Recovered empty on 3tb and can't "write" searched partition

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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morpheus
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Mar 2017, 12:32

Recovered empty on 3tb and can't "write" searched partition

#1 Post by morpheus »

It has been a month now, trying and failing and so I ask.

This is a 3tb seagate drive.

Testdisk can find its partitions, presumably damaged, but cannot "write". After searching for the partitions, and they're found, I click to save, but I get an error: "cannot write to disk."

Testdisk can search and find files. But when I copy over the files and directories, they copy but they are all empty. Please see below
testdisk2.png
testdisk2.png (61.73 KiB) Viewed 1302 times
testdisk1.png
testdisk1.png (79.77 KiB) Viewed 1302 times
A slew of nested directories show up with red, please see image.

If I click/select/enter on the directory, the main one "music" with all the files, it says "no file found, filesystem may be damaged." Do see image.

I simply want to recover my music files.

I would like to add, I just did the "Filesystem recovery" as from the .pdf, https://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk.pdf, and the result is below:
testdisk_superblock.png
testdisk_superblock.png (28.09 KiB) Viewed 1299 times
Thanks a lot.

recuperation
Posts: 2720
Joined: 04 Jan 2019, 09:48
Location: Hannover, Deutschland (Germany, Allemagne)

Re: Recovered empty on 3tb and can't "write" searched partition

#2 Post by recuperation »

morpheus wrote: 13 Sep 2019, 22:12 It has been a month now, trying and failing and so I ask.

This is a 3tb seagate drive.

Testdisk can find its partitions, presumably damaged, but cannot "write". After searching for the partitions, and they're found, I click to save, but I get an error: "cannot write to disk."
That could be a rights issue.
To check for possible hardware issues post a log of smartmontools.
Run "smartctl -a /dev/sdx > yourlogfile.txt" where x represents your failing device.
Duplicating the drive with ddrescue to another drive could be a next step.

Testdisk can search and find files. But when I copy over the files and directories, they copy but they are all empty. Please see below
testdisk2.png
testdisk1.png
A slew of nested directories show up with red, please see image.

If I click/select/enter on the directory, the main one "music" with all the files, it says "no file found, filesystem may be damaged." Do see image.
Try to recover your linux filesystem from a different superblock.
I simply want to recover my music files.
Otherwise run photorec. I assume you stored your music using the mp3-file-format.
Although you generally loose your folder structure and file names there is a chance of photorec relabeling your files based on possibly existing tag information.

morpheus
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Mar 2017, 12:32

Re: Recovered empty on 3tb and can't "write" searched partition

#3 Post by morpheus »

recuperation wrote: 14 Sep 2019, 07:12
morpheus wrote: 13 Sep 2019, 22:12 It has been a month now, trying and failing and so I ask.

This is a 3tb seagate drive.

Testdisk can find its partitions, presumably damaged, but cannot "write". After searching for the partitions, and they're found, I click to save, but I get an error: "cannot write to disk."
That could be a rights issue.
To check for possible hardware issues post a log of smartmontools.
Run "smartctl -a /dev/sdx > yourlogfile.txt" where x represents your failing device.
Duplicating the drive with ddrescue to another drive could be a next step.
I am happy to say, this is not the case; it's not a rights issue
Testdisk can search and find files. But when I copy over the files and directories, they copy but they are all empty. Please see below
testdisk2.pngtestdisk1.png

A slew of nested directories show up with red, please see image.

If I click/select/enter on the directory, the main one "music" with all the files, it says "no file found, filesystem may be damaged." Do see image.
Try to recover your linux filesystem from a different superblock.
I am not sure what you mean by a "different superblock"
I simply want to recover my music files.
Otherwise run photorec. I assume you stored your music using the mp3-file-format.
Although you generally loose your folder structure and file names there is a chance of photorec relabeling your files based on possibly existing tag information.
I am happy to say that there has been some progress. Please see image below. I look forward to any input as regards the "failed." Second, the hard drive was blinking until now, it no longer blinks, yet, as you see in the picture, testdisk says "copying please wait." Any input on this, please? Is it still copying? All this is being done on Win 7. This development came after I tried the Advance option on testdisk and used the "Superblock" option, as default from my earlier picture.
SAVING.YES!.png
SAVING.YES!.png (72.26 KiB) Viewed 1274 times

recuperation
Posts: 2720
Joined: 04 Jan 2019, 09:48
Location: Hannover, Deutschland (Germany, Allemagne)

Re: Recovered empty on 3tb and can't "write" searched partition

#4 Post by recuperation »

morpheus wrote: 14 Sep 2019, 19:41 I am happy to say that there has been some progress. Please see image below. I look forward to any input as regards the "failed." Second, the hard drive was blinking until now, it no longer blinks, yet, as you see in the picture, testdisk says "copying please wait." Any input on this, please? Is it still copying? All this is being done on Win 7. This development came after I tried the Advance option on testdisk and used the "Superblock" option, as default from my earlier picture.
I don't know if the "failed" refers to a logical error in the file system or a hardware error in the disk.
The fact that the LED stopped blinking suggests inactivity of your harddrive.

That is another reason to follow my given advice.

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