recover the files from external hard disk removed using - diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ "WIN10" GPT /dev/disk3

Using TestDisk to repair the filesystem
Forum rules
When asking for technical support:
- Search for posts on the same topic before posting a new question.
- Give clear, specific information in the title of your post.
- Include as many details as you can, MOST POSTS WILL GET ONLY ONE OR TWO ANSWERS.
- Post a follow up with a "Thank you" or "This worked!"
- When you learn something, use that knowledge to HELP ANOTHER USER LATER.
Before posting, please read https://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk.pdf
Locked
Message
Author
dinesh
Posts: 3
Joined: 08 Aug 2021, 04:20

recover the files from external hard disk removed using - diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ "WIN10" GPT /dev/disk3

#1 Post by dinesh »

I accidentally used the following command -
diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ "WIN10" GPT /dev/disk3

I wanted to use on disk2 (16GB pen drive) , and wrongly used on disk3 (2TB external harddisk). Hence the whole filesystem index is gone. Earlier it was an HFS+ file system as used by me to store the data backup for MAC. With some professional recovery tool, I can see the 650GB to recover. When I downloaded and ran the photorec - i can see only Internat disk not the external disk to recover. Please help me on how to recover the missing filesystem index table which is lost.

User avatar
cgrenier
Site Admin
Posts: 5432
Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 15:08
Location: Le Perreux Sur Marne, France
Contact:

Re: recover the files from external hard disk removed using - diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ "WIN10" GPT /dev/disk3

#2 Post by cgrenier »

PhotoRec may be able to recover your files but without the original filenames or directory structure. You probably need to seelct Sudo to view all your disks.

If you can view the correct list of files with another data recovery utility, you should honestly use this one.

dinesh
Posts: 3
Joined: 08 Aug 2021, 04:20

Re: recover the files from external hard disk removed using - diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ "WIN10" GPT /dev/disk3

#3 Post by dinesh »

Thanks for suggesting the sudo option. As after using the sudo, I am able to see the external disk.
One more question is - do i require an addition 1TB harddisk to store what is recovered by PhotoRec from my current external harddisk? Is there an option to just update the filesystem index of external harddisk with new entry pointing to the recovered file which is already present in the external harddisk?

recuperation
Posts: 2718
Joined: 04 Jan 2019, 09:48
Location: Hannover, Deutschland (Germany, Allemagne)

Re: recover the files from external hard disk removed using - diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ "WIN10" GPT /dev/disk3

#4 Post by recuperation »

dinesh wrote: 08 Aug 2021, 15:07 Thanks for suggesting the sudo option. As after using the sudo, I am able to see the external disk.
One more question is - do i require an addition 1TB harddisk to store what is recovered by PhotoRec from my current external harddisk? Is there an option to just update the filesystem index of external harddisk with new entry pointing to the recovered file which is already present in the external harddisk?
Your broken source drive has a size of 2 TB. Photorec does not know that you only used 650 MB of it. If the remaining 1350 MB contain information that look like a file, Photorec will as well extract it.
In the worst case you need 2 TB.
Now, as you have the option to exclude some file types you might reduce the amount of data recovered.
But that could lead to overly long files because if there is no information about the length of a file, Photorec will finish one file once it discovers the signature of another file.

Writing on a drive that is broken either in a logical or physical manner is not a suitable recovery practice because you might overwrite information that will be lost forever. Furthermore your "proposal" would require an error-free file system that is known by Photorec. That will rarely be the case.

dinesh
Posts: 3
Joined: 08 Aug 2021, 04:20

Re: recover the files from external hard disk removed using - diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ "WIN10" GPT /dev/disk3

#5 Post by dinesh »

thanks for such good explanation. I will try the same after ordering a 2TB disk. I will update the performance of photorec compared to professional tool. In the previous comment, It was mentioned that the tree structure with actual name will be lost. Does that mean All my project data will be lost, which is raw and i had not stored as compressed zip file?

recuperation
Posts: 2718
Joined: 04 Jan 2019, 09:48
Location: Hannover, Deutschland (Germany, Allemagne)

Re: recover the files from external hard disk removed using - diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ "WIN10" GPT /dev/disk3

#6 Post by recuperation »

dinesh wrote: 08 Aug 2021, 17:39 thanks for such good explanation. I will try the same after ordering a 2TB disk. I will update the performance of photorec compared to professional tool. In the previous comment, It was mentioned that the tree structure with actual name will be lost. Does that mean All my project data will be lost,
I don't know your projects and its organisation. If it's based on a folder structure, that information won't be recovered by Photorec.
But it may well be that the dammage is not as deep that the use of a armageddon tool like Photorec is required. Didn't you say some other software showed you the folder structure? Use the other software then.
which is raw and i had not stored as compressed zip file?
I don't understand that.

Locked