cgsecurity.org

I am trying to get an external WD disk that I was using to save data files to boot after I was unable to access it from my Dell Windows XP laptop. I ran the testdisk and got the following log entries:



Thu Jan 10 20:01:41 2013
Command line: TestDisk
*********************
TestDisk 6.13, Data Recovery Utility, November 2011
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>
http://www.cgsecurity.org



Analyse Disk /dev/sdb - 319 GB / 297 GiB - CHS 38827 255 63
Geometry from i386 MBR: head=155 sector=47


test_FAT()


1 * FAT16 LBA 0 32 33 38827 154 47 623763456
sector_size 0
cluster_size 0
reserved 0
fats 0
dir_entries 0
sectors 0
media 00
fat_length 0
secs_track 0
heads 0
hidden 0
total_sect 0
check_part_i386 failed for partition type 0E
Current partition structure:
Invalid FAT boot sector

1 * FAT16 LBA 0 32 33 38827 154 47 623763456

1 * FAT16 LBA 0 32 33 38827 154 47 623763456

Backup partition structure
partition_save
file_pread(5,16,buffer,623755755(38827/0/1)) read err: Invalid argument
Allow partial last cylinder : Yes
search_vista_part: 1

search_part()
Disk /dev/sdb - 319 GB / 297 GiB - CHS 38827 255 63
file_pread(5,16,buffer,2064(0/32/49)) read err: Invalid argument
file_pread(5,1,buffer,2064(0/32/49)) read err: Invalid argument
Search for partition aborted

Results

interface_write()

No partition found or selected for recovery

search_part()
No extended partition

TestDisk exited normally.
*********************

Please let me know how I can write the bootsector and recover the disk.

Thanks

Asekar

Looks like your partition type is wrong?
The size of a FAT16-Partition is normally limited to 2 GB.
But Windows often uses it to create partitions and adds the right partition type and file system during formatting.
But don't format it, it'd override your previous file system.
Please let me know, did you create anything on your disk?
If you know, that your partition fits exactly like before, you can diagnose your boort sector using the right partition type.
In Advanced you can use the menu "Type" to change it.
Please let me know, what file system did you use?

Fiona

thanks for your reply. I did not create anything on my disk. After I received the message that there is no boot sector I do not know how I can revive it using Testdisk. When I get the prompt to add a new partition how do I get back the boot sector. The examples do not clearly illustrate this situation. Please give step by step instruction.

Asekar