Hi! Need Advice: Do I use Testdisk or Photorec? Recover Repair or Undelete?

[Grokgarr]

Hello all. Just joined up and was looking for some guidance. I don't know if I should use Testdisk or Photorec (or one then the other. That was my plan). I also don't actually know (or quite understand) if I should be doing a Partition Recovery, a Filesystem Repair, a File Undelete or a File Recovery.

My problem: I wanted to explore Linux and tried to install it on an external drive. Well, the hard drives were similar, and I messed-up and accidentally installed Linux (Linux Mint Cinnamon 23.1) on my internal hard drive...which had Windows 10 and all my data on it. Ugh.

So, I have Linux Mint up and running on another machine. The drive I want to check to see if any of my data can be saved is in an external case and connected to the Linux computer with a USB. ( I WAS able to look at the contents on this drive...and yep...it had the Linux Mint intall on it. But I want to see if it has any of my old Windows 10 data still on it)

This mess-up is is making me dive head-first into the world of Linux. But I'm not confident..so I'd like to ask for some help/guidance if possible.

- I have downloaded Testdisk on the Linux Mint computer. I was reading and found info that said first run Testdisk, and see the results. Then if needed run Photorec?
- In the Terminal, I've run Testdisk. I'm at the start screen of it though, and it is asking if I want to "Create a New Log file", ""Append" or "No Log". I'm guessing I select "Create a New Log File".

So that is where I am at. But I honestly don't know if what I need to be doing is recovering a partition? Or repairing a file system? Or Undeleting files? Or Recovering Files? Those are the options of the sub-forums in this message board.

Thank you greatly for reading this and for any assistance!

[recuperation]

Typically when installing a linux operating system in a partition where a Windows operating system resides, the Windows partition gets formatted and the linux files will be written onto this newly formatted partition. If this is the case, TestDisk has only low chances of recovering something.
In case of a former NTFS partition it might find a backup boot sector, but another crucial element of metadata, the Master File Table might have been overwritten.
Using TestDisk here is is basically a measure to ensure that you don't miss a simple way of recovering.
Commercial software would be the next step and if that fails as well you are left with PhotoRec.
Photorec as tool of last resort will not recover folders and typically not recover file names.

[Grokgarr]

Hi recuperation. Thank you very much for your reply and help.

I have decided to move forward, but to use Photorec. I have started a scan and realize it will take many days to complete.

Thank you again.

[Grokgarr]

Given the 'time remaining' shown on the Photorec scan screen...it looks like the scan will take many months to complete. Is this to be expected? If so, it's okay...I have a standalone PC that can run it for as long as it takes, without fear of someone accidentally shutting it down.

As it is scanning, does Photorec send the files it has found so far to the file I designated for them? In other words, can see any recovered files as it finds them? Or do I have to wait until the entire scan is completed to see any found files?

Thanks for your help and replies.

[recuperation]

Given the 'time remaining' shown on the Photorec scan screen...it looks like the scan will take many months to complete. Is this to be expected?

No.

If so, it's okay...I have a standalone PC that can run it for as long as it takes, without fear of someone accidentally shutting it down.

As it is scanning, does Photorec send the files it has found so far to the file I designated for them?

Photorec does not send found files to another file.

In other words, can see any recovered files as it finds them?

Please be so kind as to add a subject to the sentence above so that I can understand it - I don't want to guess words. Thank you!

Or do I have to wait until the entire scan is completed to see any found files?

No.

Thanks for your help and replies.

You can value my effort to help you by reading and correcting your postings before you submit them.

[Grokgarr]

Thank you for your help, recuperation.

As it stands now, the Photorec scan that I initiated will take over half a year to complete. It is scanning a 1TB drive. How long can one expect this to take?

When I started the scan, I was asked for a place to put the files when found (?) At least that is what I thought the reasoning was for me to select an area for. So I thought that PhotoRec moves or sends the files that it finds/recovers to this area that I designated.But I guess that is not a correct way of thinking. What is the area that I chose for? What is it's purpose?

The subject omitted was "I". So, "In other words, can I see any recovered files as it finds them?

How am I able to see if Photorec is having success, while it is performing the scan? Thank you again.

[recuperation]

Thank you for your help, recuperation.

As it stands now, the Photorec scan that I initiated will take over half a year to complete. It is scanning a 1TB drive. How long can one expect this to take?

Use the sustained read speed of your disk as an orientation.

When I started the scan, I was asked for a place to put the files when found (?) At least that is what I thought the reasoning was for me to select an area for. So I thought that PhotoRec moves or sends the files that it finds/recovers to this area that I designated.But I guess that is not a correct way of thinking. What is the area that I chose for? What is it's purpose?

Read the manual and or the online documentation.

The subject omitted was "I". So, "In other words, can I see any recovered files as it finds them?

Read the manual and or the online documentation.

How am I able to see if Photorec is having success, while it is performing the scan? Thank you again.

Read the manual and or the online documentation.