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-   -   Software to help me recover 'Deleted' FAT32 Partition Data? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/software-to-help-me-recover-deleted-fat32-partition-data-284324/)

flamesrock 01-30-2005 11:11 PM

Software to help me recover 'Deleted' FAT32 Partition Data?
 
I did a very dumb thing...

I 'deleted', but did not 'format' a FAT32 Parition with fdisk. The problem is that it contained about 10gigabytes of classical music that took me a *very* long time to collect...and I wouldn't care if it were just some stupid xvid files. Some of it is extremely rare, and I don't know if I'd be able to find it again.

Qtparted reports it as an unknown filesystem. So does windows- which also says that it has 100% free space. Trying to mount it in linux gives me the whole 'bad superblock, or doesn't exist' spiel, but I know the files are there because it hasn't had anything written over it.

Is there a utility available to recover the files that I know are still there? I'm desperate

-thanks in advance for any help.

320mb 01-30-2005 11:20 PM

do a google for "fast file finder"
this is NOT freeware..........it will cost you, BUT it will recover your music for you............

leduytien 01-31-2005 01:29 AM

Try using "partition Table Doctor". If you haven't format your hard drive and DIDN't create any new partition, then the program might help you then ...

whansard 01-31-2005 01:47 AM

if the partition was deleted with windows fdisk, it's mostly hosed. if you used linux fdisk, you can just put the partition table entry back, by creating it in the same place, reboot and mount it. don't use any windows utilities. the only thing you really have to get right is the starting cylinder for the partition. I've done this type of recovery dozens of times.

flamesrock 01-31-2005 02:13 AM

Thanks for the responses. First of all, I used the linux fdisk that came with gentoo. After accidentally deleting it, I exited immediately without changing the parition table. Fdisk still recognizes it as fat32, but windows says it 'raw' and asks me if I want to format.

Another thing might be that I deleted all the paritions around it on /dev/hda, so that its not kind of in the middle of the drive. It went from /dev/hda10 to /dev/hda5 (not sure why windows would recognize it differently..)

Could you explain how to put the parition table back with fdisk, whansard? I would really apprecitae.

As for fast file finder..its a little over my head. And partition table doctor doesn't seem to want to work on windows xp

I'd like to go with f/oss like fdisk if possible.


-thanks

whansard 01-31-2005 03:01 AM

extended logical partitions are much harder to restore. that's a lot of partitions you had there. the problem with those is that the beginning and ending locations of those partitions are written at the beginning of the partition, so if you restore one in the wrong place, you may overwrite some data.

you generally have to remember the size and type of partitions that you had before, trying to restore the first one, and running fsck in read-only mode on it. as soon as you get the ending part of the partition long enough, fsck will quit complaining. then you can start trying to restore the second one, and so on. much trial and error.


edit: i just reread your first post, and the following paragraph isn't relevant.

if you exited fdisk without saving the changes, then you really didn't delete the partition. can you mount the partition in linux? if you can, copy the files off to a different partition, and then resetup your stuff.

Here: right down the starting and ending cylinders for the partition you are having trouble with. then delete it. create a new logical drive from the first of extended drive to the last cylinder before the first number you wrote down. then make a second one with the cylinder numbers matching what you write down. This is assuming your partition with the music is the only important one in the extended partition. Then you may be able to reboot and mount the filesystem.

You have rebooted since you deleted those other partitions right?

leduytien 01-31-2005 10:29 PM

Belive me, flamesrock. Try to go to http://www.ptdd.com (using another computer , sure) download the demo version and copy to a floppy disk (or burn to a CD with the ISO image file provided) and boot with that. It will list you all partitions.

The demo version can only do that. You will have to purchase the software to recover the hard driver then. Everything is automatically and only take about 1 mins to recover.

I'm just been in this situation a week ago and thanks God I found that software (if not, I will lost about 80 GB in total). It's not that I advertising that software - but after it safe my files, I'm just so happy ...

Good Luck.

flamesrock 02-02-2005 01:36 PM

Again, thanks for the reponses :)

I tried the fdisk thing, whansard, but unforunately..It didn't work :cry: (a little melodrama..) And to top things off, I lost another parition! Its an XFS formatted one on the second drive, which I know for a fact isn't failing. Either it was somebody on the gentoo irc channel hacking in, which has happened in the past on #debian, or the xfs filesystem is truly unstable. I know I'll be sticking with reiserfs from now on.

leduytien,

Thanks for the link! I'll try that as soon as I get home. I've tried almost all windows based recovery software out there and the only one that worked recovered jpg images (wallpapers, cd art) and about 20 wma files, renaming them with a combination of letters and numbers. It PTDD doesn't work, I may have to format...:mad:

lukeles 07-26-2005 10:39 PM

I suggest you use Partition Table Doctor to resolve your
problem.The software provides very useful functions:
Backup partition table, Restore partition table, Rebuild
partition table, undelete partition, Fix boot sector,
rebuild mbr,etc.

First thing I recommend you download the demo version of
Partition Table Doctor.( http://www.ptdd.com/download.htm )

Run the program and select "Rebuild Partition Table",
then choose "Interactive" mode.

See more: http://www.ptdd.com/recoverylostpartition.htm
http://www.ptdd.com/recoverdeletedpartition.htm
http://www.ptdd.com/partition-recovery.htm
http://www.ptdd.com


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