Solved Harddisk appears as local disk

[stoleaway]

just got home from work, think I will be doing this tomorrow so the first thing I have to do is uninstall norton?

 

[Slartybart]

stolelaway: Welcome home =:>

Yep - Norton goes. I think it's only acting as your firewall, so make sure you check that windows firewall is running afterwards. Also run the Norton removal tool (from Symantec. I think you already have MSE installed as your AV - correct.

When you're ready to begin, the first thing you want to do is create the restore point.
The caution other members posted regarding TestDisk is valid. That being said, it is relatively harmless unless you tell it to write. If you're uncertain hit q until you get out, pay attention before you hit enter - read everything on the screen (sometimes information is not front and center)


Take the time to read the following to familiarize yourself with the utility:

• TestDisk Step by Step to recover lost partitions and repair damaged FAT/NTFS boot sector
• Recover deleted files
  • Recover deleted files from NTFS partition
  • Undelete files and directories from FAT12, FAT16, FAT32 and exFAT filesystem. FAT file systems are commonly found on flash memory cards, digital cameras, and many other portable devices.
  • Undelete files from ext2 filesystem
• Recovery examples
• Computer forensics self training using TestDisk & PhotoRec
• Running the TestDisk Program , a menu by menu explanation

As you might have noticed, testdisk can recover files or disks. The companion PhotoRec can also help revocer files and as jumanji states, requires less caution.

 

[Slartybart]

It might be best if someone is available to help as you run testdisk. I know our timezones are 12 hours apart making it difficult. The crucial part of Testdisk is making absolutely certain that the correct drive is selected, that the drive reports the size correctly, and that all analysis is done PRIOR to any action taken on the disk. This doesn't take too long, but your drive isn't playing nice - it might take longer.

I'll offer to work with you from 09:00 EDT Saturday (your 21:00 evening Saturday) if you think you need the guidance. You'll need to post a screen shot of every step so I can see what you see. It is possible that after the first few steps that you can't do anything more to fix the drive, however you still could try to recover files.

Let me know how you want to proceed - if you want to start earlier on your own, just go slow and know the consequences of hitting enter with an incorrect selection. The wrong drive could be negatively affected.

I guess this is a good place to ask if you ever created the SP1 install media. You used Win7 without SP1 when you did the fresh install - then updated through windows update.

Creating the install media using the Win7 Sp1 ISO saves a lot of time.

Bill
.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Bill just as by the by I found removing Norton that way still leaves reg entries in and I have always gone in and deleted those as I have with AVG stuff that is so persistent.
But I guess it is up to you an stoleaway to think that is necessary. I usually use the HKEY CURRENT and HKEY LOCAL MACHINE scroll to Software in each and look for Symantec (or AVG - whatever) and just delete the whole thing. Good for those wretched things that won't go with Windows Revo CC removals - or you can't find them

 

[Slartybart]

The Norton removal tool finishes the uninstall - the protected part of the AV. All security apps have separate removal tools as part of self-protection.

There are always bits and pieces left over that define installation locations or application specific file associations. I haven't found those entries to be problematic.

Bill just as by the by I found removing Norton that way still leaves reg entries

So tomorrow we get to determine if the drive can be salvaged enough to backup the data. We accomplished a lot getting to this point, now we have to try and solve post# 1. stoleaway has been great throughout the whole process. I hope the next steps can save the data.

Regardless of our success, I would not put any trust in the drive. It's under warranty, so get any data and request RMA from Seagate.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok Bill just I had a few issues with AVG in particular.

 

[stoleaway]

Hi, I did everything in post# 126 except putting a SD card in, as I don't have one, sorry!

 

[Slartybart]

Ok, great.

Disk 1 - Storage 2 G:\
is that the Seagate drive?

 

[stoleaway]

hi, this appeared and I don't know which one I should choose

& nope, storage G is WD not seagate

 

[Slartybart]

Pick Disk dev/sdb
and enter

We're just going to analyze it.

The 2nd Seagate looks like a network share
and the 3rd ?????

 

[Slartybart]

Post a screen every time, whenever the Seagate lets Testdisk access it

 

[Slartybart]

Hopefully the next screen is where you tell Tesdisk it is a Intel/PC partition. I'm linking jumanji's tutorial images

 

[Slartybart]

Wait-a-minit I missed a crucial piece of information. What is connected to the machine?

