Missing partitions/non bootable drive problem

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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Herbythyme
Posts: 5
Joined: 01 Sep 2013, 16:17

Missing partitions/non bootable drive problem

#1 Post by Herbythyme »

OK - got a non booting PC (win7 64 bit) which has an mbf problem but also has partition issues. It did have twin 1tb Samsung drives one of which may have some use as a doorstop but is not recognised by any software. The other has accessible data on ("Data and work" drive) but has three "missing" partitions. One I am fairly sure was an OEM install type partition and was hidden anyway. The others were a C: named Windows (with almost solely programs on) and a D: which might have been called "Odds" which had anything that wasn't on the other two disks on! I have pretty much up to date backups of almost everything worthwhile anyway on external drives (& not in some proprietary format - I do learn somethings from experience!). Equally the "Data and work" drive is accessible via the Dos prompt via Win recovery so I've copied off an odd file that was updated since the last backup.

As such I am not tearing my hair out but
1. It would be useful/time saving/helpful to get the disk up again. Even in a non booting state I could just run my eyes over it to see if I missed anything obvious on the backups. I do know I didn't backup the music cds I ripped for example so access would be good in some form.

2. The other issue is anyone got any thoughts on what the problem might be. I have no problem getting another drive, putting it in and installing win on it but if there is an underlying problem that would be rather a waste of time longer term. I do know a couple of weeks ago I got a couple of boots over 2/3 days which had a POST error. Rebooting worked so I happily (wrongly?) ignored it. Like an idiot I failed to note the exact code but it was either 3 or 4 beeps - might be related on not? Random problem or some underlying hardware issue likely - motherboard, memory?

Any help/thoughts will be much appreciated - can supply any other info needed on request. I do have the testdisk log but it doesn't seem to like me uploading a file with a .log extension (or .txt or none).

TIA - Herby

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cgrenier
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Re: Missing partitions/non bootable drive problem

#2 Post by cgrenier »

Instead of uploading the log file, post it.

Herbythyme
Posts: 5
Joined: 01 Sep 2013, 16:17

Re: Missing partitions/non bootable drive problem

#3 Post by Herbythyme »

Yes - it was in the post I first made like that but it seems that version was not "approved". Anyway

Mon Sep 02 08:35:02 2013
Command line: TestDisk

TestDisk 6.14, Data Recovery Utility, July 2013
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>
http://www.cgsecurity.org
OS: Windows 7 (7600)
Compiler: GCC 4.7, MinGW 3.11
Compilation date: Jul 30 2013 14:09:04
ext2fs lib: none, ntfs lib: 10:0:0, reiserfs lib: none, ewf lib: 20120504
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\PhysicalDrive0)=1000204886016
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\PhysicalDrive1)=16026435072
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\C:)=1000202043392
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\D:)=3224993792
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\E:)=16017335296
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\X:)=3162112
Hard disk list
Disk \\.\PhysicalDrive0 - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63, sector size=512
Disk \\.\PhysicalDrive1 - 16 GB / 14 GiB - CHS 1948 255 63, sector size=512
Drive C: - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121600 255 63, sector size=512
Drive D: - 3224 MB / 3075 MiB - CHS 768 64 32, sector size=2048
Drive E: - 16 GB / 14 GiB - CHS 1947 255 63, sector size=512
Drive X: - 3162 KB / 3088 KiB - CHS 193 16 2, sector size=512

Partition table type (auto): Intel
Disk \\.\PhysicalDrive0 - 1000 GB / 931 GiB
Partition table type: Intel
New options :
Dump : No
Align partition: Yes
Expert mode : No

Analyse Disk \\.\PhysicalDrive0 - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63
Geometry from i386 MBR: head=255 sector=63
NTFS at 0/32/33
Current partition structure:
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121601 25 24 1953519616 [Data and work]

search_part()
Disk \\.\PhysicalDrive0 - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63
NTFS at 0/32/33
filesystem size 1953519616
sectors_per_cluster 8
mft_lcn 786432
mftmirr_lcn 2
clusters_per_mft_record -10
clusters_per_index_record 1
HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121601 25 24 1953519616 [Data and work]
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB

