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Invalid Partition Table on my 500GB HDD


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So that's done! I now have the 1 TB drive with the .dd image on it. I've run CHKDSK /F on that drive, and I've managed to access the data on that drive. So far Windows 7 is letting me access the data but not letting me copy it to another drive. I've attached a screenshot of how the 1 TB drive looks like right now.

This is looking good, what's next? :angel

Run CHKDSK /R

Then, try accessing the disk with TESTDISK.

The partition should show "normally" (it might protest about the backup of the bootsector, but that is irrelevant), then by pressing "p" you should be able to access (and copy) files (with "c").

You most probably cannot access the files directly because of NTFS permissions, since we are into "living dangerously" ;) you can try faking to be "System", here:

http://reboot.pro/17501/

try using RunasSystem to launch a file manager (like 7-zip) or a command console and see if you can copy the files to another disk (or you may create another partition on the rest of the 1 Tb disk)..

jaclaz

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So that's done! I now have the 1 TB drive with the .dd image on it. I've run CHKDSK /F on that drive, and I've managed to access the data on that drive. So far Windows 7 is letting me access the data but not letting me copy it to another drive. I've attached a screenshot of how the 1 TB drive looks like right now.

This is looking good, what's next? :angel

Run CHKDSK /R

Then, try accessing the disk with TESTDISK.

The partition should show "normally" (it might protest about the backup of the bootsector, but that is irrelevant), then by pressing "p" you should be able to access (and copy) files (with "c").

You most probably cannot access the files directly because of NTFS permissions, since we are into "living dangerously" ;) you can try faking to be "System", here:

http://reboot.pro/17501/

try using RunasSystem to launch a file manager (like 7-zip) or a command console and see if you can copy the files to another disk (or you may create another partition on the rest of the 1 Tb disk)..

jaclaz

CHKDSK /R has taken a while, it's been deleting register segments and some other stuff I don't really understand.

TestDisk is working alright, so the backup is on its way (or at least it looks like it is).

Now I'm guessing we're done with the "easy" part, is there a chance for me to recover the rest of the data on the "original" drive (the 500 GB one)? :unsure:

Edited by klinsmann
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Now I'm guessing we're done with the "easy" part, is there a chance for me to recover the rest of the data on the "original" drive (the 500 GB one)? :unsure:

Yep, that's the tricky part.

See what the Atola tool has to say, first thing (remember that it is just a "semi-random guess" that the drive self-capped :unsure: ).

http://blog.atola.com/restoring-factory-hard-drive-capacity/

whether tool will work under 7 and particularly under 7 x64 is up to you to find out. :ph34r:

jaclaz

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Now I'm guessing we're done with the "easy" part, is there a chance for me to recover the rest of the data on the "original" drive (the 500 GB one)? :unsure:

Yep, that's the tricky part.

See what the Atola tool has to say, first thing (remember that it is just a "semi-random guess" that the drive self-capped :unsure: ).

http://blog.atola.com/restoring-factory-hard-drive-capacity/

whether tool will work under 7 and particularly under 7 x64 is up to you to find out. :ph34r:

jaclaz

OK, so I managed to make the Atola tool work (had to try on a 32-bit version of Windows 7). Things seem to be getting trickier by the minute... :blink:

post-361895-0-88039500-1348249131_thumb.

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OK, so I managed to make the Atola tool work (had to try on a 32-bit version of Windows 7). Things seem to be getting trickier by the minute... :blink:

Hmmm.

It is possible that the tool (being a bit old) simply does not compute the 500 Gb size.

As a matter of fact (I am notoriously an optimist ;)) it could be a good sign that a diffference (even if negative) is found between "declared" and "actual" capacity.

When the going gets tough...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_Going_Gets_Tough,_the_Tough_Get_Going

Can you (in the sense you know how to) make a DOS bootable flopppy image (and from it a CD-ROM, as I presume you haven't a floppy dirve on that machine)?

Or a bootable USB stick?

If yes, start getting this:

http://www.hdat2.com/

If no, post what you have available and any doubts you may have in creating a DOS bootable environment.

And/or get MHDD instead (it does come as a bootable .iso):

http://hddguru.com/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/

jaclaz

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OK, so I managed to make the Atola tool work (had to try on a 32-bit version of Windows 7). Things seem to be getting trickier by the minute... :blink:

Hmmm.

It is possible that the tool (being a bit old) simply does not compute the 500 Gb size.

As a matter of fact (I am notoriously an optimist ;)) it could be a good sign that a diffference (even if negative) is found between "declared" and "actual" capacity.

When the going gets tough...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_Going_Gets_Tough,_the_Tough_Get_Going

Can you (in the sense you know how to) make a DOS bootable flopppy image (and from it a CD-ROM, as I presume you haven't a floppy dirve on that machine)?

Or a bootable USB stick?

If yes, start getting this:

http://www.hdat2.com/

If no, post what you have available and any doubts you may have in creating a DOS bootable environment.

