External Hard Drive Data Partition Recovery

[mjdata]

Hello CG Security community,

I've just found your application which is amazing. I wish I had found it a long time ago.

I had a problem with my 10 years old Linux device. I'm on a budget so I had to buy a new affordable laptop which was running on Windows. I set up a Windows Subsystem for Linux but then It was not mounting the external hard drive.

Then, I tried to mount it with windows disk utility but then it deleted its partition!

Right now I'm back on Linux OS, trying to recover the external hard drive with your TestDisk application.

I followed the basic recovery method but it did not show me any recoverable partition.

I've attached the log for your consideration. Would you be able to help me out please?

{

Partition table type (auto): Intel
Disk /dev/sdb - 5000 GB / 4657 GiB - Seagate Portable
Partition table type: Intel

Analyse Disk /dev/sdb - 5000 GB / 4657 GiB - CHS 4769307 64 32
Geometry from i386 MBR: head=256 sector=63
check_part_i386 1 type EE: no test
Current partition structure:
1 P EFI GPT 0 0 2 2097151 63 32 4294967295

Warning: Bad ending sector (CHS and LBA don't match)
No partition is bootable

search_part()
Disk /dev/sdb - 5000 GB / 4657 GiB - CHS 4769307 64 32

LVM magic value at 2924259/0/1
BAD_RS LBA=10148414342 1554059
check_FAT: can't read FAT boot sector
check_part_i386 failed for partition type 0B
FAT32 4955280 28 7 5599863 3 31 1320105209
This partition ends after the disk limits. (start=10148414342, size=1320105209, end=11468519550, disk end=9767541167)
BAD_RS LBA=11547921419 424880
check_FAT: can't read FAT boot sector
check_part_i386 failed for partition type 04
FAT16 <32M 5638633 32 12 5997017 28 1 733970294
This partition ends after the disk limits. (start=11547921419, size=733970294, end=12281891712, disk end=9767541167)
Disk /dev/sdb - 5000 GB / 4657 GiB - CHS 4769307 64 32
Check the harddisk size: HD jumper settings, BIOS detection...
The harddisk (5000 GB / 4657 GiB) seems too small! (< 6288 GB / 5856 GiB)
The following partitions can't be recovered:
FAT32 4955280 28 7 5599863 3 31 1320105209
FAT16 <32M 5638633 32 12 5997017 28 1 733970294
}

Thanks in advanced.

MJ

[recuperation]

Hello CG Security community,

I've just found your application which is amazing. I wish I had found it a long time ago.

I had a problem with my 10 years old Linux device.

Which one?

I'm on a budget so I had to buy a new affordable laptop which was running on Windows. I set up a Windows Subsystem for Linux but then It was not mounting the external hard drive.

I do not have any Windows Operating System that includes a subsystem for Linux. I can't tell you if its existence means that you can connect and access any linux storage.

Then, I tried to mount it with windows disk utility but then it deleted its partition!

That might be impossible because of the reason I mentioned above. Using a Linux operating system on a pen drive may exclude some problems in other settings.

Right now I'm back on Linux OS,

Which one? Where does is reside? How did you start it?

trying to recover the external hard drive with your TestDisk application.

I followed the basic recovery method but it did not show me any recoverable partition.

Does this include "deep scan"?
Have you removed the disk from its original housing?

I've attached the log for your consideration. Would you be able to help me out please?

What do you expect to be on your "Seagate Portable"? Did you partition and format it? Did you use an MBR or GPT table?

[mjdata]

Hello Recuperation,

Thanks for the response. That's not relatable to the topic but that's how you can install WSL into your windows system: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install

Now let's go back to the SG Security recovery method which I'm running on Linux's terminal. I followed this instructions: https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step

This is the step by step process that I've been using to recover the data:

1. Testdisk on terminal. Created a log file.

2. Selected the correct external drive. Proceeded.

3. Selected Intel

At this stage it gave me this error message:

Disk /dev/sdd - 5000 GB / 4657 GiB - CHS 4769307 64 32
Current partition structure:
Partition Start End Size in sectors

1 P EFI GPT 0 0 2 2097151 63 32 4294967295


* Warning: Bad ending sector (CHS and LBA don't match)
* No partition is bootable


4. Proceed by Analyzing it with quick search (it did not give me deep search option!)

5. TestDisk analysed it. Result:

Disk /dev/sdd - 5000 GB / 4657 GiB - CHS 4769307 64 32

The harddisk (5000 GB / 4657 GiB) seems too small! (< 6288 GB / 5856 GiB)
Check the harddisk size: HD jumper settings, BIOS detection...

The following partitions can't be recovered:
Partition Start End Size in sectors
> FAT32 4955280 28 7 5599863 3 31 1320105209
FAT16 <32M 5638633 32 12 5997017 28 1 733970294

6. Next step. Continue for each partition.

Disk /dev/sdd - 5000 GB / 4657 GiB - CHS 4769307 64 32


No partition 0 0 1 4769306 63 32 9767540736


>[Cylinder] [ Head ] [ Sector ] [Cylinder] [ Head ] [ Sector ]
[ Type ] [ Done ]


PS - This is where I got stuck as I could not find instructions online for this external drive recovery situation. I could not press q in order to go back to the previous windows either.

What do you think I should do next?

Thanks in advance,

MJ