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encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 18 Sep 2019, 00:55
by taratara
hi

I have a messed up HDD partitioned into C: D: and E:
only D: is encrypted with truecrypt 7.1a, C: and E: are unencrypted, C: is a windows 7 install, E: is just a file dump and not really important.

I ran testdisk and it found some cylinder errors and it took a long time, still but it went from "bad" to "structure okay" and everything green, which is kind of good.
But I'm writing here because the encrypted partition D: is not showing up. in that list a very small partition appeared before C:, it is 716800 sectors long or big. this is not the encrypted volume.
even deeper search didn't find anything from drive D:

So I did read about testcrypt, so I wonder, when I now write these partitions C: and E: with testdisk, will I ever be able to recover D: or does this destroy some hooks or boot sectors that are needed for D:?
normally I boot windows in C: and decrypt D: from windows.

When I abort this and instead run testcrypt, will it find anything at all with the unrepaired cylinders? Does it do the same as testdisk only including truecrypt volumes?

thanks for your advice.

Re: encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 19 Sep 2019, 06:07
by cgrenier
Once you know where your truecrypt partition was, using testdisk you can manually add this partition using the 'a' key.

Re: encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 21 Sep 2019, 14:21
by taratara
is it that simple?
wouldn't I need to enter a size in bytes or sectors and give some starting sector?

Where do get the info where the tc partition was? from testdisk or from testcrypt?

Do I use some values from this:
Image

the beginning of testdisk looks weird with 2 half partitions
Image


This is the moment to press A to add a partition I think
Image


can I destroy something on the encrypted partition when I enter wrong values?

Re: encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 22 Sep 2019, 16:15
by recuperation
taratara wrote: 18 Sep 2019, 00:55 hi

I have a messed up HDD partitioned into C: D: and E:
Why "messed up"?
This is an unprecise description as in another parts of your posts.

only D: is encrypted with truecrypt 7.1a, C: and E: are unencrypted, C: is a windows 7 install, E: is just a file dump and not really important.

I ran testdisk
for fun?

and it found some cylinder errors and it took a long time, still but it went from "bad" to "structure okay" and everything green, which is kind of good.
But I'm writing here because the encrypted partition D: is not showing up.
Where should it show up then?

in that list a very small partition appeared before C:, it is 716800 sectors long or big. this is not the encrypted volume.
even deeper search didn't find anything from drive D:
Testdisk cannot find an partition encrypted by Truecrypt, because it has no fingerprint to search for.

So I did read about testcrypt, so I wonder, when I now write these partitions C: and E: with testdisk, will I ever be able to recover D: or does this destroy some hooks or boot sectors that are needed for D:?
What is the relationship between testcrypt and testdisk here?
Writing a MBR-style partition can cause overwriting of sectors. The reason for that is the nested partition table structure that has to fit between the partitions.


normally I boot windows in C: and decrypt D: from windows.
Is that still working?!

When I abort this and instead run testcrypt, will it find anything at all with the unrepaired cylinders? Does it do the same as testdisk only including truecrypt volumes?
No idea what testcrypt does.

Now looking at your second post where you had been so kind to deliver the information you should have already delivered in your first post,
both the testdisk screen and the testcrypt screen show a big partition behind "C:System" which corresponds most likely to your missing "D"-partition.
can I destroy something on the encrypted partition when I enter wrong values?
I guess you will overwrite at least one sector. Looking at the partition data from testcrypt and testdisk you somehow turned a GPT style partition scheme into an MBR style one. The MBR style needs space (at least one sector) between partitions (see comment above). You don' have that space.
There is no free sector between your partitions.
A GPT style partition tabelle does not need that space and one partition can follow another without any free space needed.
That's why I pretend that you are about to ruin your partition table and some sectors of your partition unless testdisk refuses to write that partition table.
Using testdisk here seems to be a very bad idea.
Anyway, Truecrypt does not need a volume label to be able to mount an encrypted partition.

The advice given by Christophe Grenier by the way is perfect being based on your first post with minimal information given by you.
After reading your new second post this advice does not apply anymore - in my view!

Re: encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 22 Sep 2019, 20:56
by taratara
Why "messed up"?
This is an unprecise description as in another parts of your posts.
...Looking at the partition data from testcrypt and testdisk you somehow turned a GPT style partition scheme into an MBR style one...
if this not messed up then idk...

I didn't give that info from the second post before for a very simple reason... I didn't have that info. Who would have thought that. So please consider both my posts when you really try to help me save my files.
normally I boot windows in C: and decrypt D: from windows.
Is that still working?!
nope.

But I'm writing here because the encrypted partition D: is not showing up.
Where should it show up then?
Testdisk cannot find an partition encrypted by Truecrypt, because it has no fingerprint to search for.
I didn't know that. It is not a hidden volume or anything like that, I partitioned the HDD, installed the OS and then encrypted it, I though at least something would hint at it. very sneaky truecrypt!
Using testdisk here seems to be a very bad idea.
So what can and should I do?
Anyway, Truecrypt does not need a volume label to be able to mount an encrypted partition.
when I plug the hdd into my current system a lot of volumes show up except for the TC one... does this mean I can just mount the encrypted partition out of the new OS?

