Recover Files From Repartitioned Drive (EXT2 to NTFS)

Using TestDisk to undelete files
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camaroon
Posts: 3
Joined: 11 Feb 2013, 05:40

Recover Files From Repartitioned Drive (EXT2 to NTFS)

#1 Post by camaroon »

Hi, I just found this utility through a recommendation. I'd like to give it a try but I just hope someone could give me a little guidance so I don't screw things up worse than I have. Basically, I had a lot of media files saved on two drives that were each formatted with EXT2 partitions. I decided to reformat them in NTFS and that's where I am now. Each drive only had one EXT2 partition on them, and now each has only one NTFS partition, and I haven't written anything new to either drive since I did this. I used a free utility to do this repartition. The one I'm working on right now is 2TB in size and has a lot of 1.5GB+ AVI movies I'm trying to recover and a lot of smaller, couple hundred MB videos, as well. Again, any guidance would be appreciated as this program seems a little outside my working knowledge of these things. Thanks!

raymor
Posts: 2
Joined: 11 Feb 2013, 19:48

Re: Recover Files From Repartitioned Drive (EXT2 to NTFS)

#2 Post by raymor »

so I don't screw things up worse than I have.
First thing, make an image of the drive. Then work on the image. If you screw it up, you can always make another image. Testdisk has a menu item for making an image. That's the ONLY thing you should do wit the drive itself. All other work is done on the image.


Once you're working on the image, you can try changing the partiton type with testdisk, then have it search for backup superblocks. With the ext2/ext3 superblock, it can probably find your files. A few bytes in each file my have been changed byt he ntfs format, but since they are movies that probably doesn't matter. A few bytes changed will probably just mean that for a tiny fraction of a second a discoloration appears in a small spot in on the screen.

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Fiona
Posts: 2835
Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 17:19
Location: Ludwigsburg/Stuttgart - Germany

Re: Recover Files From Repartitioned Drive (EXT2 to NTFS)

#3 Post by Fiona »

Run Deeper Search and have a look for your partitions.
If TestDisk finds your partitions, you can mark them and use the right or left arrow key on your keyboard to set it up for recovery as primary, Star* (primary activ and bootable) or L as a logical partition.
Some info;
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Partitio ... nd_logical
Might be possible that you have to recover the superblock of your ext2-partitions.
Instructions, how to repair a superblock using its backup and fsck here;
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Advanced ... SuperBlock

Fiona

camaroon
Posts: 3
Joined: 11 Feb 2013, 05:40

Re: Recover Files From Repartitioned Drive (EXT2 to NTFS)

#4 Post by camaroon »

Raymor and Fiona, thanks a lot for your responses! With regard to making an image of the drive, this might be a stupid question but I don't currently have another drive big enough to make an image so I have to buy before before I proceed. Would it be better to get an external or an internal drive for something like this? The drive I'm trying to restore is a 2TB so I would just get one the same size. Also, should I unhook the drive from my computer until I'm ready to make an image? For some additional info, I've already run scans with a couple of other recovery programs on this drive.

Also, I downloaded and ran this program for a couple of minutes the other day but am a little confused by the menu's and where to go to run scans and do the things you're outling before. So I'll start with the basics, once I create an image, what is the first step after that? I hate to ask for specific instructions but I really want to be as careful as possible!

camaroon
Posts: 3
Joined: 11 Feb 2013, 05:40

Re: Recover Files From Repartitioned Drive (EXT2 to NTFS)

#5 Post by camaroon »

Quick update and request for further help. Fiona, I'm currently running a deeper search on the drive and after only about 2% complete it has found 5 partitions, one NTFS and four Linux. The Linux ones look like they are duplicates of each other. Two each are identical in their numbers. So at this point, can I stop the scan and continue, or should I let it finish? Once completed, what are the next steps? Thanks!

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