I would like to receive comments, opinions, even maybe (reasonable) offers
about the following problem:
Problem: It appears, that the directory-structure of an IBM-formatted
ZIP-100 disk I have has been overwritten (partially or entirely). It is
possible that files have not been affected (i.e. they might not have been
overwritten, just "lost"). This "destruction" of the ZIP-disk's directory,
which has rendered its content's useless occurred in what I would describe
as a _STRICTLY READ-ONLY_ environment. I am still baffled and VERY VERY
angry as to how a read-command can inflict write-damage in such a top-level
field as the contents of a disk drive!!! Even if it's a ZIP drive...
What I need (and will be very thankfull for!):
Some advice &/or opinion on:
- What might have happened (I suspect some major network drive management
software bug that is either generic or ZIP-drive related; like a bad
definition of permission to write rights, for example)
- Is this a common problem (precise details available to serious
inquiries);
- What are my best options for action?
I would like to have full or partial recovery, but can not afford it if it
comes at industrial-scale prices, that can be prohibitive for personal
computing users like me.
How the problem occurred:
Due to a crash of my home computer, I had to make an emergency use of
personal files from my back-up ZIP-100 disk on a public computer.
The behavior of that computer (a workstation on a large network) was
somewhat similar to two of the problems I used to see (and occasionally
still encounter) with ZIP drives under MS Windows: 1) display of incorrect
ZIP-drive upper-level-directory info (after replacing a ZIP-disk) and 2) a
client-program causing a system crash... before I learned _not_ to take the
ZIP disk out until I have closed the client program (blue screen; system
crash etc.)
What exactly happened:
I opened the ZIP disk (disk #1) from the "File--Open" command menu window.
When I realized I had the wrong backup disk, I changed drive-letters, took
out the disk and inserted another ZIP-disk (disk #2). Upon selecting again
the ZIP drive, I was... shocked to discover that the "file-open" selection
window displayed again the previous ZIP disk's directory. I changed to
another ZIP-disk (disk#3) and... the same. This is something I thought I
was familiar with - when it occurs in Windows explorer (BTW at home I still
use WIN 98SE) and it didn't bother me as much because I know how to resolve
it - refresh or close and reopen Windows Explorer. With this public
computer, however, I was strictly limited to the use of only a few network
server run client programs (no file management tools at all!) and the only
access to a drive's directory I had was from within the file-open menu of
the client. There was no other way to "refresh", even to inspect a disk's
directory other than to deselect+select-again the ZIP-drive and that did not
work...
As I was not able to get access to (i.e. to find) the file I was looking
for, I quit. I DID NOT open any files, I did not save absolutely anything
on any of the three (3) ZIP disks I attempted to read in the manner
described above.
THE BIG problem manifested itself later - only after I tried to access these
three disks from the typical environment I use them in - WIN-98SE Windows
Explorer.
Upon reading these disks' directories I discovered, that only disk#1 is
intact (was the same as before teh episode above). Disk #2 and disk#3 have
had their top level directory contents overwritten with the top-directory
content of disk #1. On disks #2 & #3 there is some directory structure that
can be seen beyond the top-level, but it is awfully garbled and ... of
course, invalid. I have stopped using these disks.
This is a "small" disaster for me, but it is still a disaster. At least one
of these disks was such a large personal archive of backups that many of the
files were single and only copies left. Some of them were produced by
painful multiple FTP transfers from mainframe and VAX nodes in the early
90s... There are no other backups of those.
My biggest mistake was to even attempt file access from a backup disk,
instead of from a work-copy of it. But then - I was in what I considered
then an emergency and with no access to file management tools. From now on
I will reconsider what I call an "emergency use"... perhaps only the end of
the world might tempt me again to open a backup copy without backing up the
backup beforehand!!!...
But I am most upset by the fact that a command menu action that is supposed
to be strictly "read-only" has not only written on my ZIP disk without an
authorization, but managed to render it useless in the process. Compare
this with the merely annoying extra few folders that MACs (safely) add to
the directories of IBM-formatted floppies they have accessed under read-only
conditions.
Any help?
Greetings,
Vess
P.S. If this is a localized problem or a network/server specific (hardware
or software) problem, is it possible to try to get "free recovery" like:
I release full information about the problem and release all credits and
benefits from its' diagnostics and solution to:
the right professional, who promises to either recover the ZIP disks'
directories/files to their early status, or to arrange for me to get that
recovery. We are talking about a problem that occurred on a network of
possibly 100-1000 workstations with anywhere between 1000-100,000 users.
The cost of hardware and software involved is ridiculously huge for such a
problem to be left untouched. I am not the person to intervene on such a
large scale, but I am willing to assist the right professional in the early
stages of intervention in exchange for my "free recovery". After all - at
least I have identified the problem by being its... guinea pig.
I have not contacted the network's tech support as it is virtually
non-existent - this is my opinion based on previous experiences with them
that had to do with an earlier version of the ZIP-drive they "supported"
(i.e. left malfunctioning for years).
I am willing to consider IOMEGA's data recovery service, but the $350 per
pop price tag means... I am still considering other options and if I ever
end up using it, I'll recover only my most precious disk (of the two damaged
ones) and let the other one go...