Reformatted the wrong partition...

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
amhammo
Posts: 2
Joined: 24 May 2016, 16:53

Reformatted the wrong partition...

#1 Post by amhammo »

I messed up and created a third partition on my external hard drive, which erased the partition with all of my media on it (most importantly documents, but also music and movies). Currently I can access the partition with my Time Machine backups, but the partition with my media is gone. Using a different third party software, iSkysoft Data Recovery, I found the location of the original media partition. Partition 3 is my media, and Partition 5 is my Time Machine backups. BUT, 3 and 5 overlap sectors. How can this be? If I can only save one partition, I would opt for Partition 3, but if it's possible I would like to save both.

Test Disk also found both of these partitions, but again, I can't restore both of them because the sectors overlap. I don't know what to do moving forward.
Screenshot 2016-05-24 22.05.31.png
Screenshot 2016-05-24 22.05.31.png (103.34 KiB) Viewed 1502 times
Disk /dev/disk1 - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - 1953525168 sectors
Partition Start End Size in sectors
>D EFI System 40 409639 409600 [EFI]
D EFI System 46 409645 409600 [EFI]
D Mac HFS 409640 914916023 914506384
D Mac HFS 439631 977334150 976894520
D Mac HFS 439800 977334319 976894520
D Mac HFS 440033 977334552 976894520
D Mac HFS 440178 977334697 976894520
D Mac HFS 440331 977334850 976894520
D Mac HFS 440748 977335267 976894520
D Mac HFS 441005 977335524 976894520
D Mac HFS 441214 977335733 976894520
D Mac HFS 441583 977336102 976894520
Structure: Ok. Use Up/Down Arrow keys to select partition.
Use Left/Right Arrow keys to CHANGE partition characteristics:
P=Primary D=Deleted
Keys A: add partition, L: load backup, T: change type, P: list files,
Enter: to continue
FAT32, blocksize=512, 209 MB / 200 MiB




Disk /dev/disk1 - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - 1953525168 sectors
Partition Start End Size in sectors
D Mac HFS 1973918 977670597 975696680
D Mac HFS 1977675 977674354 975696680
D Mac HFS 1981219 977677898 975696680
>P Mac HFS 914916020 1829422403 914506384
D MS Data 915178168 977304159 62125992 [FOR WINDOWS]
D MS Data 915178174 977304165 62125992 [FOR WINDOWS]
D Mac HFS 977566304 1953262983 975696680
D Mac HFS 977599489 1953296168 975696680
D Mac HFS 977599963 1953296642 975696680
D Mac HFS 977600236 1953296915 975696680
D Mac HFS 977602933 1953299612 975696680
D Mac HFS 977603798 1953300477 975696680
Structure: Ok. Use Up/Down Arrow keys to select partition.
Use Left/Right Arrow keys to CHANGE partition characteristics:
P=Primary D=Deleted
Keys A: add partition, L: load backup, T: change type,
Enter: to continue
HFS+ blocksize=4096, 468 GB / 436 GiB



Disk /dev/disk1 - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - 1953525168 sectors
Partition Start End Size in sectors
D MS Data 915178168 977304159 62125992 [FOR WINDOWS]
D MS Data 915178174 977304165 62125992 [FOR WINDOWS]
>P Mac HFS 977566304 1953262983 975696680
D Mac HFS 977599489 1953296168 975696680
D Mac HFS 977599963 1953296642 975696680
D Mac HFS 977600236 1953296915 975696680
D Mac HFS 977602933 1953299612 975696680
D Mac HFS 977603798 1953300477 975696680
D Mac HFS 977604967 1953301646 975696680
D Mac HFS 977605296 1953301975 975696680
D Mac HFS 977605657 1953302336 975696680
D Mac HFS 977609258 1953305937 975696680
Structure: Bad. Use Up/Down Arrow keys to select partition.
Use Left/Right Arrow keys to CHANGE partition characteristics:
P=Primary D=Deleted
Keys A: add partition, L: load backup, T: change type,
Enter: to continue
HFS+ blocksize=4096 + Backup, 499 GB / 465 GiB

User avatar
cgrenier
Site Admin
Posts: 5432
Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 15:08
Location: Le Perreux Sur Marne, France
Contact:

Re: Reformatted the wrong partition...

#2 Post by cgrenier »

Without the full testdisk.log file, it's difficult to give you a correct solution.
With the first software, partition 3 overlaps with partition 2, 4 and 5.

If the partition has been reformated, you can use PhotoRec on this partition to recover your data but you will not recover the original filenames.

amhammo
Posts: 2
Joined: 24 May 2016, 16:53

Re: Reformatted the wrong partition...

#3 Post by amhammo »

Can I just have TestDisk write a new partition map with only Partition 3?

User avatar
cgrenier
Site Admin
Posts: 5432
Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 15:08
Location: Le Perreux Sur Marne, France
Contact:

Re: Reformatted the wrong partition...

#4 Post by cgrenier »

Us ethe arrow keys to set the partition 3 to P(rimary) and the other partitions as D(eleted).

Locked