Recovering files from a readable Hard drive.

[Raficoo]

Greetings all,

First of all I would like to apologize should I be posting in the incorrect section(if so please some mod move this thread to the appropriate section)

So a few days ago my 750GB Hard drive in my Lenovo Y580 laptop failed (due to my setting it on sleep for a long time and taking the laptop with me outside for a prolonged amount of time)

When I got back home, I tried to turn on the laptop and I got 3 or 4 clicks("Click of death" I believe) so I bought a new 1TB Harddrive and used Lenovo recovery disks to get the laptop back to working order

Moving on, I bought a SATA to USB enclosure so that I might try to recover some files from my failed Harddrive, now the thing is, when I connect it, it doesn't give the click sounds anymore and it seems to read, however, here's the weird part, it only shows me the Lenovo recovery part of the drive

Here's how it looks like in my computer and disk management:



So my question is, what does the "OEM Partition" mean on my failed HDD(Disk 2)? and do you think it's possible to recover any data or does this mean all is lost? and if there is a chance of recovery how can I open up the part of the drive where the data was(which apparently in this case is the OEM paritition)

Right clicking on the OEM part only gives me the "Help" option

Best Regards,
Raficoo

 

[jumanji]

Hi Raficoo,

Welcome to Seven Forums.

Without asking any questions - there are many I would like to ask - let me directly get into action.

Please download, install and run MiniTools Partition Wizard Free Edition 9. MiniTool Partition Manager Software for Windows PC and Server

Does the File System of the 654.69GB partition of your "old failed hard drive" show as NTFS in the disk list?

If yes, rightclick on it > Explore. Do you see the files? Close Partition Explorer.

Rightclick on it again > Unhide Partition. In the next screen assign a drive letter > OK

Two operations will be pending.

Click on APPLY in the top menu bar. When changes are completed > OK and then close Partition Wizard.

Can you see and read the drive now?

 

[whs]

1. The OEM partition is most likely the recovery partition.

2. You can try to get to your data with this tool which I made myself:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/287439-emergency-kit-save-your-files-dead-os.html

 

[alphanumeric]

I'd try assigning drive letters to those two partitions that don't have any, they will then show up in explorer. Then you can have a look at what's on them. The first large OEM partition is likely the one you want. Right click it in disk management and see if it will let you assign it a drive letter. Then go back to the Computer window and see if its listed.

 

[Raficoo]

Hi Raficoo,

Welcome to Seven Forums.

Without asking any questions - there are many I would like to ask - let me directly get into action.

Please download, install and run MiniTools Partition Wizard Free Edition 9. MiniTool Partition Manager Software for Windows PC and Server

Does the File System of the 654.69GB partition of your "old failed hard drive" show as NTFS in the disk list?

If yes, rightclick on it > Explore. Do you see the files? Close Partition Explorer.

Rightclick on it again > Unhide Partition. In the next screen assign a drive letter > OK

Two operations will be pending.

Click on APPLY in the top menu bar. When changes are completed > OK and then close Partition Wizard.

Can you see and read the drive now?

Thank you for the reply,

I downloaded and installed that program, and it shows my drive as NTFS as the pic shows:


however if I right click > Explore it I get this :


closing the partition explorer, if I right click it I don't get "Unhide partition" but I get a "Hide partition" option

1. The OEM partition is most likely the recovery partition.

2. You can try to get to your data with this tool which I made myself:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/287439-emergency-kit-save-your-files-dead-os.html

Thanks, I'll see that if other options don't work

If assign drive letters to those two partitions that don't have any, they will then show up in explorer. Then you can have a look at what's on them. The first large OEM partition is likely the one you want. Right click it in disk management and see if it will let you assign it a drive letter. Then go back to the Computer window and see if its listed.

Like I said, I tried to right click on it, but it's only giving me the "help" option when I do so:

 

[jumanji]

.....closing the partition explorer, if I right click it I don't get "Unhide partition" but I get a "Hide partition" option....

So that partition is not hidden. Yet it refuses to take a drive letter in WDM. Did you try assigning a drive letter with Partition Wizard? "Change Letter"

Also check the current Partition ID. "Change Partition Type ID" Note down the ID shown. If it is anything other than 0x07 NTFS, assign this ID and Apply.

Yes, I am still groping in the dark and trying to get it .

 

[Raficoo]

.....closing the partition explorer, if I right click it I don't get "Unhide partition" but I get a "Hide partition" option....

