Confused about Testdisk and Results midway---how to proceed?

I'm thinking I may have had a bad thread title, so I will try again. Hopefully that is okay

A friend of mine wanted some data from my Windows 7 desktop pc and brought over a laptop
hard disk which she assured me was empty. So,I plugged it in a usb port. I also have an
external 3 tb hard disk in a Startech seat plugged in a usb. When her disk came on it

showed that she had windows Vista on it. Of course I was angry, but I thought I could format
her disk to get rid Vista. It dis get rid of Vista, and I gave her the data she wanted.
Then I booted my pc and now my 3tb external disk does no show up in My Computer, and in
Computer Management it shows up as Not Initialed and with 746.52 Unallocated space. I have
over 2tb of data on this disk. I ran Testdisk and stopped when I got to this:

Disk/dev/sdc - 3000 GB/2794 GiB - CHS 364801 255 63
Partition Start End Size in sectors
>P MS Data 262206 1565550314 1565288109
P MS Data 1565550592 5860530175 4294979584

Below this it says Structure: OK

As well as up/down keys to select partion
Keys A: Add Partition, L:n Load Backup, T: Change Type, P: List Files
Enter: to continue
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 801 GB / 746 GiB

It is here where I don't know what to next. (I really don't want to lose my data, but does

that prospect not look good?)

I think it was Jumanji who I was reading yesterday who suggested to someone else to use Testdisk.
Sorry if i made any mistakes posting images (this is my first time).

#1. above

#2. Startech USB 2.0 to Sata Hard Drive(ROHS _ IS0 9001) I formated my 3tb
disk on a different computer that could allow GSP? GTP? (can't remember
acronymn) then inserted it via Startech dock on my PC. My hard disk is WD 3
TB 30EFRX Nasware RED.

#3. WD WD30EFRX-68EUZNO

#4. I saw some of my files listed (about 20%) hence started a deep scan
which after 4-5 days is at 40% completion.

#5. Thanks Jumanji, but I think I have lost everything



-----Original Message-----
From: Seven Forums
Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2015 11:18 AM
To: jesussson@teksavvy.com
Subject: Reply to thread 'Confused about Testdisk and Results midway---how
to proceed?'


*Please do not reply to this email*

Dear UncleVanya,

jumanji has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled -
Confused about Testdisk and Results midway---how to proceed? - in the
Hardware & Devices forum of Windows 7 Help Forums.

This thread is located at:
https://www.sevenforums.com/hardware-...-new-post.html

Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
1. Please post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management with only your 3TB
drive in Startech dock. (Remove all other external drives/ storage devices
plugged into USB ports)* Follow the guidelines* here in making the
screenshot.
Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

2. Please mention the model number of your Startech dock, so that I can
check its specs.

3. Also mention the manufacturer/ model number of your 3 TB drive.

4. Download install and run MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition 9.1 Best
Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free
(Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free). Post a
screenshot of how your 3TB drive looks in it - the very first screen when
you launch the application.

Right now TestDisk shows two partitions. Select each partition one by one
and press P (Shift+p)to list the files. Do you see your files listed? Post
the screenshots of the files listed for each partition.

All this is only exploratory, and at this stage I do not guarantee an easy
solution. ( I am also learning on how to deal with 3TB drives )
***************


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Seven Forums Team

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I apologize Jumanji for my garbled response. I was resigned to the idea that no one would reply, so when I got your e-mail moments ago, I was extremely tired as a result of work and trying to resolve this problem myself. Consequently my response above probably appears incoherent. I have to be at work in 5 hours so I will have to sign off. If my info is inefficient please focus your attention elsewhere (though I would be grateful for more assistance). I am not sure if you recall my first inquiry so I will repeat it below. Thanks Jumanji--you are clearly one of the pros on this site.

"A friend of mine wanted some data from my Windows 7 desktop pc and brought over a laptop

hard disk which she assured me was empty. So,I plugged it in a usb port. I also have an

external 3 tb hard disk in a Startech seat plugged in a usb. When her disk came on it

showed that she had windows Vista on it. Of course I was angry, but I thought I could format

her disk to get rid Vista. It dis get rid of Vista, and I gave her the data she wanted.

Then I booted my pc and now my 3tb external disk does no show up in My Computer, and in

Computer Management it shows up as Not Initialed and with 746.52 Unallocated space. I have

over 2tb of data on this disk. I ran Testdisk and stopped when I got to this:

Disk/dev/sdc - 3000 GB/2794 GiB - CHS 364801 255 63
Partition Start End Size in sectors
>P MS Data 262206 1565550314 1565288109
P MS Data 1565550592 5860530175 4294979584

Below this it says Structure: OK

As well as up/down keys to select partion
Keys A: Add Partition, L:n Load Backup, T: Change Type, P: List Files
Enter: to continue
NTFS, blocksize=4096, 801 GB / 746 GiB

It is here where I don't know what to next. (I really don't want to lose my data, but does

that prospect not look good?)

