A list of terms used in this page and their explanation can be found here.

Mass data loss, a situation where access to an entire disk or partition is lost, is often caused by damage to partition structures such as the MBR (master boot record), Partition Tables, LDM, or the Boot Sector of an individual partition. By repairing these structures using DiskPatch, data can be made accessible again.

Another common cause for data loss is unreadable sectors; while a few read errors may only have minor consequences and only  prevent access to one or more files, large blocks of unreadable sectors can prevent access to individual volumes or even entire disks. In that case you can use DiskPatch to clone a hard disk (even when conventional cloning tools fail due to bad sectors or file system errors) or scan the disk surface for read- and write errors and possibly fix bad sectors.

DiskPatch allows you to edit (patch) your disk using the built-in disk editor, partition table editor and boot sector editor. It also offers basic partition management (hide, unhide, set active) features.

You can 'be prepared' for data loss by using DiskPatch and its unique proprietary backup system to create on-disk backups of partition structures such as the MBR, the EPBRs, and boot sectors. Once a backup exists, damage to any of the previously mentioned disk structures can be easily fixed by restoring the backup.

DiskPatch key advantages:

• DiskPatch is easy to use: the (automatic) recovery and repair procedure is simple and straightforward, and generally consists of a number of easy to follow steps. Partition tables and boot sectors can be automatically rebuilt by following these steps.
  
  
• DiskPatch is safe to use: you can undo the changes that were made to the disk during the repair procedure. If the repair was unsuccessful or had undesired results, changes made by the program can be 'rolled back'.
  
  
• DiskPatch is quick: if the damaged disk structures can be repaired, the DiskPatch repair procedure is much faster than recovering the files using a file-recovery tool.
  
  
• DiskPatch is reliable: DiskPatch has already helped thousands of users recover countless gigabytes of data.

• When partitions are damaged, deleted or inaccessible:
  • Repair or rebuild the MBR
  • Partition Table repair; unlike other tools, DiskPatch can restore access to logical partitions
  • Automatic boot sector repair (for FAT, FAT32 and NTFS type partitions)
• When disks show hardware problems:
  • Surface Scan; read-only (identify bad spots) and non destructive read/write (repair bad spots)
  • Low Level format (enforce sector re-mapping for bad sectors)
  • Disk Cloning, even if partitions are damaged or if disks have read problems
• Analysis and checking up:
  • Create a 'support analysis log' that DIY DataRecovery support can analyze for you
  • Extensive and informative logging
  • Identify potentially damaging hard disk related issues
• Prevention:
  • Create backups for important disk structures like the MBR and boot sectors
• Advanced functions:
  • Disk Editor: easy editing through the use of templates for boot sectors, partition tables and other sector types
  • Basic Partition Table management; set partitions active, hide and unhide partitions
• Additional features:
  • Forensic mode (protect a disk from write operations while working with it)
  • Undo feature for all automatic repairs and disk editor actions
  • Post-clone disk compare (verify that the original and the clone are identical)
  • Disk wiping (standard, pattern or DOD)
  • State File; once a disk has been scanned (using the trial version) the scan can be skipped the next time
  • Easy installation; the boot disk builder creates a bootable diskette or CD/DVD that contains all you need to get started

DiskPatch system requirements:

• DiskPatch only operates on hard disks that can be accessed using the extended int13h interface -
  these would include IDE, (x)ATA(x) and SCSI disks. DiskPatch can also operate on hardware RAID arrays.
• 1.44 Mb floppy drive or CD/DVD drive.
• 80386 (compatible) or higher CPU.

There are 2 DiskPatch editions available:

• DiskPatch (single user, home use): you are allowed to run DiskPatch on PCs that you as a private person lease or own.
  This license is recommended for home users that wish to perform repairs on one or more PCs at home.
  
• DiskPatch Professional (single user, corporate use): you, a single individual, are allowed to use DiskPatch on PCs leased or owned by you or the organization you represent, or on PCs owned or used by third parties that you perform (commercial and non commercial) services for.
  This license is recommended for repair personnel or system administrators that wish to perform repairs as part of a service or as part of system management tasks (for multiple PCs, or Server systems such as Windows NT/2000 server/2003 server).

For more information on the DIY DataRecovery license types and DiskPatch license information, please check the License details page.

DiskPatch is part of the DIY DataRecovery family of products.