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USB ext 2TB HD saying needs to format (its not new)

Posted: 07 Mar 2017, 18:32
by CKBW
My 2.0TB WD 3.5" external hard drive I've used for several yrs is suddenly asking to format every time I plug it in (USB).

...so after reading around the internet, I ended up here thinking I need to recover or rebuild the partition?

I downloaded TestDisk and Analysed it (and also went under Advance) to try and view files (to confirm they are still there). After a Quick Search and List Files I get an error that says:

Can't open filesystem. Filesystem seems damaged.

FYI, I am using the default (*) primary bootable characteristics selection on the ext hard drive when trying to view/list the files.
Disk Management on my Win7 64bit PC is showing a health partition and a SMART info on the drive shows no errors.

Any suggestions?

Thank you for any help.

Re: USB ext 2TB HD saying needs to format (its not new)

Posted: 07 Mar 2017, 21:09
by cgrenier
Please post the testdisk.log file content showing what you have done in the Advanced menu.

Re: USB ext 2TB HD saying needs to format (its not new)

Posted: 07 Mar 2017, 22:28
by CKBW
Will do, I went ahead and started a deep search on the disk (not the recognized drive letter)... scan is at 33% after an hour and 1/2 so far.

Re: USB ext 2TB HD saying needs to format (its not new)

Posted: 08 Mar 2017, 15:18
by CKBW
after a deep search, I still get the same error when trying to view/list the files.
I have been able to view the files using a GUI file recovery program, but I would like to salvage the partition if possible.

here is the the testdisk.log contents (ext HD in question is: Disk /dev/sdb - 2000 GB / 1862 GiB - CHS 243197 255 63, sector size=512):



Tue Mar 7 14:30:47 2017
Command line: TestDisk

TestDisk 7.0, Data Recovery Utility, April 2015
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>
http://www.cgsecurity.org
OS: Windows 7 (7601) SP1
Compiler: GCC 4.8, Cygwin 1007.34
Compilation date: 2015-04-18T13:01:55
ext2fs lib: 1.42.8, ntfs lib: 10:0:0, reiserfs lib: 0.3.1-rc8, ewf lib: 20120504, curses lib: ncurses 5.9
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(/dev/sda)=1000204886016
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(/dev/sdb)=2000365289472
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\PhysicalDrive0)=1000204886016
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\PhysicalDrive1)=2000365289472
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\C:)=989715234816
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\D:)=9409921024
filewin32_getfilesize(\\.\E:) GetFileSize err Incorrect function.

filewin32_setfilepointer(\\.\E:) SetFilePointer err Incorrect function.

Warning: can't get size for \\.\E:
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\R:)=2000364240896
Hard disk list
Disk /dev/sda - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63, sector size=512
Disk /dev/sdb - 2000 GB / 1862 GiB - CHS 243197 255 63, sector size=512
Drive C: - 989 GB / 921 GiB - CHS 120326 255 63, sector size=512
Drive D: - 9409 MB / 8974 MiB - CHS 1144 255 63, sector size=512
Drive R: - 2000 GB / 1862 GiB - CHS 243197 255 63, sector size=512

Partition table type (auto): Intel
Disk /dev/sdb - 2000 GB / 1862 GiB
Partition table type: Intel

Analyse Disk /dev/sdb - 2000 GB / 1862 GiB - CHS 243197 255 63
Geometry from i386 MBR: head=255 sector=63
NTFS at 0/32/33
Current partition structure:
1 P HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 243197 57 60 3906961408
No partition is bootable
$MFT has invalid magic.
ntfs_mft_load(): Failed.
Failed to load $MFT: Input/output error.
Failed to startup volume: Input/output error.
$MFT has invalid magic.
ntfs_mft_load(): Failed.
Failed to load $MFT: Input/output error.
$MFT has invalid magic.
ntfs_mft_load(): Failed.
Failed to load $MFT: Input/output error.
Failed to startup volume: Input/output error.
$MFT has invalid magic.
ntfs_mft_load(): Failed.
Failed to load $MFT: Input/output error.

