External HDD switched from NTFS to RAW Topic is solved

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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AndyII
Posts: 54
Joined: 15 Apr 2012, 06:15

Re: External HDD switched from NTFS to RAW

#21 Post by AndyII »

I used the manufacturer's tool to write 0s to the drive. Then I initialized the drive in Windows.

I attempted to format the drive using Computer Management. It went all the way through and failed.
Then I attempted the format again in a command prompt, and again it failed.

Right now, I'm rebuilding the Boot Sector. Am I doing something wrong? I can't even get a partition onto it. It's a Western Digital 200GB drive. WBC2000JB. Is it now a paper weight?

EDIT: How long should it take to rebuild the Boot Sector? It's been running for over 2 hours now and is less than 25% complete.

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

Re: External HDD switched from NTFS to RAW

#22 Post by Fiona »

Thanks Fiona. You helped me get the files back earlier. I copied them to another drive. At this point, I'm trying to figure out if the hard drive is still useable. Should I just reformat the disk or should I Rebuild BS? I don't know what the BS is. Should I scrap the disk altogether?
After backup of your files you can try the following;

After so many failed attempts, it's advisable to delete your partition, create a new one and format it.

You can try to get it to work, using an USB Hub with power supply (power adapter).
It's gonna stabilize USB and it would be possible to format your disk.
Just try it.
Also an USB HUB with power supply can increase safety to your data.
It's often pointless to use an Y-USB-cable, that's why I suggested an USB HUB with power supply!

Please let me know if format of your disk was successful.

Fiona

AndyII
Posts: 54
Joined: 15 Apr 2012, 06:15

Re: External HDD switched from NTFS to RAW

#23 Post by AndyII »

Fiona wrote: After backup of your files you can try the following;

After so many failed attempts, it's advisable to delete your partition, create a new one and format it.
I have already done that. I have wiped the drive clean. There are no partitions or data of any kind on the disk. I used the manufacturers tool to write 0's to every part of the disk.
Fiona wrote:You can try to get it to work, using an USB Hub with power supply (power adapter).
It's gonna stabilize USB and it would be possible to format your disk.
Just try it.
Also an USB HUB with power supply can increase safety to your data.
I don't have a USB Hub with power supply. I'm using the USB port that's attached to the motherboard. I know you said to "just try it", but if I have to go buy something, shouldn't I just buy a new disk? I would think that if it was working one minute, and it 1) suddenly lost it's partition, 2) suddenly wouldn't write to the backup boot sector, and 3) suddenly doesn't like the power it's getting from the USB on the motherboard, then it's a little unstable. Would you agree? Could there be something else going on that you haven't mentioned yet?

I appreciate the help, but it just seems like it's too much trouble to go buy this and that, then find a plug for this and a place to put that when I can just replace it. I was looking to save some money, but I no longer have any confidence it will ever work right.

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

Re: External HDD switched from NTFS to RAW

#24 Post by Fiona »

I know you said to "just try it", but if I have to go buy something, shouldn't I just buy a new disk?
Do you know someone who has an USB HUB with power supply just for trying to reformat your disk?
I already used it, if users were not able to format their new external disk.

But something what you can do to diagnose your HDD using hd tune and an error scan of your disk surface.
http://www.hdtune.com/download.html
The hdtune version is free, that's why its not necessary to use hdtune pro.
But to use it successful, it might be possibible that you need an USB HUB? :)

As long as I don't have any info that your disk is defective, as long I don't recommend to buy a new disk.
That's why it's important to diagnose your HDD first.
Might be possible that only your file system was damaged.

Fiona

AndyII
Posts: 54
Joined: 15 Apr 2012, 06:15

Re: External HDD switched from NTFS to RAW

#25 Post by AndyII »

I ran HD Tune and it didn't find a single bad area on the disk. So I installed the hard disk into the computer and it formatted it correctly. I still find that unbelievable. Anyway, I've put it back into its external case and it appears to be functioning normally.

Thanks for everyone's help. The solution is quite a surprise. I never would have thought of that in a million years.

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

Re: External HDD switched from NTFS to RAW

#26 Post by Fiona »

Thanks for your feedback. :)
I'll set your topic as solved!

Fiona

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