Testdisk ran OK but what do I do next?

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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RayArdia
Posts: 5
Joined: 28 Dec 2014, 11:02

Testdisk ran OK but what do I do next?

#1 Post by RayArdia »

I mistakenly formatted my external HDD instead of a pen drive - Stupid, I know but it happened!
I have run Testdisk with the following log:-


Sat Dec 27 16:39:25 2014
Command line: TestDisk

TestDisk 6.14, Data Recovery Utility, July 2013
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>
http://www.cgsecurity.org
OS: Linux, kernel 3.13.0-43-generic (#72-Ubuntu SMP Mon Dec 8 19:35:44 UTC 2014) i686
Compiler: GCC 4.8
Compilation date: 2013-10-29T01:29:29
ext2fs lib: 1.42.9, ntfs lib: libntfs-3g, reiserfs lib: none, ewf lib: none
/dev/sda: LBA, HPA, LBA48, DCO support
/dev/sda: size 488397168 sectors
/dev/sda: user_max 488397168 sectors
/dev/sda: native_max 488397168 sectors
/dev/sda: dco 488397168 sectors
Warning: can't get size for Disk /dev/mapper/control - 0 B - 1 sectors, sector size=512
Hard disk list
Disk /dev/sda - 250 GB / 232 GiB - CHS 30401 255 63, sector size=512 - WDC WD2500BEVT-22ZCT0, S/N:WD-WXE908EA3574, FW:11.01A11
Disk /dev/sdd - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - CHS 243201 255 63, sector size=512 - Seagate Expansion Desk, FW:0740

Partition table type (auto): Intel
Disk /dev/sdd - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - Seagate Expansion Desk
Partition table type: Intel

Analyse Disk /dev/sdd - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - CHS 243201 255 63
Geometry from i386 MBR: head=255 sector=63
FAT32 at 0/32/33
Info: size boot_sector 3907027116, partition 3907027116
FAT1 : 32-476847
FAT2 : 476848-953663
start_rootdir : 953664 root cluster : 2
Data : 953664-3907027071
sectors : 3907027116
cluster_size : 64
no_of_cluster : 61032397 (2 - 61032398)
fat_length 476816 calculated 476816
set_FAT_info: name from BS used
Current partition structure:
1 P FAT32 0 32 33 243201 80 59 3907027116
No partition is bootable

search_part()
Disk /dev/sdd - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - CHS 243201 255 63
FAT32 at 0/32/33
FAT1 : 32-476847
FAT2 : 476848-953663
start_rootdir : 953664 root cluster : 2
Data : 953664-3907027071
sectors : 3907027116
cluster_size : 64
no_of_cluster : 61032397 (2 - 61032398)
fat_length 476816 calculated 476816
set_FAT_info: name from BS used

FAT32 at 0/32/33
FAT32 LBA 0 32 33 243201 80 59 3907027116
FAT32, blocksize=32768, 2000 GB / 1863 GiB

Results
* FAT32 LBA 0 32 33 243201 110 45 3907028992
FAT32, blocksize=32768, 2000 GB / 1863 GiB

interface_write()
1 * FAT32 LBA 0 32 33 243201 110 45 3907028992

search_part()
Disk /dev/sdd - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - CHS 243201 255 63
FAT32 at 0/32/33
FAT1 : 32-476847
FAT2 : 476848-953663
start_rootdir : 953664 root cluster : 2
Data : 953664-3907027071
sectors : 3907027116
cluster_size : 64
no_of_cluster : 61032397 (2 - 61032398)
fat_length 476816 calculated 476816
set_FAT_info: name from BS used

FAT32 at 0/32/33
FAT32 LBA 0 32 33 243201 80 59 3907027116
FAT32, blocksize=32768, 2000 GB / 1863 GiB
FAT32 at 0/32/39
FAT1 : 32-476847
FAT2 : 476848-953663
start_rootdir : 953664 root cluster : 2
Data : 953664-3907027071
sectors : 3907027116
cluster_size : 64
no_of_cluster : 61032397 (2 - 61032398)
fat_length 476816 calculated 476816
set_FAT_info: name from BS used

FAT32 at 0/32/39
FAT32 LBA 0 32 33 243201 80 59 3907027116
FAT32, blocksize=32768, 2000 GB / 1863 GiB

Results
* FAT32 LBA 0 32 33 243201 110 45 3907028992
FAT32, blocksize=32768, 2000 GB / 1863 GiB

interface_write()
1 * FAT32 LBA 0 32 33 243201 110 45 3907028992
simulate write!

write_mbr_i386: starting...
write_all_log_i386: starting...
No extended partition
A new copy of MBR code has been written.
You have to reboot for the change to take effect.

TestDisk exited normally.

I restarted the computer but still can't read anything on the HDD. Writing the MBR didn't seem to do anything.

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cgrenier
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Re: Testdisk ran OK but what do I do next?

#2 Post by cgrenier »

There is no trace of a previous NTFS backup boot sector or a previous partition.
So you should try PhotoRec. It will recover most of your data but without the original filenames.

RayArdia
Posts: 5
Joined: 28 Dec 2014, 11:02

Re: Testdisk ran OK but what do I do next?

#3 Post by RayArdia »

Will I need an HDD of the same size as the original one to copy to?
Is there a sensible alternative? - I really don't fancy facing the task of renaming what must be well over 100,000 files!

RayArdia
Posts: 5
Joined: 28 Dec 2014, 11:02

Re: Testdisk ran OK but what do I do next?

#4 Post by RayArdia »

Re:- "Is there a sensible alternative?", I'm not looking for another brand of recovery software, just a way of using photorec which might help solve the renaming problem.
One thought strikes me; many of the files are .jpgs which should carry their exif data and any tags added. If I'm correct can, this be used to sort them? Or, could I simply import all the recovered .jpg files into Shotwell and let it do the sorting into year and date order?
Lots of the other files are books and these files too carry exif data which perhaps Calibre might help with.
Have ordered another 2TB HDD which should be here in a day or two - perhaps the task won't be as daunting as I had feared.

Drive arrived, from Amazon .fr, 5 minutes ago - I only placed the order yesterday afternoon!!! They really have got their logistics organised.
I assume I should now 'make an image' of what is on the original partition, could you tell me how to do this as my ancient brain is sometimes not as sensible as it once was and I don't want to risk ANOTHER foolish error.
Many thanks in anticipation of your help,
Ray

RayArdia
Posts: 5
Joined: 28 Dec 2014, 11:02

Re: Testdisk ran OK but what do I do next?

#5 Post by RayArdia »

By searching in the forum I found http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec_Step_By_Step which seems straightforward and comprehensive :oops:
Will follow and hope for the best, experimenting with .exif etc will have to wait until I have the recovered files on my shiny new HDD.

RayArdia
Posts: 5
Joined: 28 Dec 2014, 11:02

Re: Testdisk ran OK but what do I do next?

#6 Post by RayArdia »

So far so good but have got stuck choosing the destination, the list of destination directories doesn't seem to include the new Seagate HDD which is shown by fdisk to be /dev/sdd. Or is it the first line (highlighted in screenshot below)?
Destination selection.png
Destination selection.png (105.7 KiB) Viewed 3663 times

golimar
Posts: 7
Joined: 12 Jan 2015, 12:01

Re: Testdisk ran OK but what do I do next?

#7 Post by golimar »

No, that first line just means the current directory.
Is your Seagate HDD mounted? If so, run 'mount' to see where it is mounted

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