Second partitio displaying as RAW Topic is solved

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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Author
AndyWilliams
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Feb 2012, 17:24

Second partitio displaying as RAW

#1 Post by AndyWilliams »

Hi,

I have an issue with a second Windows 2008 partition. The partition was originally NTFS and contained 600GB of Data. Suddenly for no apparent reason this has changed to RAW and requesting to be formatted. Consequently we cannot see any data, and even worse backup has not been successful for a few days either.

The primary boot partition C is fine however and Windows 2008 boots fine....

The server is a RAID 5 config with a logical drive partitioned into two, C and D.

I have run testdisk through and I attach the log file. Am a bit lost of the next best action to take in order to retrieve the D partition and its data.

Any help much appreciated....
Attachments
testdisk.rar
(2.3 KiB) Downloaded 528 times

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

Re: Second partitio displaying as RAW

#2 Post by Fiona »

Looks like that your geometry of your hdd doesn't match.
Disk /dev/sda - 2000 GB / 1862 GiB - CHS 478778 255 32
The Value 32 means that you have 32 sectors per cylinder.
Standard is 63.
Please change it and test it again.

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.
Highlight sectors and hit Enter.
Change the value 32 to 63.
Don't change anything else.
Mark Ok and confirm with enter to leave the menu.
Go to Analyse.
Repeat your diagnose.
If you see your partitions, mark them and press p to list your files.
Especially the missed one.
To go back to the previous display hit q for Quit.
Please upload the testdisk.log again.

This diagnose doesn't change anything.
If it's not successful, the next procedur might be to diagnose your boot sector.

AndyWilliams
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Feb 2012, 17:24

Re: Second partitio displaying as RAW

#3 Post by AndyWilliams »

Many thanks for your prompt response. I made the change as requested from 32 to 63 and performed the diagnose again. It only showed one partition, that being c, the boot partition. I then ran the deeper search option.

I attach the log file as requested.....
Also attached is a screen dump if it helps in any way....

Many thanks
Andy
Attachments
screendump.rar
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testdisk2.rar
(2.13 KiB) Downloaded 636 times

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

Re: Second partitio displaying as RAW

#4 Post by Fiona »

That diagnose was intended to check intel mbr-standard.
Often, it's possible, that more partition are found.
If there is no difference, then let's diagnose your boot sector.
Start TestDisk.
Confirm through until you see the menu Analyse.
Don't confirm at Analyse but Advanced.
Highlight your affected partition and confirm at Boot.
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 us know, do you see your data or an error message.
To get back to the previous screen, easily press q for Quit.
If your data are listed, you could write your boot sector at write.

AndyWilliams
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Feb 2012, 17:24

Re: Second partitio displaying as RAW

#5 Post by AndyWilliams »

Thanks, just to confirm from the screenshot attached I should choose the 2nd partition and return on boot. Sorry am very paranoid....
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Fiona
Posts: 2835
Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 17:19
Location: Ludwigsburg/Stuttgart - Germany

Re: Second partitio displaying as RAW

#6 Post by Fiona »

Yes, choose the second partition and confirm at boot.
Highlight Rebuild BS and confirm it.
Should normally run a couple of minutes.
If it's finished please upload another screendump from the results.
Also, mark List and press enter.
To open it can take a while also.
I need to know, did you see your data or an error message.

AndyWilliams
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Feb 2012, 17:24

Re: Second partitio displaying as RAW

#7 Post by AndyWilliams »

Hi,

See attached. I can confirm I can see the data as in the second picture.....no error

Regards

Andy

AndyWilliams
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Feb 2012, 17:24

Re: Second partitio displaying as RAW

#8 Post by AndyWilliams »

Had to remove second image due to size, but confirm can see data...
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rebuildbs.rar
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Fiona
Posts: 2835
Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 17:19
Location: Ludwigsburg/Stuttgart - Germany

Re: Second partitio displaying as RAW

#9 Post by Fiona »

Please highlight Write, confirm with Enter and y.
Close testdisk each time with Quit.
Restart your PC.
Check your partition.

Fiona

AndyWilliams
Posts: 6
Joined: 27 Feb 2012, 17:24

Re: Second partitio displaying as RAW

#10 Post by AndyWilliams »

Fiona,

Sorry for the delay in responding.....I have managed to reboot the server and can report that the D data partition is now accessible and would appear to have all the data in tact......I am currently running a backup through to make sure we have at least got it secure.

A question that people are asking is 'why did the issue occur'.....I know its bit of an unknown and maybe you have more of an idea than me.....?

Many thanks for your help on this and will sort a donation as without your assistance would be still struggling on...

Regards
Andy :D :)

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