How to run TestDisc and PhotoRec from USB?

Using PhotoRec to recover lost data
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FewMillion
Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Feb 2016, 16:13

How to run TestDisc and PhotoRec from USB?

#1 Post by FewMillion »

Apologies for personally emailing Christophe Grenier. I had no idea there was a forum until I later navigated to the bottom of one of the instructional pages. We are an entire family that has all of our data on this hard drive with sudden corrupted sectors. The HD in question is a 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue. From the download page http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download <-I have tried first the DOS/WinX link to move all files from the opened .zip to my USB. After that wouldn't run from USB on the bad computer, I tried the Windows link files to USB after clearing it first. I believe the old computer ran on Windows 64-bit, as it had a Programs(x64) folder. I'm unsure about the download for the Windows 64-bit because of the part that says "use only on programs lacking Wow64".

When I try running the USB from the MSI screen (motherboard B75MA-p45), it throws up the error "No detectable partition in table". I'm fairly certain I'm doing something wrong, not knowing how to boot TestDisk and PhotoRec from USB. Hiren's boot CD does load from USB and contains a 2012 version of TestDisk/PhotoRec. I was able to bring those up, the 1TB drive was detected as I recognize the size and memory space taken. However, saving that drive resulted in pointing to r:/ where the testdisc.exe and .txt where located. I would rather be able to save to my external 1TB Toshiba harddrive, one that's fairly empty. I have come here for both of these programs because it seems they're the only ones that recognize this corrupted harddrive with an entire family's worth of important information on it. Hiren's OS mirrors such as MiniWinXP and Linux don't seem to recognize the drive such as finding familiar files or point to it's 1TB location, and neither does Ubuntu booted from another USB.

p0p0v
Posts: 7
Joined: 12 Feb 2016, 10:26

Re: How to run TestDisc and PhotoRec from USB?

#2 Post by p0p0v »

However, saving that drive resulted in pointing to r:/ where the testdisc.exe and .txt where located
Sorry for my english
As i understand you dislake what photorec from hiren's cd recovered files to ramdrive disk?

For recovery to another disk you need after first start of photorec copy directory ramdrive:\temp\HBCD to another disk and start photorec from it.
I'm fairly certain I'm doing something wrong, not knowing how to boot TestDisk and PhotoRec from USB. Hiren's boot CD does load from USB and contains a 2012 version of TestDisk/PhotoRec
Photorec ver. 7 doesnot work on miniwindowsXP from hiren's CD - you must use ver. 6.14
or GUI version of program - " qphotorec"

FewMillion
Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Feb 2016, 16:13

Re: How to run TestDisc and PhotoRec from USB?

#3 Post by FewMillion »

p0p0v wrote: Sorry for my english
As i understand you dislake what photorec from hiren's cd recovered files to ramdrive disk?
Thank you for replying. Did you mean dislike? Photorec from Hiren's BootCD is an old 2012 version
that doesn't seem to have the features of ver. 7. I am right now using Lazesoft Recovery Suite, which I read uses a later version of TestDisk and/or PhotoRec. I'm not sure how to find them through the Lazesoft BootCD. With damaged partitions: NTFS @0, FAT@649742264, FAT@649682104, FAT@56471713 and FAT@56475493, I'm unsure if Lazesoft is finding the files I needed. It also only offers common file extensions such as .jpg, .exe, .dll, .doc, .docx, .avi, .xls and .zip. Pictures, .zip files, executables, Word documents and movies are useless to me. The files I need have the extensions .ess, .slot, .bak, .fos and most importantly: .duf

With as many damaged partitions, I was hoping to have them restored with TestDisk from a bootable CD or USB.
In case the files I need are on those damaged ones (not a physically damaged harddisc, most likely from software).
For recovery to another disk you need after first start of photorec copy directory ramdrive:\temp\HBCD to another disk and start photorec from it.
I can't start the Photorec version I need on this laptop. It runs Windows 8, and the message is "This app can't run on your PC". The computer in question with the corrupted drive ran Windows 7 Home Premium.
Photorec ver. 7 doesnot work on miniwindowsXP from hiren's CD - you must use ver. 6.14
or GUI version of program - " qphotorec"
Where do I obtain ver6.14 or qphotorec? I found instructions here for qphotorec:
http://www.geekssharingspace.org/2013/1 ... re-to.html
But I cannot install Ubuntu to that corrupted computer's drive, unless I want to overwrite everything.

p0p0v
Posts: 7
Joined: 12 Feb 2016, 10:26

Re: How to run TestDisc and PhotoRec from USB?

