Re-partitioning drive 1 caused lost partitions on drive 2 1

[Ron4c]

I read that partitioning the whole of drive 2 as an extended partition will force 'D' to be allocated on drive 1. Sounded good, I did it, it worked and has run well for over a year. A fresh os install was called for recently, so with everything safely backed up on drive 2 I set about drive 1, but I wanted to change the partitioning first. I wish I had never read that article, no partitions recognised on drive 2 anymore. It was split 50% fat 32, and 50% ntfs with XP on it. Drive 1 was split 50% with ME, and 50% fat 32 for storage. Presently drive 1 is 1 ntfs partition with XP running. I havent done anything to drive 2 yet, can I recover my 'safely' backed up data?

 

[wolluf]

A data recovery app will probably get you out of this jam.

Free one:-

http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm

Couple of commercials:-

http://www.webattack.com/get/filescavenger.html

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

or Google (I've seen Ontrack's app recommended here too).

Note: I never use extended partitions, as I've 'lost' a few in the past. So always primaries. You can reassign drive letters in Disk Management in XP, and this app will let you do the same in ME -

http://www.v72735.f2s.com/LetAssig/index.html

 

[Freestone]

A repartition and reinstall of XP onto drive 1 should not have affected partitions on drive 2, only drive letter assignments. What does XP's Disk Management show? Start, Run..., diskmgmt.msc

 

[Ron4c]

Disk Management reports the whole drive as free space, I have had success with Wolluf's suggestion of PCInspector, an excellent tool, which I would like to thank him again for. Do you think that the partitions are recoverable? I have my data safe now and I am ready to Fdisk it, but I would try any suggestions first as an exercise.

 

[Freestone]

I'm glad that you can get your data back. Something still seems amiss. Partitions and logical drives just don't get lost for no reason. Did you have any sort of program for data protection, like GoBack, on the original XP installation that isn't there now?

I've no experience with the following, but it may be worth a look:

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

 

[wolluf]

Freestone - while I'd agree with 'Partitions and logical drives just don't get lost for no reason', I have had a number of extended partitions going missing - usually after reformatting/revamping a primary partition (and I've seen a number of posts - like this one - which seem to have the same experience). I haven't researched the phenomena (like is there a reference to primary partition in any extended partition's entry in the partition table - which mayget lost if you recreate the primary partition?) - I just don't use extended partitions any more!

 

[Ron4c]

XP was on an NTFS partition on the drive that I lost, I set up a dual boot so as to retain ME on C: on my 1st drive. That was the reason for my changes, I was ready to go over to XP totally but wanted to change the partitioning first. I believe that because it was partitioned as 100% extended then it was treated as an extension of the 1st drive, and that information was then lost when I repartitioned. I didnt use any data protection programs, but I am certainly going to look into them now.

 

[Freestone]

I've never lost an extended partition, or any logical drive created within one, since using them from way back in the early DOS days. I've delete more partitions and formatted more drives than I can count, BUT I don't ever recall (believe it or not) installing an OS on any other drive than C:. So, wolluf, I do believe you are on to something; just how to proceeed (and more importantly, finding the time) to solve this riddle remains to be seen.