Recover partition split over 2 disks

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
Forum rules
When asking for technical support:
- Search for posts on the same topic before posting a new question.
- Give clear, specific information in the title of your post.
- Include as many details as you can, MOST POSTS WILL GET ONLY ONE OR TWO ANSWERS.
- Post a follow up with a "Thank you" or "This worked!"
- When you learn something, use that knowledge to HELP ANOTHER USER LATER.
Before posting, please read https://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk.pdf
Locked
Message
Author
whifm
Posts: 2
Joined: 21 Jul 2015, 12:38

Recover partition split over 2 disks

#1 Post by whifm »

Hi there.

My dedicated server recently crashed due to the auto windows update for win2003. The ISP removed my drives, rebuilt the server and now I have the 2 original drives caddied to the new server. The issue I have is that my partitions are split over the 2 drives so I now need to know how to configure/run test disk over the 2 disks as opposed to the normal mode of analysing 1 disk at a time.

Is this possible and if so how do I achieve this?

Please help!

Many thanks in advance.

Mick

User avatar
Fiona
Posts: 2835
Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 17:19
Location: Ludwigsburg/Stuttgart - Germany

Re: Recover partition split over 2 disks

#2 Post by Fiona »

Have you had a dynamical spanned volume?
Can you mount your disks using ssh?
Can you run testdisk on your server?

Fiona

whifm
Posts: 2
Joined: 21 Jul 2015, 12:38

Re: Recover partition split over 2 disks

#3 Post by whifm »

Hi Fiona.

Thanks for the prompt reply.

I've just been informed that the data is spanned across 2 disks. I'm not sure if they're dynamical though.

The disks can't be mounted in the full sense of the word but they are accessible via usb and yes I have been running testdisk on them and although we successfully restored our db files from the first disk which had the 1st partition on it, we cannot access the 2nd partition which was spanned over the 1st and 2nd disks.

Is there anything we can do?

Please help as this is now extremely urgent.

Many thanks in advance.

Mick

User avatar
Fiona
Posts: 2835
Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 17:19
Location: Ludwigsburg/Stuttgart - Germany

Re: Recover partition split over 2 disks

#4 Post by Fiona »

I suppose that spanned volume are probably not supported on USB?
In case your disks should be build in internally.
Did you already copy all important data off of your first partition?
What file system did you use.
On win2003 a spanned volume would be pretty close to a dynamically spanned volume?
In case:
There would be a tricky thing what I can offer to try.
If you've recovered all important data of your first partition, you can delete it.
It's necessary otherwise you can't convert any disk to dynamically
You should convert both disks to dynamically
Create a spanned volume over both disks.
Don't format it.
Formatting a disk would write a boot sector it´s backup and the file system (NTFS for example MFT and its Mirror) and should be avoided.
You shouldn't write something to your disk.
TestDisk doesn't support dynamically disks.
Because they have no Intel partition table nor GPT.
But if testdisk finds during a scan (Quick- or Deeper Search) the boot sector or it's backup, it would be possible to list your files and you can copy them.
The limit is, you can't write your partition into the partition table because dynamically volumes are not supported.
That's why, if your second partition would be found and and you can list your data, you can copy all data off of your second partition.
All these info are related to dynamically disks.

Commercial solution would be for example restorer ultimate, where you can create a spanned volume virtually and scan it like a normal disk.
Nothing would be changed.
A trial is available too.

Locked