Recently my husband's desktop computer started making clicking noises. We didn't think anything of it at first, until this morning, when it shut itself down. When we tried to restart it, it informed us that it couldn't find the hard drive. We're really hoping (a) that the hard drive isn't fried beyond use, and (b) that we'll be able to get his work files off of his hard drive. Is there any way we can recover his files, or fix the computer completely? *hopeful face*

Scleros

Yes, the usual strategy is to replace the drive with a new one, reinstall the operating system, and then restore all your data from a backup and you're back up and running.

If you do not have a backup, your situation is more dire. Clicking noises and the drive failing to be recognized are symptoms of a failing and then probably dead drive. The Hard Drive FAQ lists diagnostic utilities for checking drives of various manufacturers. Sometimes it is possible to install a new drive, reinstall the operating system and then connect the sick drive as a second drive and pull files off it. However, since it is no longer being recognized this strategy is probably not viable. Furthermore, continued use of the drive will reduce the chances of recovery for any files that need to be retained. If you have files that absolutely cannot be lost, stop using the drive immediately and contact a data recovery company.