Dynamic drive invalid

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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ManlishPotato
Posts: 5
Joined: 13 Nov 2020, 17:43

Dynamic drive invalid

#1 Post by ManlishPotato »

Hi!
I have really been scratching my head on this one, I'm sure the problem is real simple but bare with me... XD

I recently sold my pc which had an extra 1TB hdd in it, i used this as a secondary drive, having the OS on the other SSD. I should note that before i removed the drive i hade a Linux partition on it which i deleted to fit more files, when i deleted the partition and united the two to one big about 1TB partition it turned into a dynamic partition. I could still access the drive no problem, now as one big partition of 1TB. When i removed the drive and plugged it into my hdd docking station however it doesn't show up.

In disk manager it shows up as "dynamic, invalid". So i tried using testdisk, and i can successfully list all the files. I copied one of the files and it is not corrupted.
In testdisk it shows up as one "primary bootable" partition, yet when i try to "write" after "quick search" it says:
"partition write error" and gives this log file:

Fri Nov 13 18:03:42 2020
Command line: TestDisk

TestDisk 7.2-WIP, Data Recovery Utility, Novembre 2020
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>
https://www.cgsecurity.org
OS: Windows 8 (9200)
Compiler: GCC 9.3, Cygwin 3001.4
ext2fs lib: 1.45.3, ntfs lib: 10:0:0, reiserfs lib: none, ewf lib: 20140608, curses lib: ncurses 6.1
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(/dev/sda)=256060514304
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(/dev/sdb)=1000204886016
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\PhysicalDrive0)=256060514304
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\PhysicalDrive1)=1000204886016
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\C:)=254793698816
Hard disk list
Disk /dev/sda - 256 GB / 238 GiB - CHS 31130 255 63, sector size=512 - LITEON LCH-256V2S-HP, S/N:002524165068, FW:2C02
Disk /dev/sdb - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63, sector size=512 - Asmedia ASM1153E, S/N:C90000000000

Partition table type (auto): Intel
Disk /dev/sdb - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - Asmedia ASM1153E
Partition table type: Intel

Analyse Disk /dev/sdb - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63
Geometry from i386 MBR: head=255 sector=63
check_part_i386 1 type 42: no test
check_part_i386 2 type 42: no test
check_part_i386 3 type 42: no test
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=255 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=8 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=16 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=32 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=64 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=128 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=240 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=255 nbr=1
Current partition structure:
1 P W2K Dynamic/SFS 0 1 1 0 32 32 1985
2 * W2K Dynamic/SFS 0 32 33 121600 247 55 1953517568
3 P W2K Dynamic/SFS 121600 247 56 121601 48 31 3504

search_part()
Disk /dev/sdb - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63
NTFS at 0/32/33
filesystem size 1953517568
sectors_per_cluster 8
mft_lcn 786432
mftmirr_lcn 2
clusters_per_mft_record -10
clusters_per_index_record 1
HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121600 247 55 1953517568 [TheVault]
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB
file_pread(5,2,buffer,1953525759(121601/90/25)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,1953525759(121601/90/25)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,2,buffer,1953525760(121601/90/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,1953525760(121601/90/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525248(121601/82/18)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,1953525248(121601/82/18)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525376(121601/84/20)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525504(121601/86/22)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525632(121601/88/24)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,7,buffer,1953525761(121601/90/27)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,2,buffer,1953525760(121601/90/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525768(121601/90/34)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,3,buffer,1953525776(121601/90/42)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,3,buffer,1953525823(121601/91/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525839(121601/91/42)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,11,buffer,1953525886(121601/92/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,2,buffer,1953527808(121601/122/58)) lseek err Invalid argument

Results
* HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121600 247 55 1953517568 [TheVault]
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB

interface_write()
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121600 247 55 1953517568 [TheVault]
simulate write!

write_mbr_i386: starting...
write_all_log_i386: starting...
No extended partition

Analyse Disk /dev/sdb - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63
Geometry from i386 MBR: head=255 sector=63
check_part_i386 1 type 42: no test
check_part_i386 2 type 42: no test
check_part_i386 3 type 42: no test
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=255 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=8 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=16 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=32 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=64 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=128 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=240 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=255 nbr=1
Current partition structure:
1 P W2K Dynamic/SFS 0 1 1 0 32 32 1985
2 * W2K Dynamic/SFS 0 32 33 121600 247 55 1953517568
3 P W2K Dynamic/SFS 121600 247 56 121601 48 31 3504

search_part()
Disk /dev/sdb - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63
NTFS at 0/32/33
filesystem size 1953517568
sectors_per_cluster 8
mft_lcn 786432
mftmirr_lcn 2
clusters_per_mft_record -10
clusters_per_index_record 1
HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121600 247 55 1953517568 [TheVault]
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB
file_pread(5,2,buffer,1953525759(121601/90/25)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,1953525759(121601/90/25)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,2,buffer,1953525760(121601/90/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,1953525760(121601/90/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525248(121601/82/18)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,1953525248(121601/82/18)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525376(121601/84/20)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525504(121601/86/22)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525632(121601/88/24)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,7,buffer,1953525761(121601/90/27)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,2,buffer,1953525760(121601/90/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525768(121601/90/34)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,3,buffer,1953525776(121601/90/42)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,3,buffer,1953525823(121601/91/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,1953525839(121601/91/42)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,11,buffer,1953525886(121601/92/26)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,2,buffer,1953527808(121601/122/58)) lseek err Invalid argument

