A Good HDD Partition recovery software needed pls

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General Software Discuss, A Good HDD Partition recovery software needed pls at Software forum; Hi Guys, A few weeks ago I lost my hard drive. Now I don't know if it was a virii attack or a back sector on the disk. I had 3 partitions on it: 1 My C: drive for games 2 My D: drive for browsing and general stuff. 3

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Ch5Micky (CD Freaks Senior Member)
Posts: 390
Posted: 03-12-2005
Hi Guys,

A few weeks ago I lost my hard drive. Now I don't know if it was a virii attack or a back sector on the disk.

I had 3 partitions on it:

1 My C: drive for games
2 My D: drive for browsing and general stuff.
3 My E: drive where I stored any large data or downloaded stuff.

Now since this problem for some strange reason Partitions 2 & 3 have merged making one huge partition and now I only have my C: drive and a larger D: drive.

I lost a lot of valuable data on the partition such as emails and favourites and important docs.

Also the machine will no longer boot saying there is a problem with the hard disk

I was wondering if I took the Hard Drive out of this machine and put it into another one could I recover any data from it as the hard disk doesnt appear to be broken just the FAT Table is trashed.

Does anyone know of any good software either freeware or commercial that could recover data from a partition that Windows may no longer see?

Thanks in advance, I would like to try and retrieve some of the data on the drive.
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Ch5 Micky
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Today (MyCE Staff)
Posts: 15,596
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petremure (CD Freaks Senior Member)
Posts: 265
Posted: 04-12-2005
Spinrite from www.grc.com is the best there is. And next time, use a drive imaging backup plan.
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Ch5Micky (CD Freaks Senior Member)
Posts: 390
Posted: 04-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by petremure
Spinrite from www.grc.com is the best there is. And next time, use a drive imaging backup plan.
Thanks for the help m8, much appreciated.

Could you suggest a few good drive imaging backup software, I know Ghost is one but what other options are there?
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Ch5 Micky
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Nosmartz (MyCE Resident)
Posts: 2,140
Posted: 04-12-2005
Acronis True Image...
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redback5 (MyCE Senior Member)
Posts: 301
Posted: 04-12-2005
Access Data FTK Imager + Forensics Toolkit
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Gurm (CDFreaks Resident)
Posts: 1,940
Posted: 04-12-2005
EZ recovery pro could also help with your recovery (it's from Ontrack).

And next time - don't partition. It used to make sense, but now it's just foolish - and as you can tell, dangerous!
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eltranquil (CDFreaks Resident)
Posts: 4,533
Posted: 04-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gurm
And next time - don't partition. It used to make sense, but now it's just foolish
Well, not if you plan to have multiple OSes on the same disk (e.g. Win + Linux or WinXP-1 + WinXP-2 + Win98 + ...)
And even in single-OS frameworks having only one large HD I'd prefer to split it into a "system partition" and a "data partition", so that system backups with utilites like Ghost or True Image are easier and more effective.

But I totally agree with you that all that "merging/resizing partitions" stuff really make me scary...

Regards,

ET
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Gurm (CDFreaks Resident)
Posts: 1,940
Posted: 04-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by eltranquil
Well, not if you plan to have multiple OSes on the same disk
Agreed. This is the ONLY good reason to partition.
Quote:
And even in single-OS frameworks having only one large HD I'd prefer to split it into a "system partition" and a "data partition", so that system backups with utilites like Ghost or True Image are easier and more effective.
Actually True Image is perfectly happy just backing up from a directory. No need to use a separate partition or drive letter. But even were that argument valid (as it is for ghost, I suppose), there's a huge price to pay. That partitioned drive has just become HALF as fast. Plus you're working it twice as hard, seeking from one end of the drive to the other.

I am a HUGE proponent of having 2 or more drives in a system. The ONLY benefits you get from partitioning are the above mentioned ease of ghosting... and somewhat less fragmentation. And the fragmentation is, again, offset by the overworking of the drive.
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eltranquil (CDFreaks Resident)
Posts: 4,533
Posted: 04-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gurm
I am a HUGE proponent of having 2 or more drives in a system.
YUP! Me too. Expecially with current HD prices. This is the setup for all PCs that I build for friends.

I still think that in some cases (in particular newbie users) a two-partitions setting is preferable, but I admit that you have some really good points there.