And/or get MHDD instead (it does come as a bootable .iso):

http://hddguru.com/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/

jaclaz

No problem with that! I've managed to create a bootable USB disc with HDAT2. What should I do now? :angel

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No problem with that! I've managed to create a bootable USB disc with HDAT2. What should I do now? :angel

You try looking at the "failed" HD with HDAT2, AFTER having read (even if briefly) the DOCs/FAQs on the HDAT2 site.

(a good idea, to make sure that you don't by mistake "touch" anything else would be to disconnct all other hard disks)

http://www.hdat2.com/hdat2_faq.html (ALL of them)

Particularly:

http://www.hdat2.com/hdat2_faq.html#q6

Possibly you should try (at your leisure) the "Demo" version to get familair with the "look and feel" BEFORE doing anything with the "real" program.

Check also the Screenshots:

http://www.hdat2.com/preview.html

jaclaz

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No problem with that! I've managed to create a bootable USB disc with HDAT2. What should I do now? :angel

You try looking at the "failed" HD with HDAT2, AFTER having read (even if briefly) the DOCs/FAQs on the HDAT2 site.

(a good idea, to make sure that you don't by mistake "touch" anything else would be to disconnct all other hard disks)

http://www.hdat2.com/hdat2_faq.html (ALL of them)

Particularly:

http://www.hdat2.com/hdat2_faq.html#q6

Possibly you should try (at your leisure) the "Demo" version to get familair with the "look and feel" BEFORE doing anything with the "real" program.

Check also the Screenshots:

http://www.hdat2.com/preview.html

jaclaz

So right now this is the situation:

I have read all the FAQs, and I've been running smoothly the HDAT2 bootable USB disc. The problem is that the "original" drive is shown by HDAT2 as LBA28 with "!SET MAX: NOT_SUPPORTED", "!DCO: NOT_SUPPORTED" and "!SECURITY: NOT_SUPPORTED". This means I cannot follow the instructions on FAQ#6.

I'm looking for solutions on that as we speak, do you happen to know how to solve this issue?

Let me thank you once again, you're being SUPER helpful! :thumbup

Edit: I managed to access what seems to be the original MBR, with all the partitions listed. I saved it as a .txt, could that be of any use?

Edited by klinsmann
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So right now this is the situation:

I have read all the FAQs, and I've been running smoothly the HDAT2 bootable USB disc. The problem is that the "original" drive is shown by HDAT2 as LBA28 with "!SET MAX: NOT_SUPPORTED", "!DCO: NOT_SUPPORTED" and "!SECURITY: NOT_SUPPORTED". This means I cannot follow the instructions on FAQ#6.

I'm looking for solutions on that as we speak, do you happen to know how to solve this issue?

Hmmm. :unsure:

We have taken it to "level 3", i.e. the "lowest level" we actually have (a little) knowledge about.

Basically we have four levels:

  1. Logical <- normal operation of OS disk/filesystem drivers
  2. Physical <- dd, dsfok, hex/disk editor, etc.
  3. ATA standard commands <- HDAT2, MHDD, hdparm, etc.
  4. Manufacturer firmware <- terminal commands (disk model specific, in practice no real docs)

It will be tricky (if possible at all) to use a "level 4" approach. :(

It is a 5400.6 drive and as thus terminal commands will be similar to those for the 7200.11.

The TTL connections should be the same as the earlier 5400.2:

http://forum.hddguru.com/serial-terminal-pins-ide-5400-t16559.html

http://forum.hddguru.com/download/file.php?id=2402

9600-8-N-1

But this is more or less the only "safe" kind of data I have.

Most probably right now a pro with professional tools can flash to it a new "module" (*whatever* it is) or anyway fix the corrupted parts, but if you go ahead it is likely that there will be "no way back". :ph34r:

See also:

If I were you I would run the Seagate diagnostic tools (just to confirm that *something wrong* is detected) then think a lot about the value you attribute to the data that are still not recovered.

If this value is US $ 500 or more, contact a professional recovery firm.

If it is less than that (or if you are a gambler) we may try to go ahead with a terminal session.

Remember, that a good gambler knows what to do and when to do it ;) :

http://lyrics.wikia.com/Gracenote:Kenny_Rogers:The_Gambler

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,

Know when to walk away and know when to run.

Let me thank you once again, you're being SUPER helpful! :thumbup

No prob :).

Edit: I managed to access what seems to be the original MBR, with all the partitions listed. I saved it as a .txt, could that be of any use?

Well, you always had it, it is the first sector, you also posted in your first post a view of it's partition table (i.e. "not news") but no, it won't help.

jaclaz

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So right now this is the situation:

I have read all the FAQs, and I've been running smoothly the HDAT2 bootable USB disc. The problem is that the "original" drive is shown by HDAT2 as LBA28 with "!SET MAX: NOT_SUPPORTED", "!DCO: NOT_SUPPORTED" and "!SECURITY: NOT_SUPPORTED". This means I cannot follow the instructions on FAQ#6.

I'm looking for solutions on that as we speak, do you happen to know how to solve this issue?

Hmmm. :unsure:

We have taken it to "level 3", i.e. the "lowest level" we actually have (a little) knowledge about.

