You want to recover the copy first, but the copy is the file yourfile.img, NOT the 3TB drive.

Got it ; we're still on same page ...

ed.:
oops...

I thought the yourfile.img was OUTput of dd execution TO 3TB drive ???

yourfile.img was the output of the dd command to the file.
YOu can cd /mnt then run "testdisk ./yourfile.img" or just run "testdisk /mnt/yourfile.img" as I said earlier.

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Note that testdisk does not behave quite the same when run against an image file as it would when run against the actual hardware. Some of its actions are based on the obsolete CHS geometry of the drive, and it can't get that from the image file. Unless something has changed in its handling of drives larger than 2TB and GPT, you will have to set the geometry manually in order to build new partition table entries. testdisk scans are also based on the percieved geometry to some extent.

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I think I've lost the 3 TB Drive ; waiting delivery a new drive .

It was my only spare ...

Back onto partition recovery ; HTPC computer hasn't been touched , since HDD for backup failed (summer projects began ; some even got done) .

Have a new 3TB , to do a backup of drive with lost partitions ; prepping a dd backup that failed before .

2 Q's : (sda and sdb are reversed from earlier this year)

1) With the new 3TB , I first did a backup of another 1TB HDD onto the new 3TB , then created a 250G partition for the backup of original 250G drive. Will this interfere with a dd copy task , of original 250G , to the 250G partition on the new 3TB ?

2) Preparing to execute dd task with dd if=/sdb [the original 250] of=/250bu/file.img bs=32m [the new 3TB , partition 2] ?

And I think I asked this before ; how does that syntax designate that copied data actually goes to the new 3TB ; partition 2 ???

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Since you are creating an image file onto an existing partition you should
1. create the partition (adequately large to be certain the image will fit).
2. format the filesystem on the destination partition
3. mount the destination partition
4. name the output file of dd according to the path used for mounting the destination partition and the file name of choice.

Thus if the mount point of the partition where you are saving the file is /mnt then the dd command would read of=/mnt/filename.img.

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dd executed successfully (I left off block size parameter deliberately (to 512) ; runtime was no concern ) .

Testdisk reloaded to live environment ; re-run = EXACT same results as earlier this year ...

Next step ? And next step , on back-up , or on original 250 disk ?

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Still sitting at this point ; any more love 'round here ?
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ed.: SWAP partition lit up now - what is step to restore that partition ?
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I ain't messed up anything yet ; rather no go in blind now .

TestDisk tutorials lead to Q's at this point ; even 1 you referred to , pan64 ........................

You don't ever need to restore a swap partition. Simply have the new partition of the desired size, run "sudo mkswap <partition name>", and you are done. You may also need to put an entry in /etc/fstab for the swap partition.

You have not said exactly what has been done to date. Do you think we can read your mind and know exactly what the next step is?

Detailed info as to what has been done is needed. As well as what you now plan/anticipate going forward.

Got partial restoration - can boot into Ubuntu ; 1st partition is still MIA . It's NTFS ; was an Win XP os , and I'd like to save the data .

Best way to attempt resto of that partition ?

XP re-install / repair disk ? TestDisk re-run on backed up HDD ?

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