Windows 7: No access to GPT drive in Windows 7, no drive letter can be assigned

writhziden · 04 Jan 2012

In the limited research I have done with the problem posed in post #56, I believe the reason the user is unable to use the drive is it is GPT and is protected. Is there a way to reclaim the drive and data in Windows 7?

I am unfamiliar with GPT and do not know how to get Windows 7 to give access to the drive without changing to MBR, but changing to MBR will wipe the partition table and make the data inaccessible. Any ideas? Anyone else seen this problem before?

Golden · 04 Jan 2012

Hi,

I stumbled across a forum post (TomsHardware) that claimed TestDisk and PhotoRec have the ability to recover data from GPT drives. Is it worth a go?

PhotoRec - CGSecurity
TestDisk - CGSecurity

Regards,
Golden

writhziden · 04 Jan 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by Golden

Hi,

I stumbled across a forum post (TomsHardware) that claimed TestDisk and PhotoRec have the ability to recover data from GPT drives. Is it worth a go?

PhotoRec - CGSecurity
TestDisk - CGSecurity

Regards,
Golden

I think the drive is accessible in Linux, as well. The problem is that the OP in that thread has all his backup data on the drive that is inaccessible in Windows. I think it is the drive that the bad hard drive data was recovered to. If you recall, he had the major drive issues and was having difficulty getting his data off because the drive was completely failing. He finally got it off and onto that drive, but now he cannot access it in Windows...

writhziden · 16 Jan 2012

Turned out it was an Apple based drive, which is why Windows did not like it. Problem solved. Thanks Golden for the help, anyway.

Golden · 17 Jan 2012

OK. Did he manage to recover his stuff? It was a monster thread from what I recall?

writhziden · 17 Jan 2012

He was able to recover some stuff, but I guess videos were not recovered and he was trying to get those using PhotoRec last time he responded. May be a while before I hear back from him as he said PhotoRec seemed like it was going to take days to finish.

Update: He was able to recover 99% of the data; there were a few videos that were too corrupted to recover, but he was happy overall.

Windows 7: No access to GPT drive in Windows 7, no drive letter can be assigned

No access to GPT drive in Windows 7, no drive letter can be assigned problems?