Missing partition stricture Topic is solved

[Qatea]

Hello,
Using Ubuntu 12.04 with xfce disktop manager

unfortunately while I tried to use badblocks command from Terminal to check if my 1TB portable drive is affected during long trip ...
my mistake that I used the command with the wrong switch -w (badblocks - w /dev/sdb1) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I found that my drive is appearing as (unknown) in disk utility I thought maybe partition table was damaged , so I searched every where for a utility to rebuild my corrupted partition table and giving me access to my 290GB of data in this drive , at this moment I found everyone saying the testdisk is the one for that job ...
result of using testdisk is an old partition with non related data , and it didn't recognize any of clue about the fresh missing partition
now I stopped in order not to over write any more data on the drive until I find powerful utility to search the disk media surface for files and reconstruct the missing partition table
just to make sure, I used Recuva file recovery utility to search the drive and it successfully found my files without names or any other properties (just numirci names and correct file extension) ...

The point here that I am unable to find a big storage to recover all my files in it from this drive, additionally I can't rename 307070 file after recovery !!!!

what I need is a mean to reconstruct my lost partition table to access all my files which is not over written yet in this media till now , and waiting to be accessed !!! just reconstruct the partition table probably ...

After endless continues hours of trials of all program I could reach, I found one program called (Partition Guru) which was able to reconstruct the partition table during file recovery process for my external HDD .... it started with surface scan of the hard disk , and based on good logic (by using any file data it encounter, along with any remnant partition / boot sectors during the scan) it was able to offer me all possibilities of partition structure including old deleted partitions , and of course my lost partition was on top of them without missing any info ...

The concept behind the success of this utility was clear ... using every thing it find with full scan and not only depend on backups / old / remnant partition / boot sectors ...

the missing trick yet, is although that Partition Guru was able to reconstruct the partition table and its contents of file system correctly , it didn't offer to write these findings to the same media , but instead offer it as a virtual disk to use for recovering files from the missing partition to another media ....

Is there any way that Testdest manage to reconstruct the missing partition table (single primary NTFS partition) , and provide normal access to all files which still untouched till now !

BTW: one of utilities I used at first was GetData Back NTFS which was my favorite since long time , and I was shocked that it didn't recognize my lost partition at all , and didn't list it between history list of old partitions found in that drive ... although that specific partition was not altered at all since damaged !!!

attached the testdest.log

best regards,

Khaled

[cgrenier]

If you have stopped badblocks soon enough, try the following:
run testdisk, Advanced, select the partition, Boot, BackupBS and confirm, Quit

[Qatea]

If you have stopped badblocks soon enough, try the following:
run testdisk, Advanced, select the partition, Boot, BackupBS and confirm, Quit

Thanks for your kind reply,
actually the propose of posting this topic in your forum is support in enhancing your excellent utility with additional important functionality , and I do so by providing my case as a study case to analyze root cause and possible solutions ...
(please note that many non open source utilities was able to recreate partition structure / file system contents / had better results of lost partition search "ex: Partition Guru")

Let me summarize my experience in this case :-
-External Portable USB 1TB drive made of single Primary NTFS Partition about 40% full of data of all sort and kind
-Used Linux command -by mistake- (badblocks -w /dev/sdb1) to check for possible bad sectors (with wrong command parameter) , and after it finished "13hr later" I figure it out that I used the wrong command !!!
-at this point there where no partition (or to exact it shows me unknown partition type)
-first used TestDesk for search and reconstruct of partition table and recover missing partition as there is no additional writing done on the drive .. not successful and no partitions found at all
-created empty NTFS partition , then run TestDesk again , and all what was found is the newly created partition after this incident !!!
-tried other tools to search for old / deleted / lost partition on the drive and after scanning with many tools found the GetDataBack NTFS was able to find many missing / deleted partition but non of them contain my last one that was damaged in this incident
-Using one of the non open source utilities (Partition Guru) I was able (after file recover full media scan) to see all my lost partition structure along with all other old partitions, and was able to get access to all files in there places and with there original properties without any missing bit !!! although that this utility doesn't include partition reconstruction based on that search , but it gave me all attribute of that partition based on combination of basic and mirror sectors ($MFT sector / boot sector ...etc) ...

All I wish is that we could work together to analyze this wired incident and try to understand how other tools was able to help in providing access to data in HDD ... I hope that one day you could add credits with my name in list of those who help development in this wonderful utility ...

please feel free to contact me directly at any point of time

Again well done , best wishes and keep up

Remember : development of open source products means you respect knowledge and want to preserve Humanity right to keep progressing

your friend ,
Khaled

[Fiona]

Is there any way that Testdest manage to reconstruct the missing partition table (single primary NTFS partition)

If TestDisk finds your partition you can write it into your partition table!
If your boot sector is damaged, you can repair it, using Advanced / Boot / and Backup BS, if your boot sector is bad and the backup of your boot sector is ok.
If both are bad, you can run Rebuild BS.
If it's successful you can use the menu List to have a try to list your data.
If your data are listed, you can write your boot sector.
Note: before you go to make a boot sector diagnose, it's required that your partition fits exactly like before.
Incorrect partitions or if start and size of the partition is not equal to the previous affected partition, boot sector diagnose will lead either to an empty partition or error message if you'd like to list your data

Do you have a screen from partition guru containig all values of your partition?
TestDisk can add partitions manually also!
Otherwise if you have a correct partition in your partition table or testdisk found it, you could run a Rebuild BS in testdisk / Advanced / Boot and have a try to list your files using the menu List!

Also, if TestDisk lists your data you can copy/backup them to another healthy partition or disk!

Currently a diagnose of testdisk and copying and paste the content of your testdisk log would be appreciated.

Fiona

[Qatea]

Is there any way that Testdest manage to reconstruct the missing partition table (single primary NTFS partition)

If TestDisk finds your partition you can write it into your partition table!
If your boot sector is damaged, you can repair it, using Advanced / Boot / and Backup BS, if your boot sector is bad and the backup of your boot sector is ok.
If both are bad, you can run Rebuild BS.
If it's successful you can use the menu List to have a try to list your data.
If your data are listed, you can write your boot sector.
Note: before you go to make a boot sector diagnose, it's required that your partition fits exactly like before.
Incorrect partitions or if start and size of the partition is not equal to the previous affected partition, boot sector diagnose will lead either to an empty partition or error message if you'd like to list your data

Do you have a screen from partition guru containig all values of your partition?
TestDisk can add partitions manually also!
Otherwise if you have a correct partition in your partition table or testdisk found it, you could run a Rebuild BS in testdisk / Advanced / Boot and have a try to list your files using the menu List!

Also, if TestDisk lists your data you can copy/backup them to another healthy partition or disk!

Currently a diagnose of testdisk and copying and paste the content of your testdisk log would be appreciated.

Fiona

Dear Fiona,
sorry for late response to your reply...

thanks for your kind reply and for your kind hints , but unfortunately the use of Advanced menu as you see from the attached screen shot gives (no partition found) .... so the rebuild BS , backup BS options are not available (nor any other options) ...

Screenshot.png (31 KiB) Viewed 3928 times

also you can find the log attached in the first post in this thread ... and include all activity I did on this drive ... and I kept the drive on it's original defected status in order to keep testing all possible solutions

I am in favor for your proposal to rebuild the BS , but as you see I can't do it , although the data is on the drive ... there is some missing step, if you or anyone else can guide me through , would be very nice help...
again sorry for delay in response to your feedback, as I was sick for a long time ...

TESTDISK.LOG.zip

(1.02 KiB) Downloaded 247 times

any support will be appreciated
best wishes to all,

Khaled