NTFS partition loss

[tanffn]

After a power break, I turned my computer power back on and to my surprise one of the hard drives was missing! :(
Windows does see the HDD but its “inaccessible”, like a CD-ROM without CD.

I tried a dozen program, they all see the files and some even allow me to restore them to another HDD but they can’t rebuild / reconstruct the tables.

Does anyone know any application that can? Please let me know as soon as you can...

[AthenaOfDelphi]

Hi tanffn,

I had something similar around Christmas time with Spirit's PC.

She had a drive go a bit wrong... by the time we sorted that out and booted into Win2K, the partition table on her other drive was screwed up.... one partition was the wrong size, the next was apparently unformatted and the third was apparently not allocated.

I tried numerous programs before I found this:-Partition Table Doctor (http://www.ptdd.com/)

They provide a free trial download that will allow you to see if it can recover the partitions... BUT you have to buy a licence if you actually want to recover it. Read the documentation very carefully.

It was $39, but to be honest, it was possibly the best $39 I've ever spent on utility software as it recovered the partitions completely and as yet, we've not found any problems.

[tanffn]

Thanks! I'll give it a try :)
I was actually starting to move my files using un-delete program (and burning it into a dvd) but fixing the table will save me ALOT of time (and dvds..)

[AthenaOfDelphi]

Obviously, I'm not making any guarantees or anything that it will work, but like you, I hunted high and low for a tool and I tried all sorts (including the possibility of recovering the files), then I discovered PTD and I was amazed at how easy it was to sort the problem out (in the end, it took less than 5 minutes), but as I said... read the documentation thoroughly because it has a hell of a lot of options.

Quite why MS don't include something like it in the OS by default I just don't know.

[Robert Kosek]

Quite why MS don't include something like it in the OS by default I just don't know.Because it would actually involve work? :wink: I think it is because that if they did the folks who use that as their primary business would raise a stink just like McAfee and Symantec did over Live OneCare (AntiVirus/AntiSpyware stuff) and Vista's new methods of kernel protection and so on. While I admit locking other solutions out is the wrong way to go, assuming that they are locking you out without asking them to provide a way for you to get in and throwing a tantrum isn't good for business or security.

That's my own 2¢ on that point.


As for preventing and recovering from this situation at no (or low) cost I would suggest that you check out some of the software listed on these pages. (1 (http://portablefreeware.com/?c=11&sc=15), 2 (http://portablefreeware.com/?c=9&sc=86&p=1)) I had a similar situation where my D drive would suddenly cease to exist on boot, and then another boot return undamaged. The most harrowing detail was on my D drive was almost a full GB of all my programming projects. I don't care about losing things like my main boot partition, but my backup/programming drive is highly important. ;) Good luck on the recovery.

[tanffn]

PTD found nothing wrong with the tables, I tried anyway to reconstruct it using simple and interactive mode non of which worked :(

After 2 days of work the time has come and I gave up resuscitations attempts this morning, 8:32, format command has been executed..

[DGL-luke]

File Restoration: Restorer Professional by Bitmarts, (www.restorer2000.com) or PC Inspector (http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/download.htm) (free)

Partition Table Reconstruction: Testdisk, http://www.computerbase.de/downloads/software/systemprogramme/festplatten/testdisk/ (free)

(see also http://www.computerbase.de/forum/showthread.php?t=110869, German only)

format? ok, testdisk can STILL save your partition in most cases! :)

EDIT: @AthenaOfDelphi: The 49,99$ for restorer2000 professional edition have probably been my best spend for software ;)