-buy, borrow, steal (whatever) another 40GB slim Maxtor hard drive ---must be the same type for this to work
-unscrew the circuit on top of both,
-replace the bad hard drive with the new circuit.

That might give you a chance of getting access to copy your data.

Note: Fixing 'bricked' hard drive has always been trial and error. You might see just one partition when you do this because, a chip on the circuit contains the volume/partition information and how data were written.

Good luck.

@Ynot
Thanks for your suggestion. I already tried it (I did not steal , I had another one in the office) but it didn't work. I used another Maxtor 40GB that is still functional. The circuit of the defective hard disk even worked well on the swapped harddisk. So I believe it is not the circuit.

@Hayprof
The manufacturers are lousy. Actually, Seagate has bought them over.

Thanks to all for your suggestions. I am grateful. I am still hopeful that one of these days, I will be able to retrieve my data from the maxtor hard disk.
Meanwhile, I encourage every nairaland member that has a maxtor disk drive to URGENTLY make backup of their important data. The reports I read on the internet about the failure of this particular brand is frightening.

This maxtor HDD is funny o; my own just crashed last week; I tried replacing it with another maxtor that i have known to be good but it became bad suddenly too. Please were MAXTOR HDD programmed to fail in 2006?? I have replaced the HDD with a different brand which is working now. But i lost every data in the fucking maxtor HDD.

@Ishmael
I can understand your pain. The manufacturers has caused so much pain to a lot of people. I wish we could all join hands and sue them. Their technology is faulty. I've used several other hard disk. None of them has ever dropped dead without warning. I'm still looking forward for a way to get my precious data out of the hard disk. Whether it is dead or not. I want my data back.

@gentleone
Thanks. I will check those guys out.