Data recovery.

Requimatic · 08-19-2008, 02:48 AM

I have a Western Digital 200GB drive that had its boot sector damaged by a 10+ hour defrag. Before I discovered the boot sector was damaged, the drive was plugged into a Vista machine (XP was installed on the damaged drive), and Vista, during boot up, did a bunch of stuff to the drive.

Still, 95% of the data was there and intact.

Afterward, it was plugged into a machine with Windows 2000 on it, and valuable data was transferred off of the drive. It was then formatted and had XP reinstalled on it..this was when we discovered the boot sector got trashed.

Anyway, there was a folder on the drive that needed to be copied before all of this, but I failed to remember to get it. So what I'm wondering now is if it would be possible to search for and recover that folder with the drive in its current state.

I read the sticky above about data loss/recovery (and used testdisk to recover a partitioned drive afterward

), but I'm not wanting everything that was on the drive--just a single folder.

So can I use the data recovery tool that came with testdisk to search for and recover this folder, or would I need some other piece of software that let me "browse" the data on the drive and choose what I want to recover?

Thanks in advance.

**Deleted090308** · 08-19-2008, 03:01 AM

Hi,

If I remember correctly, you can't pick a single folder in PhotoRec.

See if you can mount the drive with FindAndMount

Some data recovery programs:

GetDataBack
Recuva
Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier

Requimatic · 08-19-2008, 03:07 AM

Alrighty, thanks a bunch. I'll give those a try.

Requimatic · 08-19-2008, 05:25 AM

Thanks, eneles, I was able to get the data off the hard drive using "GetDataBack."

But now I have another question. GDB's scan showed that the hard drive had 5 boot sectors on it. Is this normal? Should there only be one?

The reason I ask is that, if at all possible, I'd like to repair the drive and make it bootable again. I have another 80GB drive with some data on it I'd like to transfer to my current C: drive, and if repairing the 200GB is possible, install it (the 200GB) as a secondary drive for storage.

**Deleted090308** · 08-19-2008, 05:38 AM

There can be more than 1 boot sector, but 5 sounds like a lot.
How many partitions are/were there on the HDD?

Run Western Digital's Data Lifeguard Diagnostic Tools (extended test) to make sure the drive is OK.

Then wipe it with DBAN before you create new partitions.
Before using DBAN - disconnect all other HDDs and flash memory. It's easy to make a mistake and wipe the wrong drive.

Requimatic · 08-19-2008, 05:45 AM

The 200GB drive was/is unpartitioned.

**Deleted090308** · 08-19-2008, 05:59 AM

OK. Check the drive with WD's tool, then wipe with DBAN.
After that you can format the drive in Disk management.

08-19-2008, 02:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
Requimatic Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 97 OS: 98 SE/2000/XP SP3 My System	Data recovery. I have a Western Digital 200GB drive that had its boot sector damaged by a 10+ hour defrag. Before I discovered the boot sector was damaged, the drive was plugged into a Vista machine (XP was installed on the damaged drive), and Vista, during boot up, did a bunch of stuff to the drive. Still, 95% of the data was there and intact. Afterward, it was plugged into a machine with Windows 2000 on it, and valuable data was transferred off of the drive. It was then formatted and had XP reinstalled on it..this was when we discovered the boot sector got trashed. Anyway, there was a folder on the drive that needed to be copied before all of this, but I failed to remember to get it. So what I'm wondering now is if it would be possible to search for and recover that folder with the drive in its current state. I read the sticky above about data loss/recovery (and used testdisk to recover a partitioned drive afterward ), but I'm not wanting everything that was on the drive--just a single folder. So can I use the data recovery tool that came with testdisk to search for and recover this folder, or would I need some other piece of software that let me "browse" the data on the drive and choose what I want to recover? Thanks in advance.

08-19-2008, 03:01 AM	#2 (permalink)
Deleted090308 Not... Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,277 OS: Xp	Re: Data recovery. Hi, If I remember correctly, you can't pick a single folder in PhotoRec. See if you can mount the drive with FindAndMount Some data recovery programs: GetDataBack Recuva Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier

08-19-2008, 03:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
Requimatic Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 97 OS: 98 SE/2000/XP SP3 My System	Re: Data recovery. Alrighty, thanks a bunch. I'll give those a try.

08-19-2008, 05:25 AM	#4 (permalink)
Requimatic Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 97 OS: 98 SE/2000/XP SP3 My System	Re: Data recovery. Thanks, eneles, I was able to get the data off the hard drive using "GetDataBack." But now I have another question. GDB's scan showed that the hard drive had 5 boot sectors on it. Is this normal? Should there only be one? The reason I ask is that, if at all possible, I'd like to repair the drive and make it bootable again. I have another 80GB drive with some data on it I'd like to transfer to my current C: drive, and if repairing the 200GB is possible, install it (the 200GB) as a secondary drive for storage.

08-19-2008, 05:38 AM	#5 (permalink)
Deleted090308 Not... Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,277 OS: Xp	Re: Data recovery. There can be more than 1 boot sector, but 5 sounds like a lot. How many partitions are/were there on the HDD? Run Western Digital's Data Lifeguard Diagnostic Tools (extended test) to make sure the drive is OK. Then wipe it with DBAN before you create new partitions. Before using DBAN - disconnect all other HDDs and flash memory. It's easy to make a mistake and wipe the wrong drive.

08-19-2008, 05:45 AM	#6 (permalink)
Requimatic Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 97 OS: 98 SE/2000/XP SP3 My System	Re: Data recovery. The 200GB drive was/is unpartitioned.

08-19-2008, 05:59 AM	#7 (permalink)
Deleted090308 Not... Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,277 OS: Xp	Re: Data recovery. OK. Check the drive with WD's tool, then wipe with DBAN. After that you can format the drive in Disk management.