Lost a parition - which software to use?

[lostpart]

I have a hard drive partitioned in three parts (Win XP Pro)

One partition disappeared when I tried to adjust it using Partition Magic (the first two partitions are still visible/accessible in Windows Explorer).

1) Which software do I use...Diskpatch?

2) Is there any potential problem installing the needed software onto the single hard drive? (Will that create more problems with retrieval?)

[Joep]

Hello,

You were trying to adjust a partition. What adjustments were being made? How far did PartitionMagic get (it just started, almost finished, completed)?

Easiest is when we can do this with DiskPatch because you'd need another disk to copy data to etc. If the other 2 partitions are operational then you could take the risk of installing the software there. It's safer to install it on a diffferent PC and create the DiskPatch boot disk there. You could even do it on your neighbour's PC. Once you have the boot disk, you can create a logfile and submit that here (copy/paste). Depending on how far PartitionMagic got we may be able to fix this.

Alternative is to use iRecover (I recommend iRecover over iRescue when dealing with severe PartitionMagic damage) and extract the data from the damaged partition. You need a place to copy the data to. Once data is recovered, delete the damaged partition and recreate it.

[lostpart]

Hi, Joep!

I was using PM to resize the very partition that disappeared.

I was running PM from within WinXP and had told it to change the size of the partition in question (making that partition smaller by subtracting some of it's empty space - I hadn't tried to move any files, I had just told PM to separate the extra space from said partition).

In the middle of the process of the above action, PM said it had an error and couldn't complete the action.

From that point on, that partition was not visible in Windows (when WinXP boots, it wants to run a check disk on the space where the partition was, but I prevent it from doing so).

As to Diskpatch: that is the program that would not require another disk to copy, correct?

The bootdisk can be created on a CD, right? (My PC doesn't have a floppy).

I guess I can use a CD of it to boot my PC and derive the logfile?

If that is true, then I will use your demo diskpatch and upload the logfile here shortly.

Thank you!

[Joep]

Hello,

Ok, so you were reducing the size of a partition, correct?

And partition is actually visible in Windows, a drive letter is assigned, correct?
- So, what happens if you access the partition using the Windows explorer?
- What are exact messages?
- Is the partition new (intended) or old size?
- What's the original file system, NTFS?

If the PC has no floppy disk then creating a logfile will be more problematic since Diskpatch can not store the logfile on CD or non FAT/FAT32 drives. USB is an option if you PC offers 'legacy support' for USB devices so we can see them from DOS (USB stick should then be FAT or FAT32 formatted).

It's hard to tell if we can fix without the logfile and PartitionMagic damage can be quite problematic. Also when running from CD we can't create undo files so I am reluctant to say 'just try it'. Do you have a USB stick you could make bootable, then we can create undo and logfiles.

If you have a USB stick to spare use this: http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/downloads/HPdrivekeyFormatter.exe to make it bootable. Then copy DiskPatch on there.

[lostpart]

Hello,

Ok, so you were reducing the size of a partition, correct?


Yes


And partition is actually visible in Windows, a drive letter is assigned, correct?



No. The other two partitions on the drive are visible and available in Windows Explorer, but the third one has disappeared from IE (it was drive letter E prior to the PM error, now it isn't shown at all, but when I booted the machine, it tried to run a scan disk and I'm pretty sure it was for that same partition)



- So, what happens if you access the partition using the Windows explorer?
- What are exact messages?
- Is the partition new (intended) or old size?
- What's the original file system, NTFS?



File system was FAT 32


If the PC has no floppy disk then creating a logfile will be more problematic since Diskpatch can not store the logfile on CD or non FAT/FAT32 drives. USB is an option if you PC offers 'legacy support' for USB devices so we can see them from DOS (USB stick should then be FAT or FAT32 formatted).


I just made a CD bootdisk using diskpatch...should I not use it?



It's hard to tell if we can fix without the logfile and PartitionMagic damage can be quite problematic. Also when running from CD we can't create undo files so I am reluctant to say 'just try it'. Do you have a USB stick you could make bootable, then we can create undo and logfiles.


Ok, I will see if I have one available.




If you have a USB stick to spare use this: http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/downloads/HPdrivekeyFormatter.exe to make it bootable. Then copy DiskPatch on there.

Ok, I will see if I have a USB stick handy and do it shortly.

Thank you!

[lostpart]

Ok, I used the software you pointed to to format a USB drive FAT32.

I am installing the diskpatch on the USB drive.

I suppose I boot from the USB stick to get the log file, correct? (And I save it to the USB stick, correct?)

Here we go...

[lostpart]

In running your program, I am guessing that I use the option to "Extract DiskPatch from archive and save to root of:"

Then point it to my USB drive to install it there...is that correct?

[Joep]

Hi,

If you run from a writable device (like a floppy or USB stick) Diskpatch should detect that and automatically create a DPFILES folder on there. So, if you're not prompted to select a location for logfiles then DiskPatch has detected that it can write.

To create the logfile, see: http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/dp_manual/guide_supportanalysis.htm

Yes, extract DiskPatch to the USB stick but *after* you have made it bootable.

[lostpart]

Hi,

If you run from a writable device (like a floppy or USB stick) Diskpatch should detect that and automatically create a DPFILES folder on there. So, if you're not prompted to select a location for logfiles then DiskPatch has detected that it can write.

To create the logfile, see: http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/dp_manual/guide_supportanalysis.htm

Yes, extract DiskPatch to the USB stick but *after* you have made it bootable.

Joep,

I am having difficulty making this USB drive bootable.

Using the HP program you referenced to format the drive using FAT32, it gives the option to "Create a DOS startup disk," but it then asks for DOS files (which I don't have on a WinXP machine).

