TestDisk for Linux, recover after format...

[akira1977]

Hi to all people!!!

My friend accidentally format a external HD ( 1TB) with an LG TV ( you can record TV programs)
The file system was NTFS, now there are two partitions:

49Mb Ext3/4
999GB jfs, but unreadable.

What is the right procedure ( and maybe software) for recovery the whole disk?

I'm using TestDisk for the big one partition, but i'm not sure it's right, because there's this tiny partition, that maybe corrupt the recreation of all disk!

This is the procedure i'm following:

Recovery of reformatted partition

If the partition has been reformatted to another file system (FAT32 formatted as NTFS or vice-versa),

run TestDisk,
select the hard disk and the partition type
choose Advanced
select the partition
choose Type,
enter the value corresponding to the previous filesystem
choose Boot
choose RebuildBS
List
If you can see your files, choose Write and confirm
In Analyse, choose to rewrite the partition with the correct partition type.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Data_Recovery_Examples

Maybe is better to delete both partition?

I don't know how to do...

Thank you very much!

[fzabkar]

See the following thread:
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id- ... d-hdd.html

The OP did much the same thing but was able to recover all the data with a minor edit.

[neuron]

Hi to all people!!!

My friend accidentally format a external HD ( 1TB) with an LG TV ( you can record TV programs)
The file system was NTFS, now there are two partitions:

Hi,

With TestDisk - "Quick or Advance Search" find the NTFS. (first option)
And then you can see all the files and dir. (he ask to write the boot with all info)

If you want recover only the files, with PhotoRec select all .extensions

What Linux - Ubuntu, Fedora ...?

Don't put the Disk in a W$n system again or sometimes he write things in the disk.

Best Regards,

Ruy

[akira1977]

Thank you both! I'll try!

[akira1977]

What Linux - Ubuntu, Fedora ...?

Linux Mint 14

[akira1977]

See the following thread:
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id- ... d-hdd.html

The OP did much the same thing but was able to recover all the data with a minor edit.

Hi, thank you very much!

I follow the thread, but i'm stuck in this situation...

What i should?

Thanks!!!

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[fzabkar]

It's not clear to me what you've done.

Could we see the information behind the Partitions window?

Could we also see the contents of sector 64?

[akira1977]

If i enter in the NTFS partition, i can see files and directory and recover one by one...

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HD2.jpg (56.78 KiB) Viewed 15320 times

[fzabkar]

DMDE is a freeware editor. The data recovery part of it is not free and is limited to one file at a time.

In any case you should now be able to mount your repaired NTFS volume in Windows and access the files in the normal way.

[akira1977]

In any case you should now be able to mount your repaired NTFS volume in Windows and access the files in the normal way.

The problem is this: Windows see the HD as not formatted...

[fzabkar]

Can you mount the file system using a bootable Ubuntu Live CD?

[akira1977]

Can you mount the file system using a bootable Ubuntu Live CD?

I have Linux Mint 14 ( based on Ubuntu 12.04 i think...)

[akira1977]

This is the result under Linux...

Probably, before use DMDE, with TestDisk i change partition Table from A2 to 07, before erase 49MB partition, so maybe there are two MBR, one made with TestDisk ( 1000GB - 49MB) and the last made with DMDE after cancelling A2 49MB partition...

How i can solve this???

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[mindfulness]

My only suggestion would be to make a clone of the drive first. That way you can experiment on the clone without messing up the original.

[akira1977]

My only suggestion would be to make a clone of the drive first. That way you can experiment on the clone without messing up the original.

Ok, thank you very much! Probably i will buy DMDE for personal use, and recover photo and documents to another disk!

[neuron]

This is the result under Linux...

Probably, before use DMDE, with TestDisk i change partition Table from A2 to 07, before erase 49MB partition, so maybe there are two MBR, one made with TestDisk ( 1000GB - 49MB) and the last made with DMDE after cancelling A2 49MB partition...

How i can solve this???

No, no, no ... you destroying the disk

There is only an MBR .

You need to find the partition ... I explain this in a previews post.

Best regards,

Ruy

[akira1977]

There is only an MBR .

You need to find the partition ... I explain this in a previews post.

Best regards,

Ruy

DMDE see all the directory and files ( i tried also to recover someone, it works!), but windows or Linux see the HD as non formatted.

[fzabkar]

Probably, before use DMDE, with TestDisk i change partition Table from A2 to 07, before erase 49MB partition, so maybe there are two MBR, one made with TestDisk ( 1000GB - 49MB) and the last made with DMDE after cancelling A2 49MB partition...

I now suspect that TestDisk is responsible for creating the boot sector at sector 64. I mistakenly (?) assumed that it was the original boot sector. In the Tom's Hardware case the OP's original boot sector was at sector 2048. That's the default for Vista and Windows 7 & 8. Maybe your original boot sector was at sector 63 (the default for Windows XP), and perhaps the TV overwrote this sector.

If it were my drive, I would examine the contents of sectors 63, 64, and 2048. Select Mode -> Hexadecimal. I would also examine the backup boot sector at the end of the drive. It should be located at or near sector 1953520064. You could select Tools -> Search For Special Sector -> Boot Sector.

The backup boot sector will tell us where the original boot sector was located. This will in turn give us a much better understanding of what happened.

Note that I'm not asking you to write anything to your drive at this stage.

[mindfulness]

This following is a good tutorial to making an image of your drive with free Linux software. You can run testdisk directly on the image. This gives you the advantage of trying stuff without worrying about making the issue worse.
http://www.technibble.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48269

[akira1977]

How can i do with DMDE?

This is sector 64...

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