Solved Cannot see my data storage HDD (confession enclosed)

[dsperber]

Minitool doesn't seem to like it either.

Partition Wizard seemed to find enough information to show that (a) it was formatted with EXT4, and (b) it had about 15GB of usage inside of it.

We don't know if that 15GB reflects your old data files, or new Linux OS files, or both, or what? But it would be helpful if there was a displayable file system table-of-contents in it, and your screenshot from PW suggests that there is.

If you select the large EXT4 partition in PW, on the left side of the window will be a list of operations you can select. One of those is "Explore partition". Can you please click on that operation, which will produce a new "Partition Explorer" window... hopefully.

Can you please post a screenshot of the contents of that "Partition Explorer" window. Do you see your folder/files in it? PW doesn't browse the files, it just explores the file system table-of-contents, which is really all we're trying to find out at this moment, i.e. exactly what is inside that EXT4 partition at the moment. If your data files are still there and their folder/file names can be seen, well that's at least somewhat encouraging as it speaks well for the integrity of the file system. Decent chance I would think of salvaging the data eventually.

 

[AaLF]

1 x quick scan >

 

[dsperber]

Can you please post a screenshot that I requested earlier, which is to be in PW and select the EXT4 partition, and then click on the "explore partition" item which should appear in the available operations list on the left side of the window.

This will (or hopefully should) pop up a second window showing the folder structure in that partition, same as Windows Explorer would. This will show us whether you've still got your data files in this partition, or maybe just Linux OS files, or both, or what. Your earlier PW screenshots show about 15GB in use, but we don't know what that content is. This new screenshot will show us what's actually inside the EXT4 partition... hopefully.

 

[jumanji]

Yes, do it.

Then run Full Scan.

Partition Recovery Wizard >Select Disk > Next > Full Disk > Next > Full Scan > Next.

May take many hours to finish. When finished post the screenshot.

 

[AaLF]

Sorry. I'm confused. I don't how to locate 'explore partition'.

 

[dsperber]

Sorry. I'm confused. I don't how to locate 'explore partition'.

Well, disappointingly, there doesn't seem to be an "explore partition" function shown on the left side with the EXT4 partition selected as was hoped.

If you select one of your NTFS partitions you'll see "explore partition" on the left side. That's what I was hoping would also appear when you selected the EXT4 partition, so that we could see what the 15GB was composed of.

Sorry. I don't know how you can get to the contents now.

So, do you have a backup of your data files which used to be there when it was NTFS, before getting converted to EXT4?

 

[Slartybart]

I don't see the explore partition option in the screen shot either.

I'll join you in confusion.
Maybe dsperber or jumanji can tell us both. You have the correct partition selected.

See if a right click on that partition offers you the explore partition feature, I doubt it will though.

Otherwise we wait for an answer.

Bill
.

 

[AaLF]

Thanks for your efforts guys Much appreciated. I have about 40% backed up. And what's lost is lost. There's worse things in life. And again thanks for hanging in there to try & salvage my stuff.

 

[Slartybart]

So u know I already have mint-mate 17.1 on its own seperate 120gb SSD. Can I use that? I'm new & green to linux. Think i opened 'my computer' like with win7 but linux couldn't open the sick drive.

Sure use what you have. If it causes difficulty, try the other way.

Have you revisited this?
Not to worry, there are other tools to try. No guarantees though, just more tools to TRY.

 

[jumanji]

Hi AaLF,

You have still not run full scan with Partition Recovery Wizard.

Run Full Scan.

Partition Recovery Wizard >Select Disk > Next > Full Disk > Next > Full Scan > Next.

May take many hours to finish. When finished post the screenshot.

Quick Scan is very good to find the partition start provided your disk had not undergone any format process.

Since your disk has already gone through a formatting process, Partition Wizard Quick Scan happly found the existing partitions. What happens in Quick scan is once it finds the start of the first partition, it will jump farther ahead to the end of that first partition and start scanning from thereon in search of the start point of the next partition thus skipping all sectors inbetween. Only a full scan will dig through each and every sector and can bring out the buried partition data of the past deeds.

If the full scan also does not find the buried NTFS partitions, then and only then I will think of any data recovery procedure. Till then I am closing my eyes and retiring for the day,

If you are retiring from the contest without doing the full scan, I can only say you are giving up so easily. But that is your pleasure.