Totus Copy, for your dying hard drive
Performing regular backups of important data has been greatly simplified with the advent of Time Machine. For most people, in most cases, that's enough to ensure a good night's sleep. But for those situations where a hard drive in its death throes means a last minute panic to save whatever data can be salvaged, Totus Copy can make a bad day a little better.
The documentation for this new software from Dragon Forged clearly states that running it can further damage your failing drive, but that's not such a bad price to pay if it can save your data. It requires a hard disk that can still mount, and features several means of rescuing your flailing files, including transferring single files (less likely to fail than batches), minimal scanning to reduce failures and error correction with no time limit on transfers. It can also target specific directories or even file types.
Thankfully, I'm unable to test the application right now. But if you're in a situation where this might (now, or eventually) be a lifesaver, Dragon Forged is offering TUAW readers 25% off the $20 pricetag until June 1st. Just enter coupon code "BHBB0008F" when you purchase. More information, documentation and a trial download are all available on the product page.
