Windows is now a Unknown Partition.

I do stupid things like this on a Monthly bases and I usually just reinstall Windows 7, however I broke the disk and now don't have one, plus I have important Files on there that I NEED.

Now to What Caused the Problem:
Today while installing a Game, I didn't have enough space to install it on Windows 7, and I had 100 GB for Ubuntu (Didn't think I would ever use 100 GB for Windows, but I did), So I deleted the Ubuntu Partition and added it to the Windows Partition. After Installing the Game I decided I would restart my Computer, and when it was starting I got the "No Such Partition" error.
( So I used Ubuntu Live when it wouldn't work to find out the prob.)

So then I figured I would Reinstall Ubuntu on a 20gig Partition. So I started the Install, and it had an Error (I'm assuming it was because the disk was dirty). I figured I would clean the disk and try again, so Did that, went to install, however the 20 Gigs I was going to have it use was a Unknown Partition. Not wanting to not use it, I figured I would find another way to fix Windows.

So I borrowed a Windows 7 Disk from a Friend to use it to Repair Mine, but it was for the Wrong Version so it wouldn't fix it. However I found a way around that and Used the Repair Option (I figured the Problem should be an easy fix), and So when I finished I restarted my Computer, Now I get "Requiered Device is Inaccessible", Status 0XC0000225.

After that I said Screw it and Went back to installing Ubuntu and for some reason the 20gigs was usable now (I skipped a part above where I said I tried to fix it yet it failed). So I installed Ubuntu.

Now, The Problem:
In the Partition Manager, what used to be the Windows 7 Drive is now labeled as "Unknown", and I get the Error stated above but I'm assuming its caused by this.




Can someone PLEASE help me.

(Also, I posted this same problem on the Ubuntu Forum, yet no response still.)

Now, my Windows Partition, or what used to be my Windows Partition, is labled as "Unknown" and I cannot access it.

Bit confused, which OS was the primary one, was this a dual boot ?

What did you use to re-allocate the 100G?

Either way I'd download a copy of the Ultimate Boot CD V5 (obviously on another machine) and get it burnt to disk, there are tools on this disk for accessing pretty well any kind of hard drive. You should at least be able to check the partitioning (DO NOT try to fix unless you are absolutely certain you know what you are doing), there is an application on there called Parted Magic that should help you get your files back at least (Ultimate Boot CD - Download the UBCD)

Alternatively buy another hard drive, get yourself up and running on that, preferably with a Windows OS and install the 'failed' drive and see if you can access it, this I think will be your easiest initial option.

The most important is to stop messing about with the failed 'OS' disk, number one priority is to get your files back, the more you mess around on it the less chance you have.

Either way you should consider the failed 'OS' disk off limits for rebuilding or rebooting with until you get your files off.

Garfield said:

Bit confused, which OS was the primary one, was this a dual boot ?

Windows 7 Was Installed first, then Ubuntu.

Garfield said:

What did you use to re-allocate the 100G?

When I was Installing the game and need the Ubuntu Space, I used the Windows Partition Program.

Garfield said:

Either way I'd download a copy of the Ultimate Boot CD V5 (obviously on another machine) and get it burnt to disk, there are tools on this disk for accessing pretty well any kind of hard drive. You should at least be able to check the partitioning (DO NOT try to fix unless you are absolutely certain you know what you are doing), there is an application on there called Parted Magic that should help you get your files back at least (Ultimate Boot CD - Download the UBCD)

Alternatively buy another hard drive, get yourself up and running on that, preferably with a Windows OS and install the 'failed' drive and see if you can access it, this I think will be your easiest initial option.

The problem is we have no Blank disks and no $$ to buy any.

and Same as the first one, we have no $$ for another hard drive.


However I am still using the same Hard Drive, just another partition.

Garfield said:

The most important is to stop messing about with the failed 'OS' disk, number one priority is to get your files back, the more you mess around on it the less chance you have.

Either way you should consider the failed 'OS' disk off limits for rebuilding or rebooting with until you get your files off.

I haven't touched it after I found out what happened.

Here is something to add that someone told me to do on the Ubuntu Forum (For Another problem, but it still might help).



Model: ATA ST3320620AS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 320GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number--Start-----End-----Size------Type-----File system----Flags
-1--------1049kB--106MB--105MB---primary-----ntfs----------boot
-2--------107MB---192GB--192GB---primary
-4--------192GB---213GB--20.2GB--extended
-5--------192GB---212GB--19.3GB--logical-------ext4
-6--------212GB---213GB--888MB---logical-------linux-swap(v1)
-3--------213GB---320GB--107GB---primary------ntfs


#1-System Reserve
#2-The Unknown Drive. What used to be the Windows 7 Drive.
#4,5, and 6- For Ubuntu
#3 is the Backup Partition, which the Files I need weren't backed up.

Well you need something capable of sorting the partition without killing it completely and the Ultimate Boot CD should fit that bill, I'm sure you can manage a few cents for a CD. It may be as simple as repairing the partition table, Windows keeps a spare but it is also sometimes destroyed, only the right tools will help you to know that. The ultimate Boot CD is exactly that, a boot disk, it is easier to fix a hard drive if you aren't trying to run the recovery from the hard drive.

Partition 1 is the 'hidden' partition used by Windows 7 to store the Recovery Environment "WinRE" which will allow recovery of the system if a problem is detected. i.e. by pressing F8 at startup. Once this partition is created, it contains system files and the Master Boot Record.

Check this out > How to use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and repair startup issues in Windows

You shouldn't need the disk, you should be able to press F8 at Startup ....

Or try this ... Rescue Kit Free Edition | PARAGON Software Group - free partition software, hard disk partitioning

Ok, so that should repair the Startup problem, but will it also repair the Unknown Partition Problem?

Garfield said:

Check this out > How to use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and repair startup issues in Windows

You shouldn't need the disk, you should be able to press F8 at Startup ....

OK, I did that, but I still have the "Unknown Partition" problem, which is making it where I cannot access the partition at all.

Then you definitely need one of the partition fixers that boot from CD.