Sorry, I was referring to the orignial writer...it appeared that English was a second language or that he used a translation program...so I was fishing for just what he meant by "physical errors." Yes, I know what they are, but did he?
It's been some time since I researched this topic but here goes...correct what I am out to lunch on...
There is also this to consider...I don't know how relevant it is today what with technology being so much more advanced...but way back when...I read that the platters were coated with a fine emulsion, applied to hold the respective charge, which over time, under the affect of centrifical forces and the "reading" mechanics," actually wore off...much the same as a tape, in a tape recorder, has an emulsion on one side which acts in much the same manner. The dust flew around and settled in the bottom of the case...along with it, "bits" of data!
So, with actual "contact" errors and "wear" errors, we bunch them together to understand them as physical anomolies, interpretted by the machine as physical errors as opposed to "errors of blindness" due to a bad registry.
Some software identifies the spots that are on their way to oblivion, isolates them from the memory template of the whole, or set of platters, sets them aside as unassailable in memory, and moves what data it can to another, safer part of the drive platter[s]...thus the computer becomes blind to what was/is an actual physical error, which, as far as it is concerned no longer exists...and no longer uses that protion of the drive platter.
Now, that is what I was referring to as "physical errors" and needed to understand before advising as to what to do.
If the drive is pretty well shot,
wouter and William are correct ...
you are up a creek, unless you have deep pockets. The technology involved for reclaiming such platter content is
expensive and very time consuming.
Some software can sort out
less problematic platters, such as
Bad Copy Pro, one that I prefer,
some others to consider, depending on the degree of damage, or extent of the problem are:
1. Active Undelete...Active also has a great line of products
2. AnyReader Pro
3. Dead Disk Doctor
4. Document Rescue Pro
5. R-Studio
6. Search and Recover, and
7. Bad Copy Pro, as I said, my favourite...
8. SpinRite
Whatever software you chose be sure it is designed to "work" on you version of an OS and FAS...file allocation system, FAT or NTFS...