Can you help with a disk problem?

[Robert]

I've been working on a document in microsoft word, and since last night, the document that I've been working on won't open. There are 11 other documents in the disk - those will open and work fine. However, when I try to open this particular document, the computer will make a groaning-data-upload noise, forever, until I remove the disk. Even if I hover my mouse over this one document the groaning-data-upload noise will start and I will have to eject the disk or my computer will remain frozen in stasis.

I've tried this disk on four different computers now -two Dell's a Gateway and a Compaq - but the result is always the same.

I've scanned the disk for a virus but F-secure Anti-Virus tells me it cannot access that one document, though everything else is clean.

And last but not least, when the disk tells me of its contents, it says "12 files (and 1 hidden)"

I wonder what that hidden one is. So anyway, I really need to retrieve this document. If anyone can help me it would be very, very appreciated.

[Paranoid2000]

Just to clarify things - is this file on a 3.5" floppy disk or some other removable media?

This does sound very much like a corrupted disk. The only thing I can think of off-hand would be a program like SpinRite (http://grc.com/spinrite.htm) which can do data recovery from damaged media. However it only works on FAT/FAT32 file systems (if this problem is with a floppy, then it will use FAT) and while the FAQ does mention removable media, it does not mention floppy drives specifically. So I would ask first before buying - it costs US$89 and there is no demo version.

[Robert]

It's a 3 1/2 inch floppy, and the document I need was deemed "unrecoverable" by a demo program of "BadCopy Pro" I found off Google. I was pretty much just wondering if there was some website or program I was unfamiliar with that could work miracles with this sort of thing, but it looks like I'll be biting the bullet. Thanks for the response though - these forums has always been amazing.

Robert