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Question

Failed HDD

Mar 17, 2015 4:21AM PDT

I accidentally disconnected a backup HDD while my PC was running and have destroyed the MBR or something! I know it is possible to restore it because I did that for someone years ago but I've forgotten how it goes. Does anyone know - it can't be done in Command Prompt as far as I can see,

Discussion is locked

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Answer
So let's say it's a backup.
Mar 17, 2015 4:27AM PDT

Why would we need to save what's on there? Just wipe it clean with the usual tools and backup again. Many fine reasons to refresh that file system!

If we are talking data recovery (you admit this is not a backup copy?) then we clone the drive and operate on the clone. This way we can try tools and commands over and over.

http://windowsitpro.com/systems-management/fix-unbootable-systems-bootsect notes the force bootsect command.
Bob

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Failed HDD
Mar 17, 2015 8:56PM PDT

Okay, I called it a backup drive but it isn't the backup drive in Windows 7 terms. This drive carries Arduino project files I have been working on all winter which is why I'm going to hang myself! And no, I forgot to amend my backup regime in Windows so this drive carries the only copy!!!! Don't tell me I'm a fool, I know it.
The moment I saw Windows wasn't recognising the drive I guessed what I'd done. It's disconnected now and will stat that way until I am double certain that any attempt at recovery won't destroy the data.

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That's better. OK, now you see why
Mar 17, 2015 10:43PM PDT
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Cloning Hdd
Mar 18, 2015 1:43AM PDT

So how do you clone the hard disk please?

Ade

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Your choices are many there.
Mar 18, 2015 1:45AM PDT

I've used Clonezilla for years for many reasons. From outright bit by bit copies to saving an image to a folder on another drive. Google CLONEZILLA ALTERNATIVES if you must.
Bob

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Clonezilla
Mar 18, 2015 11:55PM PDT

Thanks. I notice the download mentions using FAT file system, mine is NTFS. Do I just carry on or is the program unsuitable?
Ade

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Clonezilla part 2
Mar 19, 2015 12:08AM PDT

I have extracted the zip file to a USB drive. I an supposed to start makeboot bat in the Win32 directory but my PC is 64 bit and there is a Win64 directory. Should I use the file in the latter?
Ade

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Strange. I never did that!
Mar 19, 2015 12:18AM PDT
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Clonezilla part 3
Mar 19, 2015 3:00AM PDT

The need to extract the download file was because I used a USB drive. Everything worked fine ..... in the end .... except that the destination disk was found to be smaller than the source disk - even though they are both identical, Spinpoint 1TB.The target disc has 1953516911 (sectors?) while the source has 1953525168.
The data on the source disk is only about one eighth of the capacity of the disk so it should fit easily onto the target disk shouldn't it?
Now, Clonezilla said to use Partclone option -C. It sounded right. What is that? How do I do it?
Ade.

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To clone we need same or larger target drives.
Mar 19, 2015 3:03AM PDT

It does not shrink when we do this. You don't want to shrink because the file allocation table is blown. Only an exact bit copy clone is to be trusted.

As to the 1TB to the other, Maxwell Smart said it well. "Missed it by that much."
Bob

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Part 5
Mar 19, 2015 3:14AM PDT

Looking at the time on your reply, you are in the US right?

I don't understand about shrink. Does Clonezilla shrink the files? I thought it would just recover files until it ran out of space. It wouldn't have to shrink very much would it? Something like 0.0005%!
Couldn't I try it anyway? The data on the source file would not be erased would it? Tell me how please.
Ade

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Clonezilla does have an option
Mar 19, 2015 3:25AM PDT

To backup only used areas of the drive but since the allocation area is suspect I would not call that a good thing. Besides we need a bit copy full clone to work the repairs on.

Again, let's say a file is erased, the file allocation table (FAT) that Clonezilla might use to skip is untrustworthy since we are going to use tools to find the file beginning and try to recover the rest. If Clonezilla used the FAT then recovery would fail.

Also this is another reason we don't write to the last copy or drive. The FAT can't be trusted so if we did run recovery software and it wrote to said drive then it could overwrite the very file contents we wanted to save.

Let's be honest here. Recovery at the usual houses is 500+ bucks. A 2TB drive is under 99 bucks. Are your files worth that much?
Bob

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Clonezilla part 4
Mar 19, 2015 3:03AM PDT

Yes Bob, I read that, I've read everything I can because I'm scared stiff I'll lose the data I'm trying to recover!
Ade

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Clonezilla 6
Mar 19, 2015 4:22AM PDT

Ninety-nine dollars? I think that here it's more like double that!
Is it not possible to just reinstall the system files etc?

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Example.
Mar 19, 2015 4:28AM PDT
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clonezilla 7
Mar 19, 2015 6:12AM PDT

Yet Bob, it is possible to reinstall such files to get Windows up and running isn't it?

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Sure but you can kiss the files goodbye.
Mar 19, 2015 7:05AM PDT

The file allocation table blown like this means we accept we're not going to get other files back.

You can install the OS on your slightly smaller 1TB drive for now if you need to get a working PC today.
Bob

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Clonezilla 7
Mar 19, 2015 9:02PM PDT

Thanks for your help Bob

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Success?!!
Mar 19, 2015 9:49PM PDT

I have an image of the corrupted disk now! What do I do now?

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Now you can try these titles on the Clone.
Mar 20, 2015 2:12AM PDT
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Answer
MBR can be resuilt
Apr 2, 2015 1:45PM PDT

if MBR gets damaged only, you can rebuild it and the HDD will be OK agian.
but if partitions on the hard are gone, you need to saerch lost partition and then restore partition table.
now you can connect the HDD to computer and go to Disk Management or Windows Explorer, then check whether partitins are fine. if not, you can use partitionguru free to restore partition table and rebuild MBR. I've had luck with the tool. www.eassos.com/partitionguru-free.php
good luck let me know if this doen't work

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PartitionGuru
Apr 3, 2015 6:36AM PDT

I'll give it a try in a day or two - thanks.

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(NT) Try it on the clone, not on the original!
Apr 3, 2015 6:58AM PDT
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Partition Guru
Apr 7, 2015 1:08AM PDT

I have tried Partition Guru, both in Partition Recovery and File Recovery. Partition recovery ran with no obvious result. File recovery runs to about half way then grinds to a halt. It can be restarted and appears to take up where it stopped before seizing up again. I've done this three times and progress is painfully slow. So far it has been running for about six hours in total and is still only 74% complete perhaps because the HDD is large(1TB).
There is a long list of Read Sector Error reports but I'll persevere to the end if I can.

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(NT) That doesn't look hopeful.
Apr 7, 2015 1:12AM PDT