Recovering data from a dead partition


  1. Posts : 29
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #1

    Recovering data from a dead partition


    My wife's laptop drive died. Replaced the drive and restored a backup, so that PC is back up and running.

    However, there are some files on the old drive that were created/changed after the last backup.

    Plugging her drive into an external SATA mount I see the following is Windows Explorer:
    E: System (nothing in it) -- I did run CHKDSK /F on it, and completed (with Bad Sectors
    F: HP Tools (fully accessible)
    G: Local Disk (Hangs any time I try to access, either thru Win Explorer or CMD prompt
    H: Recovery (fully accessible)

    Anything I can do possibly using shareware/freeware to possibly restore the data from G:? Most of the stuff I can likely get elsewhere, (e.g. outbox attachments). So not going to spend $$$ on the data recovery company or expensive software...
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 10,796
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bits 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #2

    F disk... most likely HP drivers... you're not interested in it.
    H disk... restore to factory defaults... you're not interested in it.

    E disk. Is that supposed to be the old WIN& disk called C?
    G disk: some data disk.

    Download and install Partition Wizard Free Free download Magic Partition Manager Software, partition magic alternative, free partition magic, partition magic Windows 7 and server partition software - Partition Wizard Online . Run it. Post screenshot so I can see E, F, G and H
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 10,796
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bits 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #3

    E: System (nothing in it) -- I did run CHKDSK /F on it, and completed (with Bad Sectors
    => no bad sectors anymore? DIR E:\ does show the files/folders?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 29
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Screen shot of Partition Manager and CMD window

    Nothing shows on the system drive...

    What now?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Recovering data from a dead partition-sp32-20141230-102149.jpg   Recovering data from a dead partition-sp32-20141230-102244.jpg  
    Last edited by jon777; 30 Dec 2014 at 11:51.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 29
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    I checked the partition explorer feature on G: (since it seems to have the right specs in terms of usage), and it looks like it can see the file structure. Not sure what the best way to grab the data? Just want to grab all of the files/folders from the Users directory at this point and bring it over to the local drive -- then I can get rid of the failing drive completely.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Recovering data from a dead partition-sp32-20141230-122703.jpg  
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 29
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I used the recovery wizard (the other "half" of that software) -- worked like a charm. Filtering allowed me to just find the files in "users" that were either modified or created after 12/1 and copy them to my "real" hard drive.

    THANKS!!! Great piece of software!
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #7

    Once you get all your files off that drive, you can format it and start using it for storage and disk images, so this never happens again. Apparently the drive is fine.

    Not sure why you thought it died
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 10,796
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bits 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #8

    jon777 said:
    Screen shot of Partition Manager and CMD window

    Nothing shows on the system drive...

    What now?
    E drive is only 199MB. No files at all on it... but totally full! All files are hidden. It is ACTIVE. It is the boot partition. Not relevant to recover.

    G drive looks normal in the screenshot. What is the problem with G?
    What "recovery wizard" did you run??? All partitions seem to be there already!
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #9

    "However, there are some files on the old drive that were created/changed after the last backup"

    This statement could be a clue to what caused the issue, was a backup program used ? If so what, if not, how was a backup done, and where was this backup being saved to ?

    Whatever the method, it didn`t work and I would stop using it.

    Just copy and paste your data, don`t rely on any program.

    Please explain in detail.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 29
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #10

    AddRAM said:
    Once you get all your files off that drive, you can format it and start using it for storage and disk images, so this never happens again. Apparently the drive is fine.

    Not sure why you thought it died
    So I had posted here earlier, and hadn't gotten a reply
    https://www.sevenforums.com/general-d...xc00000e9.html

    Windows Boot Manager
    File: \Boot\BCD

    Status: 0xc00000e9

    Info: An unexpected I/O error has occurred

    Reading a few other threads, I have tried to reboot in Recovery mode (to possibly rebuild BCD), both from internal and CD ROM, but both just hang. From CD ROM, gets to the part where select Operating system to restore from but just spins there and never populates (waited about an hour)

    Have gone into the HP Advanced System Diagnostics and Run Hard Disk Test

    Hard Disk SMART Check: PASSED
    Hard Disk Short DST: FAILED

    Kaktussoft said:
    jon777 said:
    Screen shot of Partition Manager and CMD window

    Nothing shows on the system drive...

    What now?
    E drive is only 199MB. No files at all on it... but totally full! All files are hidden. It is ACTIVE. It is the boot partition. Not relevant to recover.

    G drive looks normal in the screenshot. What is the problem with G?
    What "recovery wizard" did you run??? All partitions seem to be there already!
    In the partition looks fine, however if you go into Windows Explorer and click on G: it just hangs, and if you go into CMD prompt and type "G:" it also hangs. CHKDSK /F G: also just hangs.

    AddRAM said:
    "However, there are some files on the old drive that were created/changed after the last backup"

    This statement could be a clue to what caused the issue, was a backup program used ? If so what, if not, how was a backup done, and where was this backup being saved to ?

    Whatever the method, it didn`t work and I would stop using it.

    Just copy and paste your data, don`t rely on any program.

    Please explain in detail.
    Backups were taken using windows backup to an external drive which was used to restore the laptop once a new drive was put in. ISO image was restored from the backup, since the drive didn't seem immediately accessible. The laptop is now working fine (with the new drive and ISO image restored). I now have the files recovered from the above Partitiion Manager/Recovery program.
      My Computer


 

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