So that partition is not hidden. Yet it refuses to take a drive letter in WDM. Did you try assigning a drive letter with Partition Wizard? "Change Letter"

Also check the current Partition ID. "Change Partition Type ID" Note down the ID shown. If it is anything other than 0x07 NTFS, assign this ID and Apply.

Yes, I am still groping in the dark and trying to get it .

I checked the ID type and it was 0x12 Compaq, so I switched it to 0x7 NTFS, assigned a letter, it showed up on "My Computer", however clicking it gave me this:


Anything else I can try? or is this the dead end?

I tried Easeus and it actually showed some content recoverable, but with that 1GB recovery limit isn't so useful, so if it comes down to that I would like to ask of another software that I can use.

 

[jumanji]

Most paid software will allow you to recover only 1GB and if you are satisfied with the recovered data you have to buy.And if you are willing to pay I would recommend Getdataback for NTFS. You can try the trial version and then decide.

Now atleast you have assigned a drive letter. Did you explore it in Partition Wizard?

Post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management now. That may bring in other experts' suggestions .May be you need to run checkdisk and see whether it could repair the filesystem. I would wait for others' opinions.

It is now a million dollar question as to what path you should pursue to recover the data.

What type of data you have in that that you want to recover?

 

[DavidE]

You can try free active@ Partition Recovery to see if it can recover your files
Active@ Partition Recovery restores deleted & damaged volumes &amp disks. Freeware Data Recovery Software Toolkit

 

[jumanji]

That is a good suggestion from DavidE.

Have a look at this post http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...ructure-corrupt-unreadable-8.html#post2817308 where the OP had success with GetDataback for NTFS. In the same thread just about half an hour ago another new user has reported success with Active @ File Recovery which again is a paid version.

You may try Active@Partition Recovery as suggested by DavidE though I am not sure whether it can read a drive with a corrupt MFT which I presume is the cause here which again could have been caused by bad sectors.

Test Disk has not been very successful on MFT repair. However you may still try Test Disk and check whether it shows your files. If it shows you can copy those files to another location.

I have also decided that your drive is afflicted with physical bad sectors and running checkdisk will be counterproductive. It can deal with "soft" bad sectors but not physical "hard" bad sectors. Still I would like to have a look at the Windows Disk Management now as part of the learning process.

I think the ball is now in your court.

 

[Raficoo]

Most paid software will allow you to recover only 1GB and if you are satisfied with the recovered data you have to buy.And if you are willing to pay I would recommend Getdataback for NTFS. You can try the trial version and then decide.

Now atleast you have assigned a drive letter. Did you explore it in Partition Wizard?

Post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management now. That may bring in other experts' suggestions .May be you need to run checkdisk and see whether it could repair the filesystem. I would wait for others' opinions.

It is now a million dollar question as to what path you should pursue to recover the data.

What type of data you have in that that you want to recover?

okay after setting the ID type to 0X7 and assigning a letter to the drive, this is what Disk management looks like now:

I got a funny feeling RAW is a bad sign, no?

I could do a checkdisk if needed, I just need to know how. Also I'm willing to use "GetDataback For NTFS", however, trying it with the "default settings" option, it scans quickly and doesn't show anything on the recovery table, not sure if I should pick a different scan type(Quick Scan, Systematic file system damage, sustained file system damage, or deleted files):



The files that I would like to recover? well mostly a few notes, pics, and audio recordings(those particular pics and audio are... were in the same folder), funny I thought I had backed up them in my external but I didn't, but I'm willing to see if I can recover anything at all at this stage to be honest

 

[jumanji]

OK, the picture you are presenting is totally confusing.

Now stop trying Getdataback or any other data recovery software.

What is the other disk which is unknown and not initialised in Windows Disk Management and Read only in Partition Wizard? Please remove it.

For the record post fresh screenshots of Partition Wizard and also that of Windows Disk Management taken one after the other without much time difference.( I don't want you to upload the previous screenshots again)

Also explore that partition in Partition Wizard and see whether you can see the files.

 

[mcbain]

Hello,

Was there ever a resolution to this problem? I have the exact same laptop, HD, and problem. Everything down to the last little detail. I even had it clicking a bit like the OP then it stopped and i want to try and rescue a few files before it completely dies. Any help is greatly appreciated as was my backup with my other laptop HD dying two weeks ago. I am currently using my work computer that won't allow me to install any new programs so it will be a day or so before i can get set up.

Thx in advance. I'm desperate here.