Help with damaged disk Topic is solved

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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remy
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Re: Help with damaged disk

#11 Post by remy »

Windows related, with few bad sectors. I let Fiona continue with this topic. ;)

momefarley
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Re: Help with damaged disk

#12 Post by momefarley »

Thanks remy! So it looks like it's solvable without a new drive?

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Re: Help with damaged disk

#13 Post by remy »

I can understand that someone looking for self-datarecovery and freeware (but also opensource :P) software won't have dozens of terabytes to copy their harddisks... I can't give you a good advice with that, because, as a professionnal in datarecovery, first thing I do is always copying hard disks. Even the safe one.

Then, considering that your disk will be changed (or do you really want to give another chance to datarecovery ?) you may found a new one and make the copy. This disk will then be replaced in the computer...

What I mean in my last post was that Fiona as better knowledge with windows boot than me, probably.

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Fiona
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Re: Help with damaged disk

#14 Post by Fiona »

Your reallocated sector count is 91 but the current pending sector count is 92.
It will be 1 sector over the edge.
In this case, there should be a try to repair your file system using chkdsk /r.
Information will follow.
If it's not possible, your disk should be replaced.
I've copied the HDDRecovery hidden partition to another hard drive (I made a partition on an old storage drive).
It's a good idea.
But you have 2 pretty similar partitions.
The first one is a Windows RE(stor)-partition and it might be also possible that this partition contains your data (backup) to start your netbook from a scratch.
Would it be possible that your HDDRecovery hidden partition would be a normal Backup?
Would it be possible to refer to the manual, what both partitions mean?
So you'll be able to determine, which partition should be used for a recovery and in case to backup the other partition Windows RE also!
Did you clone that partition or did you create an image.
If you cloned the disk, did you use another 2.5 inch disk, so in case you could use it as a replacement?

After Backup.

TestDisk messages are depend on wrong geometry.
I assume it's a 2.5 inches HDD (please let me know).
So geometry might be 240 heads and 63 sectors as usually.
I've no idea why geometry is changed.
In your USB enclosure it should be 255 heads.
But now, on your current screenshots, TestDisk displays a geometry of 26 sectors per head and 90 heads per cylinder.
So it looks like, that geometry is changed?

In the TestDisk menu Geometry it would be possible to correct the geometry.
But before I write instructions and use chkdsk to have try to repair your disk, you should clear up the meaning of the Windows RE and HDDRecovery-partition, so nothing gets lost.

momefarley
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Re: Help with damaged disk

#15 Post by momefarley »

Fiona wrote:But you have 2 pretty similar partitions.
The first one is a Windows RE(stor)-partition and it might be also possible that this partition contains your data (backup) to start your netbook from a scratch.
Would it be possible that your HDDRecovery hidden partition would be a normal Backup?
Would it be possible to refer to the manual, what both partitions mean?
So you'll able to determine, which partition should be used for a recovery and in case to backup the other partition Windows RE also!
Did you clone that partition or did you create an image.
If you cloned the disk, did you use another 2.5 inch disk, so in case you could use it as a replacement?
Thanks! I really don't know about the Windows RE(store) partition. I know it's not "hidden". I also know that I attempted to restore the computer to "factory settings" software, and I used the HDDRecovery partition, and it went an hour or two through the process before quitting (had installed maybe 7 or 8 out of 42 of things from Toshiba, I think).

I did NOT clone the entire disk. I used EaseUs Disk Copy to make a "partition copy." From appearances, I think it cloned just the partition - the new partition reduced in size from the one I'd created for it on my other disk, and it's also hidden on that drive - can only see it via TestDisk or the Disk Copy software. I'm assuming that I could just clone it back the same way once this drive is repaired (does that sound reasonable?).

Should I clone the other (Windows RE(store)) partition too just in case? I'm not sure what kind of backup you're saying one of them might be.... I know that that partition is significantly smaller than the HDDRecovery one... (the HDDRecovery one is 5 times larger).

I don't have any paper manuals, but Toshiba has posted articles. This one implies that it's the hidden drive that contains the important files. Here is the link for the paper manual about basic usage of this netbook - you can reference information starting on p. 48. I followed the first procedure listed when I attempted restoring software - and that seemed to trigger the geometry problem. I know there WASN'T one when I first used TestDisk many times before I attempted the restoring of the software (I think you can see the same screen at the beginning of this thread and compare).

Yes this is a 2.5 HDD (OK, I think it is. It's a standard laptop-size drive) And I don't know anything about disk geometry (well, I was decent at geometry in school, but using this program is the first exposure to anything about it on a disk - so I can guess at a lot, but if there's something important to grasp, make sure you make it explicit. Thanks!)

