[SOLVED] Data recovery question
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seedubya
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First thing - image the drive then work from the image - no chance of doing damage to the existing data if you f*** it up.
Second - the simplest thing to do is to try and recover the partition thus solving your problem by default.
Can you give any history on the drive.
Second - the simplest thing to do is to try and recover the partition thus solving your problem by default.
Can you give any history on the drive.
Markverhyden
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As mentioned you need to image the drive before you do anything else. If you don't have any experience you might want to find someone who does. Data recovery is not like re-installing an OS.
R-Studio does an excellent job of scanning a drive if there are no hardware/firmware problems. Well worth the $80. You can use testdisk, available in numerous utility CD/DVD's, to find and restore a partition. Just used it the other day to restore partition table on a drive that had choked on Windoze.
R-Studio does an excellent job of scanning a drive if there are no hardware/firmware problems. Well worth the $80. You can use testdisk, available in numerous utility CD/DVD's, to find and restore a partition. Just used it the other day to restore partition table on a drive that had choked on Windoze.
16k_zx81
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Sounds like an end-user question to me.
Krynn72
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Second R-Studio. I use it on my linux box quite often for this sort of stuff.
lcoughey
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I certainly agree, getting a full sector-by-sector image is the first action you want to take once the drive is stabilized. But, before you do that, let's try to troubleshoot why the partition is missing first.
1. What is the model of drive?
2. What file system is it using (NTFS, FAT32, etc?)
3. Are you working with the drive in the enclosure or have you removed it?
4. When you power the drive on with your ear close to it, does it make any type of sound that could be the heads scraping against the platters?
5. How critical is this data?
1. What is the model of drive?
2. What file system is it using (NTFS, FAT32, etc?)
3. Are you working with the drive in the enclosure or have you removed it?
4. When you power the drive on with your ear close to it, does it make any type of sound that could be the heads scraping against the platters?
5. How critical is this data?
katz
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If you are a tech & not an end user, I second the suggestion for testdisk, and also its companion, Photorec.
Reason I mention about being a tech is that the "dos appearance/command line software" look can be a bit daunting for a gui/end user type.
Reason I mention about being a tech is that the "dos appearance/command line software" look can be a bit daunting for a gui/end user type.
All,
1. It's a Seagate FreeAgent 1.5 TB external, P/N 9ZC2A8-501
2. NTFS
3. It is still in the enclosure.
4. I don't hear any abnormal sounds.
5. How critical the data is, is probably moot but if I getting the TurboTax files would be nice. I have already explained that the data is probably gone. There is no hurry to get the drive back online, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn some new techniques.
I don't know how the partition disappeared. My daughter just handed it to me and said it quit working and asked if there was anything I could do to fix it. I doubt that it was dropped because it sound ok.
I started test disk last night around 9:00 and as of now the .dd file is at 42%. At this rate it should be done in another 24 hours +/-.
I have been a tech for 20+ years but just recently started my own business part time from home.
Thank you all, again, for your help.
Pappy
Pappy's P C Repair
1. It's a Seagate FreeAgent 1.5 TB external, P/N 9ZC2A8-501
2. NTFS
3. It is still in the enclosure.
4. I don't hear any abnormal sounds.
5. How critical the data is, is probably moot but if I getting the TurboTax files would be nice. I have already explained that the data is probably gone. There is no hurry to get the drive back online, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn some new techniques.
I don't know how the partition disappeared. My daughter just handed it to me and said it quit working and asked if there was anything I could do to fix it. I doubt that it was dropped because it sound ok.
I started test disk last night around 9:00 and as of now the .dd file is at 42%. At this rate it should be done in another 24 hours +/-.
I have been a tech for 20+ years but just recently started my own business part time from home.
Thank you all, again, for your help.
Pappy
Pappy's P C Repair
Markverhyden
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Well, if testdisk is able to make an image then there is some hope. FYI, you can download and run R-Studio in Demo mode (no purchase). It will perform the scan so you can see what is there and test the product. It limits the recoverable data files size to 64k though. But you can purchase the license and add it without having to re-run the disk scan to grab whatever you want.
shamrin
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If it's really a lost partition (and not some other problem solved above) then active@partition Recovery is your tool. You should be able to use it on a clone just as well as the original.
Majestic
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I second that. Active@partition saved my ass once and I highly recommend it.
Just be sure to use it on the cloned drive !
Majestic
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