Basically we have four levels:

  1. Logical <- normal operation of OS disk/filesystem drivers
  2. Physical <- dd, dsfok, hex/disk editor, etc.
  3. ATA standard commands <- HDAT2, MHDD, hdparm, etc.
  4. Manufacturer firmware <- terminal commands (disk model specific, in practice no real docs)

It will be tricky (if possible at all) to use a "level 4" approach. :(

It is a 5400.6 drive and as thus terminal commands will be similar to those for the 7200.11.

The TTL connections should be the same as the earlier 5400.2:

http://forum.hddguru.com/serial-terminal-pins-ide-5400-t16559.html

http://forum.hddguru.com/download/file.php?id=2402

9600-8-N-1

But this is more or less the only "safe" kind of data I have.

Most probably right now a pro with professional tools can flash to it a new "module" (*whatever* it is) or anyway fix the corrupted parts, but if you go ahead it is likely that there will be "no way back". :ph34r:

See also:

If I were you I would run the Seagate diagnostic tools (just to confirm that *something wrong* is detected) then think a lot about the value you attribute to the data that are still not recovered.

If this value is US $ 500 or more, contact a professional recovery firm.

If it is less than that (or if you are a gambler) we may try to go ahead with a terminal session.

Remember, that a good gambler knows what to do and when to do it ;) :

http://lyrics.wikia.com/Gracenote:Kenny_Rogers:The_Gambler

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,

Know when to walk away and know when to run.

I was lucky enough to recover most of the valuable data, as it was located on those 137 GB. So let's go "all-in". I'm guessing this terminal session might not let me recover all the data but it will still let me recover the whole Hard Drive in order to format it and get it back to work, right?

Edited by klinsmann
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I was lucky enough to recover most of the valuable data, as it was located on those 137 GB. So let's go "all-in". I'm guessing this terminal session might not let me recover all the data but it will still let me recover the whole Hard Drive in order to format it and get it back to work, right?

No. :(

You must have very clear the scope of what you do.

IF you do it because:

  1. it's fun
  2. it may eventually help someone else

it is a very good thing :thumbup .

Otherwise, you have to understand how there is simply NO point in recovering a disk.

You can have a new 2.5" 500 Gbdisk for around 70 bucks, it is simply not worth the time to try and make again a broken disc functional again unless of course the EXACT cause is found and the APPROPRIATE fix is applied.

In the best case what we can find is a way (through something that is nothing much more "technical" or "scientific" than white magic or voodoo) to *somehow* reset it.

What you have back (still in the best case) is NOT a fully functional disk drive (tested and certified, for what is worth, i.e. nothing BTW :whistle: ) what you get is a disk that is apparently functioning (nothing more).

I do understand how in their simplicity :angel (and until disaster strikes :( ) "common users" are likely to actually rely on a hard disk drive to hold data (that aren't also backed up - twice - on other media), but insisting on it, and particularly on a disk that already failed is what I like to call (in highly specialized technical terms ;)) "pure folly".

At the most ( and still if everything goes in the best possible way) you can use that drive, if revived, as tertiary backup media.

This said, you need to get yourself a RS232 (or USB) to TTL adapter, go to the 7200.11 Read-me-first as first step:

then search for a suitable adapter (and or browse the huge7200.11 thread to find links to surely working ones).

Once you have this needed piece of hardware we can start to experiment.

jaclaz

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I was lucky enough to recover most of the valuable data, as it was located on those 137 GB. So let's go "all-in". I'm guessing this terminal session might not let me recover all the data but it will still let me recover the whole Hard Drive in order to format it and get it back to work, right?

No. :(

You must have very clear the scope of what you do.

IF you do it because:

  1. it's fun
  2. it may eventually help someone else

it is a very good thing :thumbup .

Otherwise, you have to understand how there is simply NO point in recovering a disk.

You can have a new 2.5" 500 Gbdisk for around 70 bucks, it is simply not worth the time to try and make again a broken disc functional again unless of course the EXACT cause is found and the APPROPRIATE fix is applied.

In the best case what we can find is a way (through something that is nothing much more "technical" or "scientific" than white magic or voodoo) to *somehow* reset it.

What you have back (still in the best case) is NOT a fully functional disk drive (tested and certified, for what is worth, i.e. nothing BTW :whistle: ) what you get is a disk that is apparently functioning (nothing more).

I do understand how in their simplicity :angel (and until disaster strikes :( ) "common users" are likely to actually rely on a hard disk drive to hold data (that aren't also backed up - twice - on other media), but insisting on it, and particularly on a disk that already failed is what I like to call (in highly specialized technical terms ;)) "pure folly".

At the most ( and still if everything goes in the best possible way) you can use that drive, if revived, as tertiary backup media.

This said, you need to get yourself a RS232 (or USB) to TTL adapter, go to the 7200.11 Read-me-first as first step:

then search for a suitable adapter (and or browse the huge7200.11 thread to find links to surely working ones).

Once you have this needed piece of hardware we can start to experiment.

jaclaz

Thanks a lot jaclaz for your time, I'll give this a try and try to find a suitable adapter. I'll get back to you as soon as I have it with me :yes:

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