search_part()
Disk /dev/sdb - 2000 GB / 1862 GiB - CHS 243197 255 63
NTFS at 0/32/33
filesystem size 3906961408
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 243197 57 60 3906961408
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 2000 GB / 1862 GiB
file_pread(5,8,buffer,3906963456(243197/57/61)) ReadFile The drive cannot find the sector requested.

file_pread(5,1,buffer,3906963456(243197/57/61)) ReadFile The drive cannot find the sector requested.

file_pread(5,1,buffer,3906963457(243197/57/62)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,14,buffer,3906963458(243197/57/63)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,3,buffer,3906963472(243197/58/14)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,3,buffer,3906963519(243197/58/61)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,3906963535(243197/59/14)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,11,buffer,3906963582(243197/59/61)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,2,buffer,3906965504(243197/90/30)) lseek err Invalid argument

Results
* HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 243197 57 60 3906961408
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 2000 GB / 1862 GiB
Not an exFAT boot sector.

* HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 243197 57 60 3906961408
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 2000 GB / 1862 GiB
Can't open filesystem. Filesystem seems damaged.

interface_write()
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 243197 57 60 3906961408
$MFT has invalid magic.
ntfs_mft_load(): Failed.
Failed to load $MFT: Input/output error.
Failed to startup volume: Input/output error.
$MFT has invalid magic.
ntfs_mft_load(): Failed.
Failed to load $MFT: Input/output error.
$MFT has invalid magic.
ntfs_mft_load(): Failed.
Failed to load $MFT: Input/output error.
Failed to startup volume: Input/output error.
$MFT has invalid magic.
ntfs_mft_load(): Failed.
Failed to load $MFT: Input/output error.

search_part()
Disk /dev/sdb - 2000 GB / 1862 GiB - CHS 243197 255 63
NTFS at 0/32/33
filesystem size 3906961408
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 243197 57 60 3906961408
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 2000 GB / 1862 GiB
file_pread(5,2,buffer,3906963456(243197/57/61)) ReadFile The drive cannot find the sector requested.

file_pread(5,1,buffer,3906963456(243197/57/61)) ReadFile The drive cannot find the sector requested.

file_pread(5,14,buffer,3906963457(243197/57/62)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,3906963457(243197/57/62)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,3906963463(243197/58/5)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,3,buffer,3906963471(243197/58/13)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,3,buffer,3906963518(243197/58/60)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,8,buffer,3906963534(243197/59/13)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,11,buffer,3906963581(243197/59/60)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,2,buffer,3906965503(243197/90/29)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,6,buffer,3906963458(243197/57/63)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,3906963474(243197/58/16)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,3906963521(243197/58/63)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,3906963542(243197/59/21)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,3906963592(243197/60/8)) lseek err Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,3906965505(243197/90/31)) lseek err Invalid argument

Results
* HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 243197 57 60 3906961408
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 2000 GB / 1862 GiB
Not an exFAT boot sector.

* HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 243197 57 60 3906961408
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 2000 GB / 1862 GiB
Can't open filesystem. Filesystem seems damaged.

interface_write()
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 243197 57 60 3906961408

Re: USB ext 2TB HD saying needs to format (its not new)

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 07:27
by cgrenier
If a program can list your files, it's safer to use it to copy your data.
Otherwise using latest 7.1-WIP, you can try TestDisk, Advanced, Boot, Repair MFT.

Re: USB ext 2TB HD saying needs to format (its not new)

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 15:15
by CKBW
the problem with the GUI file recovery program I have is that it doesn't remember/contain file location - so I have thousands of files with no directory structure. :(
I'll grab those file today and then try to repair the MFT and let you know what happens, thanks!

Re: USB ext 2TB HD saying needs to format (its not new)

Posted: 14 Mar 2017, 22:55
by CKBW
cgrenier wrote: 09 Mar 2017, 07:27 If a program can list your files, it's safer to use it to copy your data.
Otherwise using latest 7.1-WIP, you can try TestDisk, Advanced, Boot, Repair MFT.

under Advance > Boot... I only see:

-Quit- -List- -Org. BS- -Rebuild BS- -Dump-
screen.jpg
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