I'm happy to attempt the chkdsk /r, but can you remind me how? I remember how to get into line command/prompt. But how do I say which drive to check (I only use DOS commands extremely rarely - like one or two every 5 years or so...)? I know that the regular Windows 7 completely rejects any attempts at reading these partitions at all... (says it can't be done)

THANK YOU!!!!

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Fiona
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Re: Help with damaged disk

#16 Post by Fiona »

Thanks for your info.

Before you do chkdsk , I'll check your partitions using testdisk.
I'd need a screenshot from Analyse (your current partition structur) and Quick Search (when your partitions are green colored.
It's intended, to get a right partition structur, so you can diagnose it using chkdsk.
Change your geometry also.
You'll find the menu geometry if you see the menu Analyse.
But don't confirm at Analyse but Geometry.
Change the value head to 240 and the value sectors should be 63.
Leave the menu geometry and confirm at Analyse and Quick Search.
From both I'd need a screenshot.

Fiona

momefarley
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Re: Help with damaged disk

#17 Post by momefarley »

Fiona,
I don't understand why you still say you need the screen shots. Can you not see them from my previous post (on the first page of the thread)?

Or am I not understanding your English??

momefarley
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Re: Help with damaged disk

#18 Post by momefarley »

OK. When I loaded up the drive with TestDisk today, I got a bit different results than the last time it was turned on. Here is the Analyse screen at first:
Image
And the Quick Search screen at first:
Image

Then I followed your directions on the Geometry. The only thing that changed was that it originally was 255 for the head value. The others were the same as you directed already.

After doing that, here is the Analyse screen:
Image

And then there was an additional message screen about the errors (I didn't copy it).

And here is the Quick Search screen:
Image

Now what?

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Fiona
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Re: Help with damaged disk

#19 Post by Fiona »

I don't understand why you still say you need the screen shots.
There are always reasons if I require screens!
Example;
netbook (no DVD/CD drive!)
(I borrowed a hard drive enclosure and can connect it via USB to my computer)
You have a 2.5 inch HDD, geometry is different to your geometry in your USB enclosure, because USB protocol is different to a protocol of an internal harddrive controller from a notebook, laptop or netbook.
Also, your geometry was messed up.
Easily compare this screen to your first one, you should always compare the values from disk ;
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1988186/Partition%20errors.JPG
I checked your geometry using 240 heads like your netbook will handle it.
Some Information about Geometry;
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Menu_Geometry
If I'd explain each detail, it would change your topic to a spaghetti-thread.
For example, I didn't get infos about your 2.5 inch HDD.
I assumed it, because you mentioned a netbook.
So I knew, that geometry was changed using USB etc..

Before I suggest anything like chkdsk, I'll see how your partitions are listed.

Your geometry is back to normal USB standard and they don't overlap.

That's why I suggest to start chkdsk to have a try to repair your disk.
To execute chkdsk, windows might be required.
I assume Vista/Win7?
If not, please let me know.

You should run chkdsk on your TI106036W0F-partition.
Please check your drive letter in your explorer!

Run your command prompt as an administrator.
Go to Start.
Write cmd in search programs and files.
Press both, the Ctrl-key and Shift and press enter.
Confirm to proceed your command prompt as administrator.
At the prompt, write;
chkdsk driveletter: /r
If there are any questions about the volume, please confirm it.
It may take some time, because the check is an exhaustive check.
If chkdsk hangs or get interrupted, please let me know.

Fiona

momefarley
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Re: Help with damaged disk

#20 Post by momefarley »

Thank you Fiona. I appreciate you attempting to answer my questions too. I know so little that I don't always know which question is the right one to ask... sorry! :oops: One question I have now is does it hurt the drive to move it from being in the netbook to being connected to my desktop via USB - if that changes the geometry... But maybe I don't need to understand that...

Anyway, yes, both computers run Windows 7 (mine is BootCamp on my iMac - keeping Windows mostly for stuff like this!).

So I ran chkdsk on the drive (it was easiest to get CrystalDisk to tell me the drive letter, as I only got error messages when attempting to access the drive from my Windows). Stayed up late watching it run, and it was in step 5 of 5 when I finally went to bed. Here is a text copy I made from it at that point - very glad I did, because when I got up this morning, Windows Update had restarted my computer. I have no idea if it was able to finish the whole thing first or not! Ugh!!

BUT! :D This morning, my Windows can access the drive!! It doesn't appear to still have all the original files and folders - INCLUDING my friend's user files. But those are backed up.

At the moment, I'm running the Error-checking option from within Windows on the drive (Right-click, Properties, Tools), with both options checked for repairing any errors found.

I'm going to go back to bed - try to get an hour or so more sleep before the baby wakes up...

What do I do now?? Can I put it back in the netbook and attempt to restore the software to the original installation now?

Oh, I almost forgot - here's the CrystalDisk report as of this morning:
Image

Locked