data recoevry from a HD that is partitioned again.

[craigliu]

I have a harddisk that was installed Windows XP, then I have partitioned this HD but have not formatted it yet. Now I want to recover some files in the previous XP system. What should I do to get previous files?

I have tried using some tools in the Ultimate Rescue CD, but I was not able to view the data; tried using demo version of EasyUS, it freeze while scan; ...

I guess I don't find a right way to try. Can anyone share me your experiences. Any suggestions is welcome. Thanks.

 

[goombawaho]

I've great luck with GetDataBack (for NTFS or FAT - whichever you need).

Get the free evaluation download and install it on a DIFFERENT PC. Connect the hard drive in question as a slave drive. Run the program and you will see what you can recover.

Then, if you are encouraged, by the full license - something like $79 u.s. dollars. Best purchase I've ever made. I've found data on all kinds of drives by using it. It really sniffs out data.

If you haven't written any more data to the drive, I would say you have a 99.5% chance of getting all your data off.

 

[rclarke250]

I've used Easus data recovery pro, and partition recovery with good success. Also I have used OnTrack easy recovery pro with some success.

 

[craigliu]

Thanks goombawaho. As your suggestion, I downloaded a free version of GetDataBack for FAT (the HD was a FAT32's XP system.). Now it seems frozen again in the window of "Searching for FAT32 file system".

 

[craigliu]

Thanks rclarke250. I have just tried free version of OnTrack Easy Recovery pro. I'm able to view data in sector by sector, not file by file. When I try to scan for files, it frozen again. I tried many times, no luck.

If any software works for me even for one file, I may buy a license to use it. But now none software I tried works,

Help more suggestions. thanks.

 

[tlcscousin]

When you used getdataback are you sure it froze? The program can take a long time when looking for files i have actually had it run for 2 days it appeared to be frozen but evntually it did recover a bunch of files for me.

 

[BadBigBen]

instead of recovering data, you may be able to recreate the partitions instead... seeing that you just created the partitions and not FORMATTED them...

EASEUS Partition Recovery

http://www.easeus.com/partition-recovery/

I have previously used the "Partition Table Doctor" to some success, but alas that product seems to be EOL...


Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[goombawaho]

If it really is freezing upon scanning, you should run the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostic utility on the drive to see if there any PHYSICAL defects.

I'm very suspicious if your machine froze on scans with two different pieces of software.

You DID hook up the drive in question as a slave drive?? I guess you would have had to since there is no O.S. on it (Duh on my part).

 

[craigliu]

To goombawaho: The driver in question is a slave driver. I did not diagnose for physical defects. The driver is SAMSUNG SP0822N.

To tlcscousin: Maybe you are right. When frozen, no mouse or keyboard can use. Maximum I let it run for one night, but no any any progress(all indicate is 0.). (I have tried EaseUS, GetDataBack and OnTrack.). Today I'll let it run a few days by using EaseUS and see result on Monday.

to BadBigBen: your suggestion is my last option. In the past, I have a Windows HD, then I re-partition and format it and install it a linux system. After I boot this HD into linux, I find that many files in windows are still there in Linux. But I forget what I did exactly. I'm not sure how to repeat it.

Still hope any suggestions. Thanks.

 

[goombawaho]

It doesn't "freeze" when running GDB - it shows progress as an increasing percentage.

You should diagnose the drive using the following utility:

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/support/downloads/support_in_es.html

I wouldn't proceed any further without getting a health analysis for the drive.

It will also be the Ultimate Boot CD.

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

 

[craigliu]

Thanks goombawaho. I have diagnosed the HD. There are many errors:
>> Read DMA
Error: Undefined error
>> Simple surface scan
Error: Undefined error
>> Maximum seek time
... time... longer...
>> random surface scan
Error: Ecc Error
.....
...
Media Error detected.

There are many many errors.

My question is that I still have possibility to get some files in this HD back? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[goombawaho]

Yes, there is always a possibility of recovery. Let me ask you this though first. Do you have any intention of sending the drive out for professional recovery at a price of between $600 - $1000??? If NOT, then proceed without worry.

If you MIGHT send it, then I might stop playing around with it to minimize the possibility of more damage. Time to make a decision - fork in the road.

If you choose to proceed on your own:
Were there any options for a long scan of the drive and regardless of short or long scan - any options to "FIX problems found" or similar verbiage?? If so, let it fix what it finds.

[b/]Maybe somebody else can chime in with another product that might fix the disk if the manufacturer's tool doesn't offer to try.[/b] I don't see many Samsungs so therefore I don't end up trying to fix many.

 

[BadBigBen]

depending on HOW valuable the data is, really important to extremely important data, then defer the data recovery to a professional data recovery firm such as Ontrack...

if the data is only mildly important, then if a scan with GetDataBack or Easus Partition recovery can get you going, then do so...

but it is my firm believe that you will probably not be able to recover any files (seeing that it freezes the apps in use)...



Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[craigliu]

Thanks goombawaho and BadBigBen. The data in this HD is important, but not so important. I'll give up to recover it.

Thanks again.

 

[Freestone]

It has been a while since I last used GetDataBack on a damaged drive, so forgive me if my memory is faulty. There should be a menu option to create an image of the partition (or drive, I forget). If while GDB is making this image it detects a disk error there will be an option to skip this and all further errors. Once this image is created, you then run GetDataBack against this image rather than the physical drive.

Ah, here is a link to making an image with GDB:

http://www.runtime.org/gdbimage.htm

And here is a link for general data recovery using GDB.

http://www.runtime.org/howto_datarecovery.pdf

Good luck!

 

[kjv1611]

One that I don't think anyone mentioned yet is Active Partition Recovery - I've used it in the past to recover whole partitions, and I believe the free version of it will allow you to recover an entire partition to a file on another hard drive. So, IF it will get you anything, it might be worth trying.

All I'm saying is that if it were me, and the disk could still be accessed at all, and the data is important (but not worth $1,000+), then I'd go ahead and give it a shot anyhow. If nothing else, you'll learn something new.

You might could even try one of the silly fixes that are floating out on the web, though I don't think they really work, I suppose it's always worth a try. One is freezing the disk in a ziplock bag - just Google for details... then immediately trying to recover data after getting it out of the freezer. I don't really think it's a good idea, but it is an option that some folks have used... supposedly with success. I tried once on a drive that I couldn't get to spin up - didn't work, but I figured - why NOT?!