Results
* HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121600 247 55 1953517568 [TheVault]
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB

interface_write()
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121600 247 55 1953517568 [TheVault]
write!

write_mbr_i386: starting...
file_pwrite(5,1,buffer,0(0/0/1)) write err File truncated
write_all_log_i386: starting...
No extended partition

Partition: Write error

TestDisk exited normally.

Why is this? What i want to do is to convert it into a basic disk that windows recognizes.
I would copy all the files, but i barely have the storarge to do so now that i don't have the pc. I have about 140gb to store over 200gb.

Any help would be appreciated!
//Benji
Last edited by ManlishPotato on 13 Nov 2020, 21:09, edited 1 time in total.

recuperation
Posts: 2721
Joined: 04 Jan 2019, 09:48
Location: Hannover, Deutschland (Germany, Allemagne)

Re: Dynamic drive invalid help!!!

#2 Post by recuperation »

ManlishPotato wrote: 13 Nov 2020, 18:06 Hi!
I have really been scratching my head on this one, I'm sure the problem is real simple but bare with me... XD

I recently sold my pc which had an extra 1TB hdd in it, i used this as a secondary drive, having the OS on the other SSD. I should note that before i removed the drive i hade a Linux partition on it which i deleted to fit more files, when i deleted the partition and united the two to one big about 1TB partition it turned into a dynamic partition. I could still access the drive no problem, now as one big partition of 1TB. When i removed the drive and plugged it into my hdd docking station however it doesn't show up.
Please remove "help!!!" from your posting title!
You don't get more attention for that than others.

You can't operate the component drives of a dynamic disk separately.

Here are some instructions:
https://www.hdat2.com/files/disk_probe.pdf
Don't know if they work, never tried that.

Use it at your own risk.
I would rather recommend you to wait once you have sufficient free storage.

ManlishPotato
Posts: 5
Joined: 13 Nov 2020, 17:43

Re: Dynamic drive invalid

#3 Post by ManlishPotato »

Hi! Fixed the title, but I don't know how to fix it everywhere.

Anyway is there really no better alternative to fixing my disk problem? What do you mean by that I can't operate the component drives separately? Could you elaborate? Seems like i did a pretty typical move by taking out the drive, why doesn't this work?

Thanks!
//Benji

ManlishPotato
Posts: 5
Joined: 13 Nov 2020, 17:43

Re: Dynamic drive invalid

#4 Post by ManlishPotato »

Hi again, i read the instructions through and it make's kinda sense i guess. Only i looked around some and can't find any link to download that software, dskprobe. Is there any alternative to that software that works with windows 10?

recuperation
Posts: 2721
Joined: 04 Jan 2019, 09:48
Location: Hannover, Deutschland (Germany, Allemagne)

Re: Dynamic drive invalid

#5 Post by recuperation »

Imagine combining 3 disks into a Raid5-Array. You have to treat this setup as one unit.
If you remove one drive out of that array for standalone operation it won't work as the storage is sliced.

Imagine you have a disc with 100GB space and another one with 200GB spice. You combine that into one dynamic disc array.
Then you save a file with a length of 270GB to this array.
The file needs to be stored in parts on both drives.

recuperation
Posts: 2721
Joined: 04 Jan 2019, 09:48
Location: Hannover, Deutschland (Germany, Allemagne)

Re: Dynamic drive invalid

#6 Post by recuperation »

ManlishPotato wrote: 13 Nov 2020, 21:35 Hi again, i read the instructions through and it make's kinda sense i guess. Only i looked around some and can't find any link to download that software, dskprobe. Is there any alternative to that software that works with windows 10?
Any disk editor will do. But leave that job to someone else who is kind of more experienced.

ManlishPotato
Posts: 5
Joined: 13 Nov 2020, 17:43

Re: Dynamic drive invalid

#7 Post by ManlishPotato »

Yeah ok, can you recommend a good free one?
Experience? This is how you get experience hehe
Anyway didn't seem that hard actually, and i have backed up almost all the files now.

ManlishPotato
Posts: 5
Joined: 13 Nov 2020, 17:43

Re: Dynamic drive invalid

#8 Post by ManlishPotato »

Hey again i missed the other reply you made, reply #5. To be clear I'm talking about one physical 1TB hard drive. The hard drive started it's life as one big partition of about 1TB, then i created another partition of about 50gb. So
Partition 1 : 0gb - 950gb
Partition 2 : 950gb - 1000gb
Approximately of course, not accounting for drive volume information and so on.

This is all on the same drive, when i deleted Partition 1 for it to become one big partition again i guess it became a dynamic disk?
How are you supposed to delete partition without creating dynamic disks?

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