WD or Seagate or both?

Perhaps you disconnected the WD before you started Testdisk. You told me everything was done in 126 except the SD card.

If the WD is not connected that's good.
If the WD is connected, please safely eject before continuing in Testdisk. I don't think you have to start over, just wait for the next pause, you've selected dev/sdb and the size was correct 3000 GB = 3TB

nope, storage G is WD not seagate

 

[Slartybart]

We haven't entered into the write phase so no harm. I should have looked at the Disk Management closer and I would have seen the size.

dev/sda is your C:\drive 500GB, right?
dev/sdb is your Seagate external, 3TB - right? Also Disk 2 in the Disk Management with no media.

and the other two are unknown at this point - the network share and F:\ don't really exist
I know F:\ was the Seagate at one point
was there ever a network share for the Seagate?

We're good, I just need to be more careful reading.

 

[Slartybart]

The delay must be due to the Seagate being unresponsive. I don't think we're going to get very far this way.

Testdisk did provide new information though.
Just quit all the way out of Testdisk and we'll see if you can't disconnect that network drive ghost
and get rid of that F:\ ghost too

 

[F5ing]

Windows does appear as though it may be interfering, and that's something that needs addressing. I wonder if that's really your problem.

To avoid interference from Windows and to provide another perspective of the drive I'd run Testdisk off of a boot disk. Just to see if maybe your data is actually readily available. If so, that may mean there's absolutely nothing wrong with the drive itself.

Maybe there's hope for it.

Curious as to what your BIOS knows about the drive.

 

[jumanji]

Yep, Starty I did read your PM when I switched on my PC this morning an hour or so ago but then had to go away for the morning chores . Just finished my breakfast, with my wife sitting on my neck and admonishing me staring at the screen planning my first salvo of the day.

Hi stole away,

1. Unplug all your external HDDs and pendrives, and empty your optical drives.

2. Run Test Disk. The only and the first disk shown will be the internal disk. And it will always be the first disk shown. Leave it alone.



3. Quit.

4. Now plug in your external drive from which you want to recover and run Test Disk.

5. The second drive shown will be the external drive. You should also be able to identify it with its capacity.



Now did you go through my thread http://www.sevenforums.com/software/190430-regain-lost-drive-using-test-disk-illustrated-guide.html

Please take your time. You can run testdisk any number of times to familiarise yourself as long as you do not hit a wrong write command.

Also see my post here. http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...-unallocated-disc-management.html#post1671603

As suggested by Startybart go step by step.

(just now my wife butts in and tells me that I gulped eight dosas (pancakes) as against the usual four. Even as she was serving it hot she had a queried look but I knew not why then, lost in my own thoughts. Again, I may have to run - drive - to the hypermarket to buy groceries and vegetables. Otherwise my maid who is as good as my wife - in throttling me - will happily let me go without lunch.)

So be patient.

 

[Slartybart]

Dear jumanji,

Please attend to your chores. The Seagate won't even respond to step 3 Intel/PC

I saw you earlier, but didn't want to give away your hiding place.

Thanks you for stopping in then and again now. I will attend this issue as best I can, I understand the theory and only have to apply that to Testdisk.

Be safe and run - dive, what ever you have to do just so as you do get lunch

Bill
.

 

[Slartybart]

Steve: Great idea - thanks (Run from a boot)
If I recall, this drive exhibits the same behavior when connected to a different machine - I'll have to ask or backtrack to check though.

This was a long journey, fixing other things (installing SP1 w/ associated difficulties) just to get here.
I'll try a different tact and then call it quits. The data is the issue, the drive is under warranty. I suggested to stoleaway that Seagate might be able to recover the data as part of the warranty service, there might be a nominal charge, but I would argue that their device failed on a mission critical project.

I posted a recap last week (post 114), not too much has changed due to work and other delays. I'm open to any suggestions, as is stoleaway, I'm sure.

Bill
.

 

[stoleaway]

There is no network share for my harddisk I think. Reached step 12 of this http://www.sevenforums.com/software/190430-regain-lost-drive-using-test-disk-illustrated-guide.html then there's a write error in the end hmm.