Regards,

ET

EDIT: zevia, your post below made me realize that we definitely went off-topic. My apologies to the original poster.
Thanks for putting it on the right track.
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zevia (Senior Administrator and Review Coordinator USA)
Posts: 10,400
Posted: 04-12-2005
For data recovery, I use R-Studio (network edition). It recovered all my data from two failed HDDs in the past.

Recently I almost lost around 120GB of my research data because windows won't recognize the HDD (shows as a new unformatted hdd - partition structure was damaged). R-Studio recovered all data without problem.
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petremure (CD Freaks Senior Member)
Posts: 265
Posted: 05-12-2005
IMHO, the best tool for partitioning, imaging, and boot management is BootitNG from Terrabite.com. A bit geeky to start, indispensible afterwards. Plus, 100% reliable.
Also, only works before Windows starts, thus no drain on resources and no problem with open files when imaging.
Last edited by petremure; 05-12-2005 at 12:55. Reason: completing
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muaddib (CD Freaks Junior Member)
Posts: 92
Posted: 05-12-2005
I need some help here...

- What does a HDD Imaging software do?
I don't really have anything critical on my system - except for my collection of family pictures, music, softwares, iso-images, videos/clips, my personal stuff and some more.
However everything I have listed here is either backed up on a separate partition or backed up to a disc which I do regulary.

- I don't see why using 2 partitions is so bad. My 1st partition is for backups, the 2nd is for everything else. When I format, the 1st is leaved untouched!

Thanks a lot in advance!
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Gurm (CDFreaks Resident)
Posts: 1,940
Posted: 05-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by muaddib
I need some help here...

- What does a HDD Imaging software do?
It makes a full backup of a hard drive partition, "as it is". Essentially the same thing that you could do with whatever you use to do backups by selecting the entire partition to be backed up. Also, hard drive imaging software will make backups of BOOT partitions, SYSTEM drives, etc. It makes a lower-level copy than your average backup software.

Quote:
- I don't see why using 2 partitions is so bad. My 1st partition is for backups, the 2nd is for everything else. When I format, the 1st is leaved untouched!
In this case, it's not so bad. My complaint is when I hear that people partition up their BOOT drive, or have two ACTIVE partitions on one drive.

Here's why:

Let's say that you have your system partition (C on a drive, AND another partition with your games on it (D. The drive will look like this:

|----------C-----------|x|-------------D--------------|

Ok. Now keep in mind that windows is CONTINUOUSLY writing to your swap file, which by default is on your C: drive. It is also nearly continuously READING from your C: drive to get system files and check the registry and suchnot. ASSUME that those things are at the BEGINNING of the C: drive.

Now, let's say you play a game from the D: drive. The hard disk's head will seek back and forth from the beginning of the drive to the end, over and over again, repeatedly. It'll get a few KB from C: then jump to the end to get a few KB from D:, then jump back to the beginning to write to the swap file, then back to the end... see where this is going?

It'll make the drive work SUPER SUPER hard, and reduce its speed to a crawl.

In your case, where the C area in the above diagram is just a storage partition for backups and is almost never accessed... you've got no problems. But bear in mind that you are in no way "better off" having that partition, it's simply to help you keep organized, and make you feel better.
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muaddib (CD Freaks Junior Member)
Posts: 92
Posted: 05-12-2005
Thanks for the informative post. I'm guess I'm cool then?

However... how the hell do I backup a whole HDD? My two partitions weight 140GB's altogether - I cannot store that amount of data on a harddisk or an optical disc. Heck, I cannot even backup the smaller partition, which weights only 10GB's. Am I doing something wrong? Should I backup the WINDOWS folder only? Using Acronis TrueImage.

