Regain a lost drive using Test Disk - An Illustrated Guide

[zapp22]

definitely on the right path: get the data off, wipe it securely, do a test using their test tool, record the result, apply for RMA online, send in for replace.

My external hdd is western digital my passport. Its model is wd 0740. Whenever I plugged it in the usb interface it gives a clicking sound and after a minute or two the sound went away and i can feel a weak spinning from inside. by the way my external hdd is 3-week old.

 

[zapp22]

we're assuming you know how to burn a bootable of disc of UBCD: download of ISO is here Ultimate Boot CD - Download the UBCD and also there is a link for making bootable stick if your system does not have a cd/dvd drive. let us know if you need help with these steps. the checksum is listed at the upper part of the page, the iso mirrors at bottom. you have enough of a 'discovery' there that I think you'll get your files off ok without having to apply format to the drive

 

[jumanji]

For the limited purpose of running TestDisk or PhotoRec, one need not necessarily create a UBCD or a Live CD. ( I do not know which version of TestDisk these will have.)

The OP can create a DOS bootable pendrive using Rufus v1.1.7 without FreeDOS Support - 154 KB (only MSDOS) Rufus - Create bootable USB drives



Then download the current stable version of TestDisk 6.13 for DOS/Win9x, http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download extract the contents to the root directory of the pendrive, boot from the USB pendrive (using the one-time boot menu) and at the command prompt type testdisk.exe and press ENTER to run it.

Note: If extracting the TestDisk.zip puts the contents to a folder like TestDisk6.13, all files there could be selected and moved to the root directory of the pendrive.. At the end of it the bootable DOS TestDisk pendrive should look like this:



( I have created the bootable DOS TestDisk pendrive, run it and checked it on my system. The OP should select the correct drive shown by identifying it by its capacity.)

 

[thisisrealmark]

@sibbil
I ran the WD diagnostics, had my Passport scanned, and it has passed both Quick Scan and Extended Scan. But I think something is wrong, both Quick and Extended scan didn't even take 1 sec to finish, the scanning were so fast...

 

[F5ing]

It doesn't seem like it's accessing the drive correctly. A quick test should take a number of minutes to run, the full test around an hour or so depending on the size.

When I've used it with external WD drives it also shows SMART data accurately, whereas in your case it shows a "?" in the SMART column.

I would suggest downloading UBCD (link posted a couple times already in this thread), burn to a CD, boot from it and see how it sees the drive. UBCD contains the DOS version of the WD diagnostics program. It also contains Seagate's Seatools diagnostics that you should try.

Testdisk and photorec are on UBCD too, so you can check how they see the drive in that environment. The version number is almost current; one minor version number behind.

 

[torre]

Free Partition Recovery Software - Recover Deleted FAT/NTFS/HFS/HFS+/HFSX/Ext2/Ext3 Partition in Windows and Mac OSX.


I also have a WD drive that failed. My problems/symptoms are an exact mirror of yours. Try the above link from EASEUS and let us know the result. My result was negative.

 

[thisisrealmark]

how to use UBCD

can i have a tutorial on how to use UBCD? thank you in advance.

@torre- i have not use EASEUS. i'll try it later.

 

[F5ing]

What, exactly, do you need help with?

Have you downloaded and burned the UBCD iso to a CD?

Have you booted with it?

 

[thisisrealmark]

i have downloaded and burned ubcd...
and i have also tried booting it..
can i have a tutorial on how to recover my data using ubcd?

 

[torre]

"tried booting it"


Did it boot successfully ? Does it recognize your Passport ?

Sibbil will clarify better, but after booting select the WinG (not sure of name) and the PhotoRec option if WinG is not successful. It will give you options for recovery if possible.

 

[zapp22]

language being what it is: you said "have also tried booting it..."
if you're having boot issues, post that.
if it is booted, the answer to your stated question is: elsewhere there are tutorials on each tool that ubcd, as you dub it, provides, which is a lot of reading for you. these are located under the HDD heading/group

assuming it did boot correctly, choose the HDD group of tools, and then find photorec [it ain't just for photos]. To me, the cryptic menus were fairly followable, but you can easily use google to find tutorials. there are other tools to get to the same endpoint

i have downloaded and burned ubcd...
and i have also tried booting it..
can i have a tutorial on how to recover my data using ubcd?

 

[F5ing]

i have downloaded and burned ubcd...
and i have also tried booting it..
can i have a tutorial on how to recover my data using ubcd?

After you boot the CD and have the UBCD main menu on your screen, use the arrow keys to highlight the following selections and press enter:

HDD

Diagnosis

There are two Western Digital HD diagnostics programs here, labeled as DLG Diagnostic, two different versions. V5.19 is the DOS alternative to the Windows version you've already tried. You ought to try it to see if you can get it to run some valid tests.

When done, left click "X" to close all windows, until you get to a command prompt. It would be a good idea to have a drive connected now (either internal or external) that has enough space for the files you may want to recover from the crippled drive. That way if Testdisk gives you the opportunity to copy files from it you'll have a place to put them. At the command prompt type reboot and boot again from the CD. This time select:

Parted Magic V6.6

Default settings (Runs from Ram) -- it may take quite some time to load.

Once loaded you'll find yourself in the PartedMagic GUI. Left click the PartedMagic icon (where you normally find the Windows' start icon in the lower left corner of the screen), select System Tools, and then TestDisk.

TestDisk will open in a DOS-like window, and you can then follow the steps outlined in the following links from the Testdisk website:

Step-by-step guide here: TestDisk Step By Step - CGSecurity

Also check this out (for more specific help): http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Data_Recovery_Examples

Be careful with drive selection and your keystrokes. If you see the option to view the file/folder structure, you can select the option to copy out your files to another location (either the internal hard drive, or an external if you have it connected) before trying to recover partitions.

 

[thisisrealmark]

i have tried running dlg diagnostic and it says there is no drive being found.

i have also tried parted magic and it hangs for a very long time and didn't even proceed.

 

[torre]

Does testdisk recognize your drive ?

 

[F5ing]

i have also tried parted magic and it hangs for a very long time and didn't even proceed.

It does take a considerable amount of time to finally open. How long did you let it go?

You can also find testdisk under the HDD / Diagnosis menu items.

 

[kado897]

UBCD contains a pretty old version of PartedMagic. You may have more success with a recent version. start

 

[thisisrealmark]

i just handed my wd external hdd to the store where i bought it and they said all data inside the drive will be deleted. so i guess i'll just have to download back for a long time all the data in my drive.

i just want to thanks all of you for sharing some knowledge about data recovery. i learned much even though i failed in recovering my data. what do you know i can use all i have learned here in the future. again, thanks guys. especially sibbil, zapp22 and torree.

 

[F5ing]

Well, sorry to hear that. But I'm glad you gained some understanding from the experience!

 

[torre]

Sorry you were not successful.

As earlier stated, I have the same dilemma but will keep my drive. When I have time, I often try new things to recover the data (with asssistance from sibbil). Like a kid who still plays with a broken toy.

I have formed the opinion that external drives are not stable. This, after much reading, and seeing others problems. Wish I had did my homework before purchasing. There are other options available that are more stable.

 

[fantomastm]

Thank you for your help. This software help me a lot. Great work