#4 Post by p0p0v »

It also only offers common file extensions
For your specific files (file extensions) you can add "own extension" to photorec before recovery
(see instructions on wiki)
or you need another recovery program, which use MFT | FAT table for recovery data.

Where do I obtain ver6.14 or qphotorec?

Qphotorec ver. 7 works on Hiren' CD very well
only command prompt version - "photorec"(without Q) dosnt work

Photorec ver.6.14 already exists on Hiren'S boot cd but you need:
For recovery to another disk you need after first start of photorec copy directory ramdrive:\temp\HBCD to another disk and start photorec from it.
and...
Photorec from Hiren's BootCD is an old 2012 version
that doesn't seem to have the features of ver. 7
which "new" features in ver. 7 you mean?

FewMillion
Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Feb 2016, 16:13

Re: How to run TestDisc and PhotoRec from USB?

#5 Post by FewMillion »

p0p0v wrote:For your specific files (file extensions) you can add "own extension" to photorec before recovery (see instructions on wiki)
Photorec ver.6.14 already exists on Hiren'S boot cd but you need: For recovery to another disk you need after first start of photorec copy directory ramdrive:\temp\HBCD to another disk and start photorec from it.
That would be perfect. Only, TestDisc and PhotoRec are already on the last of my CD-R's. I might have to call around and find a place that sells the more useful CD-RW discs so I can add in from instructions. That part about copying ramdrive:\temp\HBCD is confusing too. Okay, I start PhotoRec 7.1 WIP and copy directory ramdrive:\temp\HBCD to another disk? I'm only seeing the options to select my drive, proceed, free or whole and then it points to directory "root/". How? Excuse my confusion. I'm fairly new at all of this.

Somehow I got TestDisk 7.1 WIP to boot but I don't know how. Hit and miss with CD-Rs. I'm unsure of what to do with the scan results despite the step-by-step instructions. Also if I write the TestDisk boot to the first partition, would I be able to restore the other boot with cmdprmpt "bootrec /rebuildbcd" with the Win7 Home Premium disc? Here's what it said near the end of the scan:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disk /dev/sda -1000GB/93/GB -ch5 121601 255 63
Analyze Cylinder 99%
Read error at 491/15/43 (1ba=7888902)
HPFS -NTFS 0 32 33 12 223 19 204800
HPFS -NTFS 0 32 33 12 223 19 204800
HPFS -NTFS 12 223 20 121601 25 24 1953314816
Warning: number of heads/cylinder mismatches 16 (NTFS) != 255 (HD)
Warning: number of sectors per track mismatches 2 (NTFS) != 63(HD)
HPFS -NTFS 3526 234 37 3527 77 36 6174 [Boot]
Invalid FAT boot sector
0 D FAT12 93830 150 17 95905 190 50 33337429
FAT12 93830 150 17 95905 190 50 33337429
Linux 38576 216 41 39621 46 41 16777216 [Data]
Check_FAT: can't read FAT boot sector
Invalid FAT boot sector
0 D FAT32 251588 71 33 387876 102 43 2189468684
FAT32 251588 71 33 387876 102 43 2189468684
It ends, and then says "The following partition can't be recovered:"
FAT32 251588 71 33 387876 102 43 2189468684
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know there are step by step instructions, but this is very complicated to my eyes.
Any help would be much appreciated. Steps I need to take specifically?
What do I get rid of, what not to? TestDisk boot replace first partition maybe?
Here's what the next screen said:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disk /dev/sda - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63
>* HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 12 223 19 204800
D HFPS - NTFS 12 223 20 121601 25 24 1953314816
D HPFS - NTFS 3526 234 37 3527 109 38 8192 [Boot]
D Linux 38576 216 41 39621 46 41 16777216 [Data]
D FAT12 93830 150 17 95905 190 50 33337429
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From checking inside them, I don't recognize anything. Most are too damaged.
PhotoRec however was able to retrieve a whole lot of .jpg files.
I'm hopeful for using PhotoRec, because I think this drive may be too damaged for TestDisk.
Perhaps copying the bootable CD I'm using that runs both of those programs,
and changing parameters for filetypes. Custom signature seems like the way to go.
I found the "Add your own extension" link here:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Add_your ... o_PhotoRec
I can't run under Windows because that won't open on that drive.
Signature syntax and hexidecimal? I don't understand that at all.
Would you be able to type that up? Then what do I do with it? I'm reading the "File location" part of that.
The coding has me very confused. The filetypes I need are .duf, .ess, .slot, and .fos
I don't know how to type up the syntax or hexidecimal code.

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