Thanks in advance.
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harley2ride (Moderator)
Posts: 3,909
Posted: 05-12-2005
Many image softwares offer compression. I just imaged both of my systems onto a single external 250gb hd which I partitioned (one partition for each system). One of my drives had 120gb, and the image only took 90gb with compression. I got the external on sale for $80.00. That is cheaper than backing up to dvd's, and a heck of a lot faster.
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muaddib (CD Freaks Junior Member)
Posts: 92
Posted: 05-12-2005
Bah... I don't have an external HD either... Nevermind, guess I'll just keep backing up those pics on CD's!
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petremure (CD Freaks Senior Member)
Posts: 265
Posted: 06-12-2005
The subject is so vast, this thread couldn't accomodate. I suggest you read: http://www.langa.com/backups/backups.htm , or better still, subscribe to the free newsletter. I did, and it was so useful & informative, that next year I subscribed to the Plus edition. Best 10$ I ever spent!
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ckin2001 (CDFreaks Resident)
Posts: 3,468
Posted: 07-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gurm
Agreed. This is the ONLY good reason to partition.
*on windows* - bet you linux runs great with a single partition
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Gurm (CDFreaks Resident)
Posts: 1,940
Posted: 07-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckin2001
*on windows* - bet you linux runs great with a single partition
Actually I think you'll find that Linux installs several partitions by default.
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slayerking (CD Freaks Fartman)
Posts: 2,567
Posted: 07-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gurm
Actually I think you'll find that Linux installs several partitions by default.
I think you'll find he was taking the piss out of ya
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debro (Blown to smitherines)
Posts: 11,446
Posted: 07-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by slayerking
I think you'll find he was taking the piss out of ya


Honestly, I reckon windows would run best with 5 partitions

1) Swap
2) Temp files
3) Boot + windows
4) Program files
5) Documents & General Storage

Unfortunately, it's next to impossible to estimate how much 3) & 4) will be at installation time

My windows directory needs a good cleanout ... tis almost 2GB's


*Hey* Ever notice how close this is to Linux? *End Hey*
Of course, best is to have your swap files on another drive
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Gurm (CDFreaks Resident)
Posts: 1,940
Posted: 07-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by debro


Honestly, I reckon windows would run best with 5 partitions

1) Swap
2) Temp files
3) Boot + windows
4) Program files
5) Documents & General Storage

Unfortunately, it's next to impossible to estimate how much 3) & 4) will be at installation time

My windows directory needs a good cleanout ... tis almost 2GB's


*Hey* Ever notice how close this is to Linux? *End Hey*
Of course, best is to have your swap files on another drive
Five separate drives, actually. 5 partitions on one drive... would run like ASS.
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debro (Blown to smitherines)
Posts: 11,446
Posted: 08-12-2005
But then again, Linux does it

And I have 4 HD Damn box could fry an egg on it
Although generally 2 partitions per drive ... 1)Swap 2) Whatever ...
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Ch5Micky (CD Freaks Senior Member)
Posts: 390
Posted: 17-12-2005
Thanks for the info guys some really good suggestions here.

@eltranquil

Yes I do use mulit OS setup on my PC but I am now learning now from this thread that this puts to much stress on the HDD in question.

Lucky I do have two physical hard drives so I can install one OS on one of them and another on the second as Gurm suggested.

@petremure

I have BootItNG and I use that to if I need to convert from FAT32 to NTFS it is an excellent tool.

I do have a question though I will now make one huge partition on my HDD can I use the FDISK that comes with the Windows ME Floppy?

The reason I ask is because someone told me that Windows XP Pro doesn't like HDD FDISK this way and it can cause problems with installation indeed since posting this I FDISK'd my hdd and 38% of the installation (the Installig Windows Stage).

I suppose I should get hold on Maxblast to FDISK my hdd.
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Ch5 Micky
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eltranquil (CDFreaks Resident)
Posts: 4,533
Posted: 17-12-2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ch5Micky
@eltranquil

Yes I do use mulit OS setup on my PC but I am now learning now from this thread that this puts to much stress on the HDD in question.

Lucky I do have two physical hard drives so I can install one OS on one of them and another on the second as Gurm suggested.
No, no, I think that you missed the point...
Installing multiple OSes on a single drive is perfectly reasonable, since you use only one of them at a time. In this way, only the partition containing the OS that you are running is active, while the other partitions are inactive (let's ignore the fact that linux must have a swap partition, just to keep it simple).

gurm (he will correct me if I am wrong ) was referring to a single-OS setting, where you partition your drive, install an OS on the first partition and use the second partition just for data.

If you are using your PC with multi-OS configuration, I strongly recommend to install both OSes on the first, and data on the second.

Hope this helps,

ET
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Last edited by eltranquil; 17-12-2005 at 11:16.
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