Recovering Seagate 3Tb Expansion Drive

How to use TestDisk to recover lost partition
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Author
papon
Posts: 1
Joined: 27 Oct 2013, 00:25

Recovering Seagate 3Tb Expansion Drive

#1 Post by papon »

Hi guys :)

I have a Seagate 3tb Expansion Drive and it's case was damaged, so i retrieved it.
When i connected it via SATA it asks me to format it, i already followed all the tips in the forum but with no success!!

In <My Computer Management> the disk appears like RAW. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/6e9w.png/

I've already used testdisk, EASEUS Partition Master and Active@ Partition Recoveryn with no success!!!
What I've done so far TestDisk: Choose disk "EFI GPT"-> Analyse http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/ruvc.png/-> Quick Search http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/203/n6u2.png/ -> List Files "Everything is there" -> Write
It tells me to reboot but nothing changes!
If i go to Advanced -> Boot http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8931/qqok.png
I'm trying to get a new hd to copy the data but i wanted to try to fix the partition without formatting.

I have Windows 7 and before RAW it was NTFS!
Please Reply!!
Thank You

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

Re: Recovering Seagate 3Tb Expansion Drive

#2 Post by Fiona »

When i connected it via SATA it asks me to format it, i already followed all the tips in the forum but with no success!!
If you remove an external big disk (bigger than 2.2 TB) from its enclosure and connecting it internal can cause that your disk is emulated as 512 bytes sector size to keep it bootable!
If a disk appears as RAW inidcates that a partition is still in your partition table.
The problem should be either file system or boot sector.
Would it be possible to copy and paste the content of your testdisk.log into your next post?
Also Antivirus and some other background processes can prevent to write a partition into your partition table?
Did you already try to copy some files from your affected partition using testdisk and check them?
Also your disk appears as basic in your disk management console, which means it's a Intel MBR-disk.
Intel MBR only supports disks up to 2.2 TB.
Except your partition has 4 k sectors and uses advanced format?
Otherwise it should be a GPT-disk.
Info;
http://www.wdc.com/global/products/feat ... language=1

My suggestion would be;
I always suggest, if testdisk is listing files to copy/backup them to another healthy disk or partition.
Afterwards you can run a bootsector diagnose in testdisk Advanced / Boot to get your files back.
Either tu use Backup BS to copy the backup of your boot sector over your boot sector or run Rebuild BS.

Windows often doesn't report a GPT-disk in the disk management console correctly.
You can figure it out if you right click into the left small square of your disk as listed in your disk management console.
If there is a description like;
Convert to basic,k you'll have a GPT-disk.
If there is a description like convert it to basis, you'll already have a GPT disk.
Please let me know!
To convert a disk, your disk must be unallocated.
It means partitions must bedeleted.
Currently not recommended!

Fiona

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