WD Caviar Black HDD Partition/Data Lost

[B7AX]

Greetings

Let me try and gather my wits and explain what is happening as I'm nearing a heart attack.

My computer had been turned off for a while and was not in use - as I was away on a trip for several months. I got back, turned it on and my computer booted into Startup Repair. It took 10 hours to finally tell me that nothing was wrong except that the system volume on the disk is corrupt. Once I clicked finish, the system reboots right back into the windows startup repair. Odd, but this stuff happens right?

So I booted up with another bootable partition on an alternate HDD within the same computer to see if I could recover the files. It booted fine, but when I took a look at the HDD causing me problems I do not see the partition where all my files are located. There were folders there, but things do not look right. I opened my User folder and files seemed to have vanished. I've never seen this before and it feels like a cruel joke.

Disk Management only shows one partition. It shows that 1.9TB or 2TB are free. This is WRONG as I have used most of the file space on the HDD.

So right now I have the HDD in a USB Thermaltake tether and I'm running "Phoenix Windows Data Recovery."

While I thought I had backed up years worth of work ........ finding out that I hadn't ....... This is certainly a wake up call and I'm praying that I will be able to get these files. If all efforts fail, I will certainly be sending this drive to a professional data recovery.

If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them!

Here's a link that shows the windows 7 startup repair report (DRIVE B)
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_OwhVT2OoWoQ0w4WGlwSC1yWFE&usp=sharing

EDIT:
As I ran the Data Recovery, it appears some of my "free space" did disappear. I'm still waiting to see the results. Just thought I would update.

 

[jumanji]

Welcome to Seven Forums.

Since you are already on with Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery, I shall refrain from giving out my thoughts on what you have done or more precisely what should have been done in this case.

Let us know what you intend to do if the recovery process shows the files on completion. Will you go ahead and buy the $99 software to be able to save those files?

Please come back and let us know the results of the current process when complete.

 

[B7AX]

Welcome to Seven Forums.

Since you are already on with Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery, I shall refrain from giving out my thoughts on what you have done or more precisely what should have been done in this case.

Let us know what you intend to do if the recovery process shows the files on completion. Will you go ahead and buy the $99 software to be able to save those files?

Please come back and let us know the results of the current process when complete.

I am more than eager to hear what you would suggest I do. The scan is almost complete. I would honestly pay several thousands to recover the files, however I'm not going to blow money if I can recover it myself. What I mean is - these files are very near and extremely dear to me and in many ways priceless.

The Phoenix Software did advertise as free. Are you saying that they are going to tease me with "Here are your files, but to continue give us money"?

 

[jumanji]

.........The Phoenix Software did advertise as free. Are you saying that they are going to tease me with "Here are your files, but to continue give us money"?

Yes, my dear Sir, and that is why I asked the question.

See and tell us whether it is true.

Anyway, if it can recover, may be other free software also can do it. We shall get on to it once you give out the results of the current exercise. ( It is the start of the day here and I may runout every once in a while and peep in only on and off. So may be you have to wait.)

 

[jumanji]

Before I hit the sack calling it a day,

Your best bet in the freeware category will be to try PhotoRec and copy the files to another external drive connected before you start PhotoRec. ( Scanning by PhotoRec may take considerable time.)
http://www.sevenforums.com/software/193467-guide-using-photorec-recovery-software.html

Copying files recovered by TestDisk/PhotoRec : http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...suddenly-became-unllocated-3.html#post2395385

 

[B7AX]

It is a pay to retrieve deal, but I went ahead and paid the $99.

I am currently recovering files now, but curious if after I finish backing them up .... if there is anything I could do to try and restore that partition?

 

[SIW2]

Run a partition recovery program. It is included in several partition managers. PW Home Edition (free) is good at that particular thing.

Do a Quick scan of the whole HD, then Tick ALL partitions you want to keep, click Apply.

It is pretty quick.Best Free Partition Manager Freeware and free partition magic for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista and Windows XP 32 bit & 64 bit. MiniTool Free Partition Manager Software Home Edition.

 

[B7AX]

Run a partition recovery program. It is included in several partition managers. PW Home Edition (free) is good at that particular thing.

Do a Quick scan of the whole HD, then Tick ALL partitions you want to keep, click Apply.

It is pretty quick.Best Free Partition Manager Freeware and free partition magic for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista and Windows XP 32 bit & 64 bit. MiniTool Free Partition Manager Software Home Edition.

Awesome, I appreciate the help.

Being that the "system volume on disk is corrupt" should I upgrade to Windows 8 or stick with getting a CD/Flash boot of Windows 7 to boot the drive - or should I keep it plugged in as a USB external and run the partition recovery software as is? I would love to be able to repair the OS and boot up using the disk. Recovering the files and making a backup now to ensure I do not lose them, however I'm not sure how to go about restoring the drive back to use it without formatting it.

 

[SIW2]

keep it plugged in as a USB external and run the partition recovery software as is

Yes, or use PW free boot disc .

however I'm not sure how to go about restoring the drive back to use it without formatting it.

That is what partition recovery is for. If it does the job, you won't need to reformat anything. Probably worth running chkdsk after.

 

[B7AX]

Well, it isn't finding the partition. I'm still recovering files. It's painfully slow.

 

[jumanji]

It is a pay to retrieve deal, but I went ahead and paid the $99.

I am currently recovering files now, but curious if after I finish backing them up .... if there is anything I could do to try and restore that partition?

Have you completed recovery with Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery? Please do take your time to check all the recovered/saved files and let us know whether everything is in order. ( Just curious to know how effectively that system recovery software dealt with a corrupted system volume as reported by Windows. )

As regards Partition Recovery Wizard in Partition Wizard, I never thought that could be a solution given that the Disk Management showed your drive with a single partition with no missing File System either and also a drive letter. PRW is normally recommended in situations where the partition table in sector zero is screwed up and the drive shows as RAW and Windows in its own wisdom urges one to format the drive.(BTW, how many partitions did you have?) You had none of the symptoms that would call upon to try PRW to restore the drive.

If you have successfully recovered all the files, I would have rather recommended that you put the drive back into the PC, boot from the other drive and run check disk on it. When you said "awesome" in post #8, it surprised me, shut my mouth and made me lie low - till you came up to tell something is grinding on still.

As I commented in my first post you should not have in the first instance removed the drive out of the PC and given it a new housing. It would have been better that any data recovery process is done in its original location in-situ, especially when you had the means of booting from the other drive/OS and undertake that process.