RAW drive with an unrecoverable partition

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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CioCio
Posts: 4
Joined: 03 May 2014, 18:54

RAW drive with an unrecoverable partition

#1 Post by CioCio »

Image

The last three Seagate options in the image above are from the drive I'm dealing with. When I select /dev/sdc, it gives me this screen as the options for searching:

Image

Performing a quick then subsequent deep analysis on /dev/sdc, as well as the second option from the first image (PhysicalDrive 2), yields this following screen:

Image

However, when I select that final Drive F: option, it detects the partition table type as 'None'. The warning TestDisk gives scares me away from choosing that, so I chose Intel which TD autodetected for the other two, and I get this screen:

Image

I don't really know what to do. This was just a single partition external drive that I stored music on.

Any help would be MUCH appreciated!!

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

Re: RAW drive with an unrecoverable partition

#2 Post by Fiona »

If it's possible don't check any drive but disk.
Only Disks containing a GPT- or MBR-partition table.
Drives starting by a boot sector.
That's why, if you select a drive, it appears as partition table type "None".
The MBR is the first physically executable sector of a disk.
The boot sector is the first logical sector of a partition!
At least, I'd need a screen from TestDisk Analyse.
It displays your current partition structur (partition table even gpt partition table).
If your partition fits, you could try to diagnose your boot sector.
Info will follow.

Fiona

CioCio
Posts: 4
Joined: 03 May 2014, 18:54

Re: RAW drive with an unrecoverable partition

#3 Post by CioCio »

Fiona wrote: At least, I'd need a screen from TestDisk Analyse.
When I Analyse /dev/sdc, I get this screen:

Image

So I run a Quick Search and get this:

Image

So then I run a Deep Search and get this:

Image

Note: When I have this drive connected (either with USB or SATA) to ANY computer at startup, it hangs and never gets to the desktop!

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

Re: RAW drive with an unrecoverable partition

#4 Post by Fiona »

Did you try to list data from your green partition?
Your last screen is only a message that this partition ends after disk limit.
Did you confirm at continue to get to the results for your recoverable partitions?
If more partitions are found, please mark them one after another and press p to have a try to list your data.

Fiona

CioCio
Posts: 4
Joined: 03 May 2014, 18:54

Re: RAW drive with an unrecoverable partition

#5 Post by CioCio »

Fiona wrote:Did you try to list data from your green partition?
Your last screen is only a message that this partition ends after disk limit.
Did you confirm at continue to get to the results for your recoverable partitions?
If more partitions are found, please mark them one after another and press p to have a try to list your data.

Fiona
I just tried now, and I was able to list my data from the green partition. It seems to be everything I want to recover. What should I do now?

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

Re: RAW drive with an unrecoverable partition

#6 Post by Fiona »

In your case there is something to watch!
You have a 3 TB disk!
Intel MBR supports only 2.2 TB.
In this case, writing an Intel MBR can cause loss of data.
There is an excreption if your disk has 4K sectors and it's advanced formatted.
Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Format
http://www.symantec.com/business/suppor ... TECH194586
http://www.wd.com/global/products/featu ... language=1

A safe solution in your case would be to copy all data off to another healthy disk or partition (backup).
If you list your data, at the bottom of the TestDisk display you'll see all the commands.
Marking that single dot in the upper area of the testdisk display, marks the whole drive and all data for copying.
Marking that two dots below and pressing enter, you'll get one directory up until you get to your disk selection.
You can select another disk, partition and folder.
Standard path to copy your data to is your testdisk folder.

Converting your disk to a GPT-disk using your disk management console (right click into that little square on the left side should give you that option).
Also diskpart is capable to convert disks to GPT.
Converting a disk from Intel MBR to GPT (GUID partition table) requires that all partitions must be deleted.
That's why I suggested to copy/backup your data first.
In this case you'd be on the safe side.

Of course, if your partition is listed green, you can press enter and confirm at the menu "Write" to write your partition table.
But only if you're sure what are you doing.

Fiona

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