You are trying to give up even before I got started on your thread. :)

1. Do not panic.

2. Do not do things on your own.

3. Data recovery is a tedious procedure sometimes too tiresome too. ( I also got tired of it and wanted to retire ) Keep your cool and do it at your leisure and time. There is absolutely no need to hurry up things and get tired.

I am yet to go through the screenshots - and yes its all garbled. So I shall take my own time :) to look into it, understand it analyse it and will come back.

Till then do not try anything on your own.

Do only what you are asked to do. Now the instruction is just relax till you hear again.

Hi Uncle,

I am stumped and baffled looking at the last screenshot in your post #3, that of your 3TB in Startech dock shown by Partition Wizard. Some 32 divisions, Unallocated, Unformatted, Read only, hidden, Hidden and Read only, 0MB, negative numbers. What the hell is it? I have never seen one like that before. Standing in Pompeii, I have seen Mount Vesuvius but haven't seen it erupt anytime.

Ok, the only known entities in the screenshot are the 128MB MSR partition and the 746.39 GPT Data partition. Rest bunkum. I really don't know how they came about and/or how to get rid of them. But the needle of suspicion points to your Startech dock. Right or wrong , I don't know.

You said it was formatted as a GPT drive on some other PC. How many partitions? Were you able to see all those partitions and all the 3TB before on that Startech dock??

Now please do this. You have the older version of Partition Wizard Home Edition version 7. Please download and install the latest version 9.1 from the link in 4. in my post #2. Post a screenshot of how your 3TB looks in it. I want it to be seen by a wider audience and that single shot in your post will catch the attention of a wider audience. May be someone may be able to throw some light on it.

If that does not happen:

Pull out your 3TB drive from the Startech, make it an internal drive on your system and post the screenshots of Windows Disk Management and Partition Wizard. Let us see whether there is any light.

You asked how many partitions? It was meant just for storage or as a backup for data so there was just 2 sections one volume being almost the entire disk except for a second tiny volume that was just 746 mb (ie. J: 2780 GB + K: 746 MB).

Yes everything was fine since I installed it 8 months ago. The volumes were clearly visible in My Computer and Disk Management. It was the insertion of my friends hard drive in a usb port that caused all the problems. I was going to move data from my external disk to her hard drive. I asked if her disk was clean and empty. She assured me it was. She was wrong because it had her Vista OS on it which I presume overtook my external 3 tb disk. Immediately when I plugged in her disk, problems erupted on my disk (folders were disappearing and in some cases unable to open). When I removed her hard drive and rebooted my pc, my 3tb external was gone from My Computer, and recognized in Disk Managment as an uninitialzed, unallocated Volume of 746 GB (basically back to its original state as it would be seen on a 32 bit os). The computer I initially formatted it on was a friends Windows 7, 64 Bit, because my Windows 7 32 Bit could not format the entire 3 TB, it could only see 746 GB. (32 Bit is only able to format a maximum of 2 TB). In other words, my disk returned to it's original state when seen on a 32 Bit system. I hope I am making sense.

Here is a screen shot of the minitool results on my friends computer with windows 7 64 bit



I stated a deep scan with Testdisk which began 4 days ago and it goto about 45% scanned, but we had a major storm last night and it knocked out the power. So I may have to start again.

I aM SO PISSED WITH MY FRIEND FOR not cleaning or formating her disk before allowing me to plug it into my system

Thanks for your continued help Jumanji.

I forgot to mention that the Storage controller driver I have is NVIDIA nforce serial ATA Controller. However, I'm not sure what you mean by this: If it is IRST the version installed.

IRST is Intel Rapid Storage Technology.Anyway you now have NVidia so that becomes irrelevant.

Just a few minutes ago, I took a deep look at the screenshot you had posted.

On your friend's 64 bit computer, one can clearly see the 128MB MSR Partition, the 2793.71 GB GPT data partition with 15.23 GB data in it and a 699MB GPT Partition.( I have no idea about it.)

Now we shall adopt a two pronged strategy to get as much data as possible by working on it in both your PC and then your friend's PC. Let us see how far it is successful. ( I always wear a Pessimist's hat when dealing with data recovery - even in simple cases.)

Wait till you hear from me again. ( I shall again repeat do not do anything on your own - till I say " I give up now. Do whatever you want to do hereafter.." )

Okay Jumanji, I await your guidance. Thanks so much for your consideration and time. It is very late here in Toronto, so I am about to go to bed. I look forward to your future help.

sincerely
John