Launching TestDisk from Windows 10 Boot Menu (CMD)

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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historybuff3737
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Joined: 24 Nov 2017, 16:31

Launching TestDisk from Windows 10 Boot Menu (CMD)

#1 Post by historybuff3737 »

Hello,

My computer doesn't boot up anymore: automatic repair fails and none of the Windows 10 advanced recovery options work. The C: drive is listed as RAW. I'd like to use TestDisk to repair the partition/boot sector, however I'd like to confirm first which version to use in 64-bit Windows 10 cmd in boot menu. I tried downloading the Windows 7.1 version of TestDisk (not the 64-bit version), put it on a USB key and tried to run via cmd in the boot menu, but I got this error: "This version...is not compatible with the version of Windows your are running."

Could you please advise how to use TestDisk in the Windows cmd in boot menu? I think I can follow the step-by-step directions once I get TestDisk running.

Many thanks!

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cgrenier
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Re: Launching TestDisk from Windows 10 Boot Menu (CMD)

#2 Post by cgrenier »

Use the Windows 64 bit version of TestDisk 7.1-WIP.
Read https://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk.pdf for the whole documentation.

historybuff3737
Posts: 6
Joined: 24 Nov 2017, 16:31

Re: Launching TestDisk from Windows 10 Boot Menu (CMD)

#3 Post by historybuff3737 »

Many thanks, Christophe! Your help and quick response was much appreciated - I was able to start TestDisk as per your instructions. I accidentally interrupted the deep scan, but it seemed to have found the missing partion; I will run it again tomorrow. In the meantime, I got this message early on in the process: Warning: Bad starting head (CHS and LBA don't match). Could I still write/restore the partion? Or do I have to resolve the bad starting head issue first? Let me know if you need the testdisk.log and I can post it after the deep scan completes. Thanks again!

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cgrenier
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Re: Launching TestDisk from Windows 10 Boot Menu (CMD)

#4 Post by cgrenier »

It's only a warning. If your partition has been listed, you can ignore it.

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