Data Recovery using MFT records

[mark hazard]

This is my very first post ,I am planning to open data recovery shop and getting hands on training . May I know how to link MFT records to disk sectors to recover data.
If I got MFT records of a crashed disk ,how can I use them to recover data?
any suggestion will be appreciated. thank you all

[poehere]

You will need to know and understand files systems and hex editors. Best advise learn this one and know it well and how to edit in hex and read hex. I would do a lot of learning and research before opening a DR center if you want to be sucessful and recover your clients data.

[drc]

To paraphrase thatdellguy, I'm curious. What type of recovery operation are you going to run with no tools, no DR experience, no knowledge of filesystems, etc?

[quasimodo]

Please be aware that such a thing as a decent hands on training program does not exist. Regardless of what you may have been told or read on the internet. There are some people that provide some expensive training that will teach you some fundamentals, this will put you somewhere at approx. 20% of the knowledge that you need to know in order to be successful in recovering data. The other 80% you will have to learn on your own by Research and Development, testing, spending lots of money on test equipment, other tools and lot's of creativity. Therefore please make sure that you have a sufficient understanding of the requirements to setup a successful DR shop. Not trying to discourage you, just trying to point out that it will be a long road.

As for MFT records, since your question is not very specific, there is no simple answer. As pointed out studding the NFTS file system in detail would be a good point to start. If your looking for a course, some of the advanced forensic classes go into details about the MFT.

good luck!

[mark hazard]

thanks quasimodo
I got details of advanced DR courses by deepspar ,however you are right no one can teach you logic & fundamentals. I am very new and trasiting from hardware to DR. As such I am in no hurry & will support only my customers only.
I have been reading various articles and everyone stressed that , once you get MFT records ,you can analyse NTFS partitions in details. Commercial tools work fine ,but I am curious to learn manual recovery techniques.

[thatdellguy]

This is my very first post.

Welcome to the forum.

I am planning to open data recovery shop and getting hands on training.

That's the wrong order of events. You should learn the trade first then start your business. Thinking backwards is not a good way to start out. Many people get this mixed up.

May I know how to link MFT records to disk sectors to recover data.

No grasshopper. Crack open a book and read something.

If I got MFT records of a crashed disk, how can I use them to recover data?

Why are you asking us? If you're opening up a business for DR, don't you think you should know a little about DR first?

If I got MFT records of a crashed disk ,how can I use them to recover data?

Send those records along with the drive to someone that can use them.

Any suggestion will be appreciated. Thank you all.

Hey, glad to be of help.

[mark hazard]

Possibly only core professional will be able to understand my question properly. (those who write there own tools and have previously worked on manual data recovery process.)
From the pm's i received , among commercial tools Data Extractor has exactly what i am looking for.commercial software also do the same but internally working on root directory and fat tables.
I will start developing my own tools and more in depth study of file systems.
thank you all contributors