For that reason, I formatted the USB drive without that option checked.

Then I used your DiskPatch demo program to "Extract DiskPatch from archive and save to root of:" the USB drive (I did notice on the options for both the floppy and the CD that they offer to make the disks "bootable," but no such option is offered for the third...it only offers to "extract" the program...is that supposed to do the same thing?)

I double and triple-checked my BIOS to ensure that it was set to boot from the USB and it is (I even tried it on two computers, but neither will boot from the USB application. AND I checked to see if your program was extracted to the USB drive and it is there. I clicked on it and it began to run on top of WinXP as a DOS window).

I am pretty computer literate and feel like I am missing something (is this my stupidity or is it something else?)

Thanks for all of your help, I sure look forward to getting this to work and buying your program once I understand it well enough to use it.

[lostpart]

Joep,

I did notice that the bootable CD that I had originally made using DiskPatch (before you told me to use the USB drive) can boot into your DiskPatch program.

Is it possible to use that to boot and just save the logfile to the USB drive?

Does your program allow for that option?

Thank you again.

[Joep]

Hi,

Bootfiles you can use: http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/downloads/win98boot.zip

[lostpart]

Thanks for the DOS boot files.

Ok, the boot worked great from the USB drive and I typed in DP.exe to get the program running. Everything went fine until the DiskPatch program said "Free memory is below the safe limit. DiskPatch will abort." And that is exactly what it did. The program won't go beyond this point (I tried it three times).

I know that DOS can only handle a certain amount of memory (I have 2 gigs, I believe on this machine and it all has worked fine from day one).

Any thoughts?

[lostpart]

Thanks for the DOS boot files.

Ok, the boot worked great from the USB drive and I typed in DP.exe to get the program running. Everything went fine until the DiskPatch program said "Free memory is below the safe limit. DiskPatch will abort." And that is exactly what it did. The program won't go beyond this point (I tried it three times).

I know that DOS can only handle a certain amount of memory (I have 2 gigs, I believe on this machine and it all has worked fine from day one).

Any thoughts?

I forgot to mention, it did the above abortion prior to the point where you select the disk to analyze.

[lostpart]

There was a log file created on the USB drive. Here it is:

Code:

.../000:01/LOG> ### LOG START ###
.../000:01/LOG> DISKPATCH 3.5.200
.../000:01/LOG> (C) 2000-2008 DIY DataRecovery
.../000:01/LOG> Contact info: HTTP://www.DIYDataRecovery.nl
.../000:01/LOG> MemFree: 6Kb
.../000:01/LOG> CommandLineParms:
.../000:01/LOG> LogDate: 12-02-2008
.../000:01/CFG> FilePath="1/.\DPFILES\"
.../000:01/CFG> LogFilename="DP.LOG"
.../000:01/CFG> ReadRetries="32"
.../000:01/CFG> WriteRetries="32"
.../000:01/CFG> MaxReadErrors="32"
.../000:01/CFG> MaxWriteErrors="1"
.../000:01/CFG> LogEachReadError="1"
.../000:01/CFG> ReadDelay="0"
.../000:01/CFG> VfyFixedBadSect="1"
.../000:01/CFG> CleanAfterDOD="1"
.../000:01/CFG> DiskReset="1"
.../000:01/CFG> SectorSkip="1024"
.../000:01/CFG> AutoSaveState="1"
.../000:01/CFG> DumpFoundSectors="0"
.../000:01/CFG> FixFats="1"
.../000:01/CFG> MaxFatScan="51200"
.../000:01/CFG> MaxDataColEntries="256"
.../000:01/CFG> IgnoreF8FF="0"
.../000:01/CFG> DownSizeExt="1"
.../000:01/CFG> ScanSignature="55AA"
.../000:01/CFG> Rebuild="00"
.../000:01/13H> Ext13H installed test requested
.../000:01/13H> Disk found at 128
.../000:01/13H> Ext13H version: EDD-3.0
.../000:01/13H> Ext13H Support: Extended disk access functions
.../000:01/13H> Ext13H Support: Enhanced disk drive functions
.../000:01/13H> Drive Interface Info: ATA
.../000:01/13H> Disk 128 X13H data : 16383/16/63 312581808/512
.../000:01/13H> Ext13H tested ok
.../000:01/FDL> DiskList requested
.../000:01/FDL> Disk found at 128
### DISKLIST.ARRAY ###
__D_|________LBA_|___H_|__S_|__GB_|__GEO
128 | .312581808 | 255 | 63 | 149 | BIOS
..0 | .........0 | ..0 | .0 | ..0 | BIOS
..0 | .........0 | ..0 | .0 | ..0 | BIOS
..0 | .........0 | ..0 | .0 | ..0 | BIOS
.../000:01/IAS> AdmiSector found on disk 0 (128)
.../000:01/EXE> Read/Write pattern test for disk 0 (128) successful
.../000:01/WAS> AdmiSectors in use : 0+
.../000:07/KEY> DEMO/1
.../000:07/PFC> PQstuff signature detected on disk 0 (128)
.../000:07/PFC> UDMA driver not loaded
.../000:07/PFC> Disk health not checked
.../000:08/PFC> Partition State backup not found on disk 0 (128)
.../000:08/PFC> No Repair date found on disk 0 (128)
.../000:13/EXE> !- FreeMem below acceptable limit, DiskPatch aborted
.../000:18/LOG> RunTime: 000:18
.../000:18/LOG> ### CLOSE LOG ###

[Joep]

hello,

Please start DiskPatch > select the disk > then 'support' and then 'create support analysis log'.

And then do not start DiskPatch again, I need the DP.LOG from the support analysis scan, if you start DiskPatch again it will overwrite DP.LOG with a new one.