Can't read/access hard drive

[neelb]

Apologies for the flood of posts, just want to understand if I'm doing something wrong.

I've gone back to analyis and it says:

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so I've pressed quick search

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and then I stop the analysis and I'm back to here again???

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do I have to do something prior to selecting advanced???

[neelb]

I seem to be going around in circles so I tried changing to 240 heads very quickly got the following error. Do I leave it to do the scan?

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[Fiona]

I seem to be going around in circles so I tried changing to 240 heads very quickly got the following error. Do I leave it to do the scan?

If you use your disk now as USB device it might be normal that TestDisk complains.
Because before it was in a Netbook.
It can be ignored.
Only results are important.
What did Analyse display using 240 heads?

Before on 255 heads;
Your partition table only says read error.
http://forum.cgsecurity.org/phpBB3/down ... php?id=501
Looks like your MBR is damaged now?
You only get access to your partition in the menu Advanced if your partitions in your partition table are available.
Currently there is only a read error.
Hopefully that your sector (MBR=1 sector=512 bytes) is not damaged.
But after Quick Search your partition are found;
http://forum.cgsecurity.org/phpBB3/down ... php?id=503
If you confirm with enter at this screen you'll see the menu Write.
If you conform ther with Enter and y, you'll try to write your partition into your partition table again.
If ther is no partition table, TestDisk will try to write your complete partition table.
But I'm still sitting on a fence about trying to write a partition table.
Reason is, your partitions are getting visible and readable to windows.
If there is any error it can cause that windows hangs.
So it could be difficult to access any disk with a faulty file system.

Fiona

[neelb]

OK, I did a write then it said I needed to reboot to take effect.

Then I did an analyis, I've got to this screen?

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[neelb]

I've not rebooted yet by the way !

[neelb]

OK, I've tried to rebuild BS as per your previous post

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Is this a long process. I was presuming it would be quite quick?

[Fiona]

Rebuild BS shouldn't take as long.
Normallys it's finished after few minutes
Just give it a little bit more time because of read errors.
But if it takes too long, you can stop it.
In this case datarecovery software will be advisable.

Fiona

[neelb]

OK Its been going 15 minutes now. Is that long enough? LIstening to the drive I can here it clicking every few seconds, then it sounds like it does a scan or something, then it clicks again. It does sound repetative sequence. How do you stop it?

What data recovery software do you recommend? Photorec or something like Easeus. I think I noticed a recommendation for restorer ultimate on another post?

[neelb]

OK,

I'd given up and left the computer to make a drink, come back to the following screen

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I may have beenn getting a little frustrated earlier and been pressing the direction arrows and the enter key. Is this the screen you would expect or have I got carried away with the button bashing?

[Fiona]

Rebuild BS still searchs through your MFT (Master File Table).
Either you let it run or if it takes too long, you can stop it.
Normally it would be about 20 minutes.
For large disks maybe a little bit more.
My experience says, if it takes too long, the file system is damaged and you need datarecovery software.
But in rare cases it helped.
It's depend on you, how long you'd like ro run it.

Fiona