Results
* HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121601 25 24 1953519616 [Data and work]
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB

interface_write()
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121601 25 24 1953519616 [Data and work]

search_part()
Disk \\.\PhysicalDrive0 - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63
NTFS at 0/32/33
filesystem size 1953519616
sectors_per_cluster 8
mft_lcn 786432
mftmirr_lcn 2
clusters_per_mft_record -10
clusters_per_index_record 1
HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121601 25 24 1953519616 [Data and work]
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB
NTFS at 61825/194/2
filesystem size 1953519616
sectors_per_cluster 8
mft_lcn 786432
mftmirr_lcn 2
clusters_per_mft_record -10
clusters_per_index_record 1
HPFS - NTFS 61825 194 2 183426 186 56 1953519616
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB
This partition ends after the disk limits. (start=993230848, size=1953519616, end=2946750463, disk end=1953525168)
NTFS at 64115/184/6
filesystem size 1953519616
sectors_per_cluster 8
mft_lcn 786432
mftmirr_lcn 2
clusters_per_mft_record -10
clusters_per_index_record 1
HPFS - NTFS 64115 184 6 185716 176 60 1953519616
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB
This partition ends after the disk limits. (start=1030019072, size=1953519616, end=2983538687, disk end=1953525168)
NTFS at 65325/134/26
filesystem size 1953519616
sectors_per_cluster 8
mft_lcn 786432
mftmirr_lcn 2
clusters_per_mft_record -10
clusters_per_index_record 1
HPFS - NTFS 65325 134 26 186926 127 17 1953519616
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB
This partition ends after the disk limits. (start=1049454592, size=1953519616, end=3002974207, disk end=1953525168)
NTFS at 121601/25/24
filesystem size 1953519616
sectors_per_cluster 8
mft_lcn 786432
mftmirr_lcn 2
clusters_per_mft_record -10
clusters_per_index_record 1
HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121601 25 24 1953519616 [Data and work]
NTFS found using backup sector, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB
Disk \\.\PhysicalDrive0 - 1000 GB / 931 GiB - CHS 121601 255 63
Check the harddisk size: HD jumpers settings, BIOS detection...
The harddisk (1000 GB / 931 GiB) seems too small! (< 1537 GB / 1431 GiB)
The following partitions can't be recovered:
HPFS - NTFS 61825 194 2 183426 186 56 1953519616
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB
HPFS - NTFS 64115 184 6 185716 176 60 1953519616
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB
HPFS - NTFS 65325 134 26 186926 127 17 1953519616
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB

Results
* HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121601 25 24 1953519616 [Data and work]
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 1000 GB / 931 GiB

interface_write()
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 121601 25 24 1953519616 [Data and work]
simulate write!

write_mbr_i386: starting...
write_all_log_i386: starting...
No extended partition

TestDisk exited normally.

Herbythyme
Posts: 5
Joined: 01 Sep 2013, 16:17

Re: Missing partitions/non bootable drive problem

#4 Post by Herbythyme »

I would be very grateful if anyone could give me any pointers on this problem? My reading is that some of the partition info is available to TestDisk - is there a way to get this problem corrected or do I just go ahead and buy a new drive.

Many thanks - Herby

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cgrenier
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Re: Missing partitions/non bootable drive problem

#5 Post by cgrenier »

The partition table and the NTFS partition are ok. This partition is using the whole disk, so I don't understand why you have titled your post "Missing partitions".

If the problem is "non bootable drive problem" and only that, run "chkdsk /f d:" (replace d: by the correct drive letter).
If the problem is still not resolved, boot from a MS Windows CD/DVD (not a computer manufacturer restore DVD) and choose "Repair" to fix your Windows system.

Herbythyme
Posts: 5
Joined: 01 Sep 2013, 16:17

Re: Missing partitions/non bootable drive problem

#6 Post by Herbythyme »

I have run chkdsk and windows recovery before even trying TestDisk - none of that works.

While the partition appears to be taking up most of the disc (it is a 1tb drive and the "partition" is about 930meg)) the partition should be/was three partitions previously as mentioned in the first post and listed in the log file as being unable to recover. It may well be that despite being able to "see" the partitions according to the log it doesn't seem able to recover them and that may well be the case - I am simply trying to find out if anyone can see something I am missing before I take more destructive action on the drive.

Thanks
Herby

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cgrenier
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Re: Missing partitions/non bootable drive problem

#7 Post by cgrenier »

The partition "Data and work" is using the whole space, the partition table, the NTFS boot sector and its backup all agree on that. Are you sure you the partition "Odds" is not on the other disk ?

Herbythyme
Posts: 5
Joined: 01 Sep 2013, 16:17

Re: Missing partitions/non bootable drive problem

#8 Post by Herbythyme »

I understand your point however the drives were mirrored - it may be some sort of RAID failure too - and the Data and work drives was ~650gb in size so there should be other partitions on that drive?

Thanks

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