[Bug-ddrescue] Advice for HD recovery options

[Kate D.]

Hi,

I have a failing HD which I would like to attempt recovery on.  I've
searched the internet far and wide looking at different tools for recovery
and ddrescue comes up trumps so I'd like to give it a really good go using
the best possible means via ddrescue.  I figure I'm going to have one shot
at recovery, and anything extra is a bonus as is any usable data recovered.

The HD concerned is an External 500GB WD, approx 80% filled, 2 partitions of
equal size and each partition would have equivalent amount of data, format =
HFS+.   My Mac sees the drive but not the partitions, same with Disk
Utility.  I attempted to recover using Data Rescue but no files were able to
be opened, so I turned the drive off while I reviewed other options and
formulated a best possible plan.

I have a MacBook C2D which will be dedicated to the purpose, as well as a
new external 1TB HD.  I was planning that the sick and new HD would be
daisy-chained as the MacBook only has one firewire port.  USB is also an
option.   After imaging is complete (gotta think positive - right?) and I'd
retrieved all the possible data off the old hard drive as it would give, I
would then copy the image over to yet another HD to work on repair and file
recovery.

1)  The data output from ddrescue is as an image?  Therefore destination
could be either to the whole formatted HD or to a partition?  Does the size
of the image need to be specified?  I ask because reading back though pages
of threads by other Mac people, many seem to have run into errors relating
to lack of space to their defined destination.

2)  Is Mac OS an equitable OS or would I be better installing Linux - or
could I use a Live CD or install via USB device?  There's nothing important
on the MacBook and if another OS is going to give better results I'd rather
go down the route for best possible outcome.  

3) For the first run, I'd want it to be as quick and problem free as
possible.  I don't even want it to give the bad areas a second glance.  How
could I improve on the following:
sudo ./ddrescue  -B -v -r0 -n  /dev/rdisk2 /Volumes/part1/recovered.dmg
/Volumes/part2/recovered.log

What about adding -S or -D or -c options or is what I have above sufficient
for a quick (as possible) first run?

For the second and subsequent runs I'd want it to do more - I'm open to
suggestions?


Many thanks for any help - and sorry for the million questions.
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