Re: encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 23 Sep 2019, 00:57
by recuperation
taratara wrote: 22 Sep 2019, 20:56
Why "messed up"?
This is an unprecise description as in another parts of your posts.
...Looking at the partition data from testcrypt and testdisk you somehow turned a GPT style partition scheme into an MBR style one...
if this not messed up then idk...
What is idk? Please avoid abbreviations, English is not my mother tongue.
I didn't know that. It is not a hidden volume or anything like that, I partitioned the HDD, installed the OS and then encrypted it,
What is "it"? Please be precise and clear.

I though at least something would hint at it.
Again, what is "it"?

So what can and should I do?
Anyway, Truecrypt does not need a volume label to be able to mount an encrypted partition.
when I plug the hdd into my current system a lot of volumes show up except for the TC one... does this mean I can just mount the encrypted partition out of the new OS?
Normally yes.

But your statements are again incomprehensible as you do not make an effort to be precise and clear.

Encrypting a non-system partition does not affect the OS as long as there are no OS-relevant files on that partition.
What did you really encrypt? Do you still remember at least?

Re: encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 23 Sep 2019, 09:01
by recuperation
when I plug the hdd into my current system a lot of volumes show up except for the TC one...
At least under Windows XP the operating systems proposes to format a partition-based Truecrypt volume, once this unformatted looking partition has a drive letter attached to it.

If this happens under Windows 7 as well, there is a risk of clicking yes and dammaging the Truecrypt partition.
Therefore I would not recommend attaching a drive letter to a Truecrypt partition.

The mounting dialogue for partitions will show the Truecrypt partition anyway - there is no need for the partition to show up in Explorer.

It is perfectly sufficient if that seemingly unformatted Truecrypt partition appears in "disk management".

Re: encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 23 Sep 2019, 22:41
by taratara
hi
idk= I don't know ;)

with "it" I mean the partition D: on the one HDD. I partitioned on whole HDD, installed win7 on C: and encrypted what I made partition D:
So partition D: is not hidden but encrypted and also no system partition but filled with lots of files I want to access.

I hope this clears up things. together with the images I posted earlier this should be comprehensible.
At least under Windows XP the operating systems proposes to format a partition-based Truecrypt volume, once this unformatted looking partition has a drive letter attached to it.

If this happens under Windows 7 as well, there is a risk of clicking yes and dammaging the Truecrypt partition.
Therefore I would not recommend attaching a drive letter to a Truecrypt partition.
windows is really fast with wanting to format unknown filesystems ...


now after reading your unprecise mention of mounting I just tried mounting the encrypted partition from the HDD plugged in via USB and it works! Great. It is late, but I'll try booting from that HDD again tomorrow. So I guess Testdisk already fixed everything broken and I overcomplicated things when testdisk already showed everything in the green... if this is the case I am happy as I can be and thank you for your time and sorry for wasting it too ...

Re: encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 24 Sep 2019, 09:52
by taratara
yes, sorry for wasting your time, everything works again. That last donation for testdisk was from me. Thanks a lot mr grenier!!!!!

to everyone with the same problem finding this thread on the web, when testdisk is green after running through everything is fine, no worries about TC volumes, TD does not display TC volumes but it should be fixed, don't add another volume or partition or you will do more harm than good!


but I have another question, when this HDD error happens, does this mean the HDD is getting old and header/cylinder mixups will happen again very soon, or does this happen for reasons noone knows, otherwise there would be code against it already?
I mean, I bought a new HDD and installed an OS on it to access the old HDD. Should I use the new HDD as expanded storage (smile) or should I keep the OS installed as I might have to run testdesk more often in the future?

Re: encrypted truecrypt partition not found by TestDisk

Posted: 24 Sep 2019, 11:09
by recuperation
taratara wrote: 24 Sep 2019, 09:52 yes, sorry for wasting your time, everything works again. That last donation for testdisk was from me. Thanks a lot mr grenier!!!!!
Christophe Grenier is the one with the name colored in red. I am just a regular user of this forum.
but I have another question, when this HDD error happens, does this mean the HDD is getting old and header/cylinder mixups will happen again very soon, or does this happen for reasons noone knows, otherwise there would be code against it already?
There it is back again, the precision issue. ;)
You did no provide any information what "this HDD error" is. Maybe there isn't even any.
You might possibly find information looking at SMART parameters.
I mean, I bought a new HDD and installed an OS on it to access the old HDD. Should I use the new HDD as expanded storage (smile) or should I keep the OS installed as I might have to run testdesk more often in the future?
If you don't mind using Linux you can simply run Testdisk, Photorec and ddrescue from a Knoppix CD/DVD or an USB stick.
Use your new HDD as backup space.