Thank you so much for trying to help me.
I want to make sure. If I follow post #3 , I WILL NOT delete anything right? I want the stuff that is in the drive. Also, if the light is on and the drive is properly install in the comp, however it just can't read it, does that mean the files are still safely in there?
On a note: it is a HP simple save portable USB drive
In all Hard Disk Drives - internal or external - as well as flash drives, it is the first sector in which the MBR code and partition table is written. All the data is written only in the other sectors.
The BIOS/OS will read the first sector and boot or access the partition reading the first sector. As I already told, if the first sector is corrupted the OS will fail to access the data residing in the other sectors since it does not know where to go to access the data.
Rewriting the first sector with the correct information will in no way affect the data which resides only in the other sectors. On the contrary it will only facilitate the OS to access it.
So go ahead. Stick to the instructions. If in doubt, stop and ask.
You're welcome.
If everything goes as it should in post #3, then nothing else should be deleted again, and hopefully recovered.
I also found this link below at HP for SimpleSave USB drives that may help after you hopefully recover the data.
SimpleSave=
I will def try Tom and will let you guys know. Hopefully it will work. I will be devastated if it doesn't! Thanks in advance.
Jumanji, did you see the screen shot I posted? Was that exactly what you suspected?
hi,
I don't see any screenshot. Can you explain?
Yep, I have seen it.
Why are you burning the midnight oil? Do it after a good night's sleep.
(Right now I have the same problem with my RAID drive on Desktop. Unallocated System drive.:) Trying to get it back on track. I am on my laptop now and just casually peeped in. Didn't expect you here at this time.)
OK, I am back on my Desktop after a successful recovery. What is worthy to note here is by mistake (during some trials, which I will not elaborate here) I mucked up the first sector in my RAID 0 system drive and managed to repair it with nothing lost. In my case I could not use Partition Wizard since it will not detect RAID and so I used TestDisk run on DOS + Windows Install disk to repair it.
In your case since it is an external drive, you can install and use Partition Wizard.
Thanks for the heads up jumanji! I will keep you updated.
After knowing what happen to my drive, I will not be able to get a good night sleep until I get it fix!
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