Data recovery continuous loop

Using PhotoRec to recover lost data
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ssiiidd
Posts: 1
Joined: 24 Apr 2014, 22:10

Data recovery continuous loop

#1 Post by ssiiidd »

Hi, first time here thank you for having me :)
Story
I wiped my Windows server (NTFS) with Linux (and lazily told Linux to claim all disk space) and lost some extremely important files which I now need to recover - the disk size is 140GB.
Here are the steps I took

1- Use latest Ubuntu live cd and install testdisk, photorec
2- Use testdisk instructions here TestDisk step by step
3- Changed the partition type from Linux LVM to NTFS
4- TestDisk gave an error "Filesystem seems damaged"
5- Run PhotoRec, using instruction here in post #6 by Fiona Filesystem seems damaged
6- PhotoRec has been running for 40+ hours now

Problems I have
1- The files I need to recover are 7+ GB in size, but so far the files recovered are on average under 10mb
2- PhotoRec sometimes seems to create large files (10+GB) but these files disappear?
3- PhotoRec is on pass 0 and for the last 10 hours has been cycling over sectors - it gets to for example sector 280,000,000 and after a brief pause resets to 200,000,000 every 30 mins or so

I have now created a disk image using TestDisk but left the scan running on the main drive.

Can someone please help answer my questions. Is there a better way to recover my data? Did I do any steps wrong?

Thank you :cry:
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cgrenier
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Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 15:08
Location: Le Perreux Sur Marne, France
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Re: Data recovery continuous loop

#2 Post by cgrenier »

If your disk was NTFS, TestDisk should be able to find the NTFS partition when running TestDisk, Analyse, Quick Search, Deeper Search. It's better to find the correct NTFS partition than changing the type of another partition hpoing it's at the same location.
If the correct NTFS partition is found, set this partition as P(rimary), the other as D(eleted) if not needed, on next screen, choose Write, confirm. If asked, choose BackupBS and confirm. Quit and reboot your computer.
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