USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"

dkja · 22 Aug 2016

Hy Guys,

This is my first forum post albeit with a problem and here it is:

I wanted to make a Win7 bootable installation USB without formatting and so google came up with the following tutorial:

How To Make Bootable Windows USB Without Formatting

But it did not work and eventually bricked the USB/un-bootable, though the data is still there.

I was able to successfully recovered the data using Photorec. The main challenge is to reinstate the USB state prior to bricking it.

I found Teskdisk (cgsecurity.org) and analyzed the drive. Testkdisk detects 2 partitions. "(Space conflicts between two partitions) - 2 * Sys=74 & 1 * Sys=6E." (the partition structure as shown in linked image).

I also posted this on cgsecurity forums, but haven't received any resolution nor found a solution elsewhere:

!!!PLS DO CHECK THIS POST!!!
https://forum.cgsecurity.org/phpBB3/...php?f=6&t=6384

But Testdisk doesn't offer options to fix conflicts and I'm no expert in fixing MBR issues so really don't know how to fix it?

How do I reinstate the USB state prior to bricking it?

Currently, using Win 7 (32bit). USB drive - file system prior to bricking: FAT32.

Can any buddy help me out. Infact I also tried the EasyBCD (https://neosmart.net/forums/) but they couldn't help either.

Can anybuddy/guys take a look and help me get the usb to pre-bricking state.

Thanks
dkja

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"-after-testdisk_analysis.png

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"-partition-table-detection-td.png

Megahertz07 · 22 Aug 2016

Right click on Computer, than Manage - Storage - Disk Management. Find the USB disk, delete all partitions then create new. Format as Fat32. This a good free disk Management https://www.partitionwizard.com/download.html

jumanji · 22 Aug 2016

Hi dkja,

With the link you provided I couldn't see your post dated 05 Aug 2016 in TestDisk Forums. You seem to have shortened the link and that is why it can't be accessed. The proper link is https://forum.cgsecurity.org/phpBB3/...php?f=6&t=6384. ( You should actually access the link copy it and paste it directly in your post without modifying it in anyway. Also you should try to access the link in your post and check everything is OK)

You tried PhotoRec without knowing that it cannot recover file/folder structure.You were rightly advised by Christopher Grenier to use TestDisk.

Again you made a mistake while running TestDisk by selecting "none" partition structure when you very well know that it had a FAT32 partition structure. You should have selected only "[Intel] Intel/PC partition"

Anyway, now stop using TestDisk for now. We shall come back to it if it is necessary after analysing your 16GB SD Card. ( Most OPs try something or other on their own - like you tried EasyBCD - and more often end mucking up the device further before coming here and that makes data recovery difficult. Remember that even Chris cannot assure you that you could get back to the prebootable disk creation stage.He had chosen to remain silent after seeing the mistake. He is a busy author and not a busybody like me

)

Please do this now:

1. Post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management showing your 16GB SD Card. Make sure to remove all other USB storage devices like external drives/other pendrives to avoid confusion. Adhere to the guidelines here to present an untruncated screenshot showing all the information. Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

2. Also install and run Minitool Partition Wizard Free Edition 9.1 https://www.partitionwizard.com/download.html

Post the screenshot of how it looks in Partition Wizard.( The first screen as soon as you launch the program)

Upload to Seven Forums : Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums

Make sure you take the screenshot of the Window of interest only. We do not need to see anything in the background (as in your previous screenshots - the other Window, your desktop etc.,).

derekimo · 23 Aug 2016

Also,

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions" - External Hardware

jumanji · 23 Aug 2016

Yep, I had to register myself to see the attachments there. ( Nothing different)

The OP had, prior to making the attempt to create a bootable pendrive without formatting it, had 8GB of data in it.

When he attempted it, he lost access to the pendrive and therefore access to that 8GB of data.

He now wants the restore the pendrive as it was before the failed attempt so that he could access the 8GB data as before.

This was not very clear in his first post and the result was Megahertz07 here and the member in the other forum suggesting to format it to the factory condition. Even I was confused :) until I read his post in TestDisk forum where he is very clear he wants the flash drive back with the 8GB data readable as before.

dkja · 25 Aug 2016

Hello Jumanji,

Here is what the Windows Disk-management sees:

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"-dkj-win7-diskmgmt.png

Here is what Partition Wizard sees(first screen):

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"-win7-partition-wizard-disk-image.png

Interestingly Mini-tool partition wizard detects the USB drive (H:) size and shows it's partition info to which Windows 7 detects & reports zero bytes. Here's what partition wizard and Win7 detects and shows:

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"-win7-partition-wizard-h_drive-size_recognized.png

Partition Info

Win7 shows:

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"-win7-inbuilt_reports_0bytes_h_drive.png

Will the above screenshot help solve this? Thanks for help.
dkja

jumanji · 25 Aug 2016

OK, I have just read your post in Neosmart forum and the responses you got..( I have seen the above screenshots also but at this point I make no comments though I have them at the back of my mind)

Let us get going and try your and my luck. Now this is going to be a laborious task. It requires patience and perseverance and adhering to the instructions given. We will also be going back and forth at times. Do not be in a hurry to do things asked for. Take your time. ( It also helps me to research into the problem created by EasyBCD)

We are still in the investigative stage. Download and run the free demo version GetdatabackSimple https://www.runtime.org/data-recovery-software.htm (Read the How-to guides and documentation also)

As soon as you start the program it will scan your system and show you the drives found.( Have only your 32GB Flash drive connected) Click on the 32GB Flash drive and it will scan it and show you the partition/s found. Please take a screenshot. Click on the partition found and it will try to show the files found. If the files are found ok. If not and if it throws any error message take a screenshot or note the verbatim error message and post.

Close the program.

If you have any doubts in executing let me know.

The following screenshot shows the only partition found on my 32GB Trial Flash drive. ( It is not adulterated in any way as yet :) and shows the folders. I shall now try to adulterate it with EasyBCD to study what changes it makes in the Flash drive and whether it can be undone without destroying the data.)

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"-25-08-2016-18-13-59.jpg

dkja · 25 Aug 2016

Here is the first screen showing file system (FAT32) found at Sector 32

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"-get_data-partition-found-screen-sector32.png

Here is the screen after Get Data scanned selected file system.

USB Bricked and Testdisk reports "Space conflict between 2 partitions"-get_data-data-found-after-selection-file-system-screen.png

It shows the USB state as before.

jumanji · 25 Aug 2016

OK, I have noted the start sector at 32. I am not concerned about it now- though a bit surprised.I have seen that in your PW Partition Info screenshot also. ( We are used to Sector 63 or 2048. When I formatted my Trial Flash drive to FAT32 with Partition Wizard, the start is at 2048)

Now why don't you open the All data folder and see whether it shows all your subfolders? ( In the screenshot I posted I have opened the KadriGopalnath Folder which then shows all subfolders in it. I have then opened the first subfolder Alltimegreats to show the files in it.) Right click on a selected file and you can preview it. Click on the Open Icon in the ribbon that appears below when you right click on the file. That way you can confirm that all your folders/and files are there in good shape with their original structure

If you confirm then we will get back to TestDisk and start recovery or you pay USD69 and register the software to copy the files - whichever course you choose

. ( Don't try TestDisk on your own. I shall tell you how to proceed step by step.)

(I know your Flash is 16GB. Somehow 32GB got stuck in my mind.)

Eric3742 · 25 Aug 2016

On a side-note
Try to give a bit more storage space for the each partition.

As too small, less than 1 GB, may be quite restricted for the OS and any other programs, problems.