cgsecurity.org

Hi
I am new to TestDisk. I am trying to resolve a problem with the hard drive from my daughter's Thinkpad. The laptop would not boot with the error message 'no operating system found'. It is a 60gb drive with Windows XP installed. I have removed the drive and am now using it in a docking station. It is showing as RAW.
I have run through the various stages of TestDisk, but I do not seem to be getting anywhere. Screenshots are:


I do not know what to do next. Does it appear that TestDisk cannot help me and should I now be looking to buy data recovery software?

Thinkpads often use a geometry of 240 heads per cylinder.
Can you repeat your diagnose to test it?
Currently it looks like that the boot sector is damaged.
Start Testdisk.
Confirm to create a log, select your harddrive and proceed until you see the menu Analyse.
Don't confirm at Analyse but Geometry.
Check Heads and hit enter.
Change the value to 240.
Don't change anything else.
Check Ok and confirm with enter to leave the menu.
Go to Analyse and upload a screen from your current partition structur.
It probably looks like, to have a boot sector diagnose like in this post;
http://forum.cgsecurity.org/phpBB3/part ... 4.html#p30

Hi Fiona
Thank you for your reply.
I changed the heads to 240 and then went to Analyse and this is the screen. Is this what you wanted?

Yes.
Geometry fits now.
Keep this geometry using the menu geometry.
Please Analyse your bootsector;
Start TestDisk.
Confirm through until you see the menu Analyse (geometry should be changed to 240 heads).
Don't confirm at Analyse but Advanced.
Confirm at Boot with enter also.
Please upload another screen.
If there is a menu List, check it and press enter.
Do you see your data or an error message?
If you see an error message;
Highlight Rebuild BS and hit Enter.
Rebuild your BS will be in progress.
Normally, it takes some minutes.
If it's finished, please post the infos or upload a screen.
If you see a menu List, please highlight it and press enter.
Please let me know, do you see your data or an error message.
To get back to the previous screen, easily press q for Quit.

I went to Advanced and then Boot and this is the result. I also tried list but nothing happened.

There is no valid boot sector available.
Did you test Recuild BS?
If not, please check it, and press enter.
It should take a couple of minutes.
If it takes too long, please let me know.

Only if Rebuild BS had no result!
Might be possible that Deeper Search would be needed too.
In case, confirm in Testdisk at Analyse, Quick Search and then Deeper Search.
Might be possible that Deeper Search will find another partition.
Please keep 240 heads in the menu geometry!
If Testdisk would find another partition, please check it und press p to list files.

A Rebuild BS has been running for about 10 minutes now (see Screenshot) and has not finished?

Normally it indicates that file system has problems.
You can stop it.
Please go to Analyse, Quick and Deeper Search.
If Deeper Search finds more partitions, please check it and press p to list your files.

I stopped the Rebuild BS as it was taking a long time. I have now run a Deeper Search and this was the result

Sorry, that last screenshot should have shown that no partition was found.