Help recovering data from unknown partition

[LonTong]

I don't know if this topic is relevant here but I desperately need help.

Hopefully you guys can help me out...........

My computer setup:

Pentium II 350 Mhz with 32 + 64 MB memory

HD 1: Maxtor 40 Gb

partition 1: primary NTFS Windows 2000 (my system) = 6Gb

partition 2: primary Fat32 Windows 98 SE (my wife)= 4Gb

partition 3: primary Fat 32 Windows 98SE (my Son)= 4Gb

partition 4: logical, containing:

500mb fat32:swap file

100mb XOSL

1Gb fat32:photo files

1Gb fat32:data files

8 Gb fat32:downloaded stuff

rest empty

HD 2: Quantum 3.2 Gb

empty space

logical partition

First problem:

While booting to "my wife", system hang (& I heard loud strange Movement of HD) & upon restart HD 2 is gone - also from "my system" & "myson" (even bios only saw one hd). I first thought the aging HD 2 broke ...(but I later on found out that HD 2 is still working perfectly. I disconnected HD 1 & made HD 2 as primary, BIOS immediatelly recognized on boot & I can also install win 2k on empty space. But also this system could not recoqnize my logical partition on HD 1 - that I put as slave now)

Second problem:

Several days later all 3 systems crashed (completely failed to boot). I can only get to "my son" in dos.

What is worst, suddenly logical partition got converted to unknown partition (partition magic reported as one EB type partition)

My big concern: HOw to get all my data (photo, data files, & downloaded stuff back)?

Please help anyone !!

Another question if I delete that EB partition using partition magic floppy, will it destroy all data on it or it just delete the partition so that I can make the logical partition & try to recreate those partitions?

Prior to this problem I had different setup with Similar problem:

HD1:

primary 1 : Win 98 my system

primary 2: Win 98 my wife

primary 3: empty

Logical:

1: XOSL

2: Linux swap

3: Linux

4: Photo file

5: Data file

6: downloaded stuff

HD 2:

at first : empty space + one logical

then it became:

1: primary Win 98 game (my son)

2: logical old stuff

Using XOSL I hide both partition of HD 2 from "my system" and "my wife"

I also hide all partitions of HD 1 when on "my son"

No problem with this setup.

Probably due to virus infection, "my son" crashed. I deleted it s0 HD 2 is back to original setup, i.e.:

1: empty

2: logical = old stuff

Here comes odd problem:

If I unhide logical old stuff both "my system" & "my wife" did not boot (just hang). However Linux has no problem whatsoever reading old stuff.

I then ghosted "my system" to empty primary 3 for my son. Strange enough, the new my son had no problem with logical old stuff but instead It cannot read any partition on HD 1 logical partition (Photo, data, & downloaded stuff).

I had partition magic installed on "my system" & it read all partitions with no problem but the same partition magic ghosted to "my son" read logical partition on HD 1 as EB partition.

2 months ago I decided to reformat & created the above system & had no problem untill couple of days ago.............

Please anyone help me rescuing those valuable data back.

Thanks.

[brian873]

you need this utilty.....

it works great, and has helped me a few times.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/index.html

hail hail

[LonTong]

Thank you.

Will definitely give it a shot.

[brian873]

Meant to say use TESTDISK from that site....

hail hail

[LonTong]

Thanks Brian 873

TESTDISK saved my life

It restored my partitions along with all my data B)

[brian873]

Good to hear it......

hail hail

[tubui]

brian873 can you please help me too? I have Windows XP. Can you show me how to work this program and does it have an XP version.

Please read my thread

[MRGCAV]

Go to Download.com.

Find Getdataback. their is a Fat and a NTFS version.

If you have not overwritten your data it will recover it.

Contact for more info and a license.

MRGCAV@hotmail.com

[gheron]

Test Disk Usage

Tubui, go to this website and on around page 8 it gives you a walkthrough on using testdisk.

It is a great utility!

[jaclaz]

Come on guys, original poster had his problem solved, and tubui's post was from

APRIL

I guess he solved his problem by now....

jaclaz