External Hard Disk WD - No Partition is bootable

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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anthonypaol
Posts: 4
Joined: 20 Apr 2012, 15:07

External Hard Disk WD - No Partition is bootable

#1 Post by anthonypaol »

Hello, I hope to find some help.

I used Western Digital software to read/write info on my external HD with network cable (Windows Vista). Two days ago it didn't work.

The HD has 4 partition and there's no First Partitions. The partition are in Linux Raid.

I don't know what I have to do to get all the data info; how I can read data in HD?

If necessary, may I convert in NTFS; if Yes how I can do?

Thanks in advance for help.
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remy
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Re: External Hard Disk WD - No Partition is bootable

#2 Post by remy »

It's a network disk. Probably with linux embedded. So it's normal your have software raid inside.
You cannot convert it to NTFS, as it's probabaly linux ext3 or xfs filesystem.
Your data are in the partition embedded in md2 raid logical volume.

Else you can access these data with testdisk, listing files with "P" on this line :
P Linux 403 0 1 121600 254 63 194704870
and the copy you files in another place.

Else you can mount this partition using a linux livecd. Command to dela with linux raid software is "mdadm" and command to mount is "mount". Let you look at the manual for that, if you can't, let me know.

anthonypaol
Posts: 4
Joined: 20 Apr 2012, 15:07

Re: External Hard Disk WD - No Partition is bootable

#3 Post by anthonypaol »

Ciao Rem,
thanks for Your suggestions...
Now another problem; it didn't recognise any partition; I'm waiting the end of the scanning...
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anthonypaol
Posts: 4
Joined: 20 Apr 2012, 15:07

Re: External Hard Disk WD - No Partition is bootable

#4 Post by anthonypaol »

Sorry Remy,
for information somethimes I'm hearing strange sound in the HD; anyway it's continuing...
Another question: hoping It will find the partition, Your suggestion was to "copy"; I have bought a WD MyBookLive; how I can do "paste" my data info? Simply open from Windows the folder?
Thanks
Antonio
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remy
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Re: External Hard Disk WD - No Partition is bootable

#5 Post by remy »

Stop the scan, there are read errors, that may be because of hardware failure.

In the first attep, you were able to found your partition. At that point with "P" keybord key you should be able to list your fils inside testdisk. There's an option to copy from testdisk (windows won't be able to read your linux filesystem), and you'll be asked for a destination.

If your hard drive is failing, you really should begin with a bit to bit copy. It's sometimes not easy when there are many bad sectors.

anthonypaol
Posts: 4
Joined: 20 Apr 2012, 15:07

Re: External Hard Disk WD - No Partition is bootable

#6 Post by anthonypaol »

Ciao Remy,
I have to be onest, I'm a bit worried and I think the HD is arriving at the "end"... Anyway...

The strange thing is that the Wd Hard Disk is about 1 TB and as You can see in the image now it became about 2 TB.

Other strange thing is about the partitions: now there are no partitions and it need "endmark"; any advice?

Thanks.

Antonio
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remy
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Re: External Hard Disk WD - No Partition is bootable

#7 Post by remy »

I agree with your diagnostic, that's why it would have been better to do a bit to bit copy of your disk. If it founds 2tio instead of 1Tio it's else because it has a firmware corruption, else becasue it can't read correctly the size (probably 2nd one, because of hardware failure).

The "endmark" message is because testdisk look for a magic code at the end of the first sector : 0x55AA ont the las two bytes. If it can't read the first sector, it can't found the code. Do you have a professionnal in datarecovery in your area ? Where are you from ?

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