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Partition gone!!

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7 replies

by cat1service

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Win2k says a file is corrupted on bootup and says that the files can be fixed useing recovery console. I did a fixboot/fixmbr but the drive is unpartitioned. My client needs her quickbooks files off of the computer.

check disk wont fix it because there is no drive letter to mount. This is a laptop so there is no floppy. I am currently useing network support here at my office on BartPe to pull restore2000 off of another computer and run it on the ram drive.

I have to run a drive scan because there is no partition.

My question is (as I am not familiar with disk recovery software) should it take a long time to scan the disk (into it for about 3 hours now). Also I am geting a bunch of disk read failures (crc) (23). Should I try another program? Or does it do this normally?

7 replies

by stress junkie

There is one TR member who can probably help you out. He is TheChas. However he rarely posts in the discussion forums. Try posting your problem in the TQ&A forum under one of the PC support categories. Be sure to put a good point value on the question. I'd say at least 500 points.

I think I understand your situation and I know what I would do if I were there with you. If I'm right then you are really deep in muck and you are really deficient in expertise. I don't want to make suggestions that might make your situation worse.

by cat1service

I may do that, I am makeing slow progress. The app has extracted all the partitions this computer has ever had I think. I need to choose the right one to recover. So it is gonna be a lot of hours of sifting through files. If I get stuck I will post there though.

by bfilmfan

I'd advise talking the Chas too, but I suspect that hard disk has failed and you will need a commercial service to recover the data.

by hal 9000

And use an adapter and fit it to a real computer when you can play with it easier.

The best Data Recovery Program is Ontrack but it isn't cheap and you have to be careful as to what you do with the recovered data you never write it to the HDD that has been erased but to another drive so you always have the original to recover from if you don't get things right the first time.

Sounds as if you have erased the MBR's when you did the repair so it looks as if you have done something wrong in attempting the Repair so I would call in someone who specializes in recovering HDD's.

If it is still running there are numerous applications available to recover Data with but most of them in the wrong hands can do more harm than good.

Just as a first point of contact The Chas is always good for a response but I would avoid using any MS product in attempting to recover the Drive and its data as they do tend to overwrite rather than repair.

Your cheapest alternative is X-Ways Win Hex but you have to know Hex inside out before attempting to use it. This really is a job for someone who specializes in this type of work in reconstructing HDD's as it is a very specialized area of expertise which not many people can master easily and they quite often loose far more data than they manage to recover until they have got to know the programs very well.

Col

by cat1service

Yeah I need to get one of those ide cable adapters. However I did get bartpe to network so I had restore2000 copy and image file on the g drive so that I can sift through it. I am pretty sure I am going to get the data back. It found just about everything that has ever been installed on the computer. The only problem I am haveing is checking the numerous .qbw files to see the modified dates.

I didnt do anything wrong with the fixboot/fixmbr as the partition was gone before I did that. I didnt think it would work for this reason but windows said to do it and I was looking for a quick option to restore it so that I could get on with my day and my client would be worry free. But such is not the case.

Some windows programs are ok for doing this sort of thing, I would prefer an msdos program but I dont have and a: drive so I gotta go with what I got. The big nono that I have heard is to not use chkdsk if you get to this point because it writes to the drive.

I do recomend restorer2000, it does no writing to the drive! I think a license version is 50 bucks.

by hal 9000

But more importantly you need to get your customer into the habit of backing up her data on a regular basis like after every time she uses Quick Books so that next time she messes up the HDD it's no biggie.

I hate these jobs as they are terribly time consuming and you never get paid properly for all the time you've wasted.

Just one note about the 2.5 to 3.5 inch adapter make sure you put it on the right way or you'll burn out an IDE controller for that channel that you put it on. One of my staff used one a few years ago and put it on the way that he thought it should go and plugged in into a PCI IDE Controller Card and promptly fried the card which while only being a nuisance was a real pain as well. I always use these adapters with PCI IDE cards as if you do anything wrong you only destroy a cheap plug in card and not a M'Board.

Col

by cat1service

Well I got it! Along with all of the other requested files... The crummy thing is I wont get paid any more for doing this as I have sold them a service contract. Oh well, at least they are extremely pleased.

Well that isnt entirely true, they ordered a usb stick through me. I reccommended they buy it and backup their qbb to it. So I will earn some markup money there.

time to go get an adapter!

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