TestDisk Analysis (External Hard Disk) returns no partition, what next?

[alph257]

Here is the results from running TestDisk's Analyse tool on my external hard disk:

Disk /dev/sdb - 500GB / 465 GiB - CHS 476940 64 32
Partition Start End Size in Sectors

This means, they found no partition right?

The only option I'm given are: A: add partition, L: load backup, Enter: to continue.

And a little history of what happened:
My external hard disk (a relatively backward model that requires 2 cables) was plugged into a Macbook Air, but my friend realised the cable is not long enough to stretch across the computer. So, it was plugged in for a while, powered up, but it did not show up on the Mac, and hence, it never got dismounted/removed properly.


So, I went home and plugged it into my Windows 7 notebook, and suddenly the disk prompts me reformat, which I didn't of course. Also, I ran crystal disk management tool very recently, and the disk was/is in perfect health. So it must be the brief interaction with the Macbook that caused it.


It doesn't read anything in Windows 7. But on my dual-boot WUBI-installed Ubuntu, I can see the folders on the disk: just that all the folders are empty.

What should I do next? And what are the next steps towards recovering the lost partition and files? Add Partition? Load Backup? Or, Enter to continue? I was advised on another forum to try to use it on my friend's Macbook again. But, if Ubuntu doesn't recognise the partition, what is the chances that the Mac OS will?

And, does anyone still have mal_conductor's guide around? Because its no longer available on mediafire.


Thank you for any inputs!

[bcbc]

This is a great tool, but requires a bit of manual labour to check what it recovers. You should limit the recovery file types to only the ones you are interested in. http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

It's also read-only, so won't cause additional damage unlike some other recovery methods.

[alph257]

This is a great tool, but requires a bit of manual labour to check what it recovers. You should limit the recovery file types to only the ones you are interested in. http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

It's also read-only, so won't cause additional damage unlike some other recovery methods.

Thanks. I've read about this in many pages that were introducing TestDisk, but I was thinking that would be the last resort.

From my really basic understanding, if Ubuntu could read the folder names, it means that there is just something wrong with how it is reading the partition, not that the disk is actually damage. Am i right to say that?

In any case, I think I will attempt to run the hard disk on a mac again. Is it okay to run on any random Mac, or must I plug it back to the one that caused the trouble in the first place? Then I will try PhotoRec if that fails.

Many thanks!

[bcbc]

I can't explain the differences other than the drivers Ubuntu uses are different to those that Windows uses and therefore respond differently to the data. In this case, Windows refuses to show anything as it believes it is corrupted, but Ubuntu shows the folders (but no data).

I don't think opening it under different computers will fix the problem. If you've done the 'deep' analysis that testdisk offers and found nothing, then I'd move on to photorec.

[alph257]

Actually, I'm kind of stuck with TestDisk.

After the Analysis got to here:


Since no partition is detected, I don't even know if I should "add", or press enter to continue.

Thanks again.

[bcbc]

Press Enter and select "Deeper search".

[alph257]

Sure, doing that right now. Already got 2 warnings within seconds.



Will post back when the search is done (probably will take a day or so i suppose).

[mal_conductor]

I do have it.
It has been a long time. I quickly read the guide, but I am unsure if it will help you.
You can read it and follow along to see if it will help.

I will try to upload on mediafire again. Else, we'll figure out how to send by email.

[mal_conductor]

reloaded the guide. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1082417

[alph257]

Thank you so much. I will try to follow it and figure something out.

(Meanwhile, at 38% with deeper search.. So it'd be another 15 hours or so to go.)