Any way to recover partitions deleted by Windows Update gone bad?

I installed the version of the program that you specified. When I ran it, it reported finding only two of the three lost partitions. I took a screen shot and tried to open a program with which I could save it to a file, but Windows froze after I opened the start menu. I could move the mouse pointer but I could not select a program, close the menu, open Task Manager, or switch tasks. I had to do a hard power-down and reboot.

I opened the program again and returned to the lost partitions report. This time it showed all three lost partitions, but when I tried to open an application for saving a screen shot the system froze again.

I pressed Ctrl+Alt+Del. After a very long delay, it opened an error box that said: "The logon process was unable to display security and logon options when CTRL+ALT+DEL was pressed. If the operating system does not respond, press ESC or restart the computer by using the power switch."

I pressed ESC and Windows returned to the Desktop. This time I was able to save the screen shot, which is attached.

I then tried the version 7.0 of the program again, and was able to capture a screen shot of the Lost Partitions report with no freeze-ups or error boxes.

Based on my experience so far, I have doubts about reliability of version 8.1. I hope you can explain the problems I had in a way that eliminates them as a future concern.

I tried to perform the recovery with version 7.0, but its user interface is different from the one you described and it wasn't clear how to perform the operation. Consequently I returned to version 9.1.

When I reached the final screen, the "Scanning progress" bar halted at 99%. I tried to select the three lost partitions, but program would not let me do so. The window's title bar displayed "Partition Recovery Wizard (Not Responding)."

After a long time (perhaps ten minutes) the progress bar disappeared and the program allowed me to select the three lost partitions. I did so, then clicked "Finish."

The program opened a message box that said, "At least one of the existing partition [sic] will be deleted. Are you sure that you want to continue?"

I cancelled the program and turned off the computer. I do not want to delete any of the partitions -- particularly not the System partition or drive C, which are the only two "existing" ones as I understand that word!

"If everything is ditto as in your last screenshot click on the square at the left of all partitions to select."

My dear friend, I have clearly said click on the square at the left of all partitions. I repeat you should select all 5 partitions both existing as well as Lost/deleted.

"Now look at the preview map below and confirm that it has changed from Unallocated and now shows all partitions in your drive as it existed before."

( If you had selected only the three lost/deleted partitions the space of the two existing partitions would still have remained Unallocated in the Preview map below that partition list..)



That is not all.

"Click on Finish and that Window will close exposing the Main Window.

Look at your drive in it. Does it show all your partitions now as it was before?

Only if it is so , click on APPLY on the top Menubar to complete Partition Recovery

Note: If you see any unallocated space on the drive, stop and do not APPLY. Close PW, telling not to make any changes and Report."

Your meaning is clear now. It was not clear before because I interpreted your message to mean that I should click a single square to the left of all partitions. I imagined the list of partitions, to the left of it a square for each, and to the left of them a single square that was somehow indicated to apply to all of them. I interpreted your instructions as I understood them as well as I could to apply to the dialog the program displayed.

The screen shot in your last message makes your intention clear. I'll try it again as soon as I can (I hope tonight) and report the results.

I tried again and was able to recover all of the partitions. The program got their drive letters mixed up, but that was easily remedied.

Thank you for helping me straighten this out.

Glad you did it finally :). You took me on a roller coaster ride in what otherwise is a simple partition recovery.

And for your information what you were referring as version 7 is not MiniTools Partition Wizard but MiniTool Power Data Recovery which is altogether a different program and it is option 1 in the tutorial what Brink referred to in his post #3 Partition - Recover Deleted Partitions in Windows

It would appear to me that you never read that tutorial to differentiate between MiniTool Power Data Recovery (Option 1) and MiniTool Partition Wizard (Option 2)

I chose option 2 "Follow option 2 in the tutorial Brink has mentioned in post #3. That is, use Partition Recovery Wizard in MiniTools Partition Wizard Free Edition 9.1 Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free "

But you downloaded MiniTool Power Data Recovery and created all the confusion.

Anyway, all is well that ends well. :)