Re: Look for filename in drive without valid MBR

Previously mscotgrove@xxxxxxx <mscotgrove@xxxxxxx> wrote:
On Jan 8, 5:00 pm, "Folkert Rienstra" <see_reply...@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
mscotgr...@xxxxxxx wrote innews:0110bead-54de-43cb-a3c4-8c00c0ecc005@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ;





On Jan 8, 7:59 am, Arno Wagner <m...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Previously Bob Simon <nob...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 6 Jan 2008 08:21:19 GMT, Arno Wagner <m...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm the OP and I'm back after having installed a new drive, imaged the
bad drive and then removing power from the bad drive. Now I'm ready
to try to reconstruct whatever I can from the image and am looking for
some pointers.
For tools, I have UBCD plus the program that Michael wrote,
cnwrecovery. I compared the current partition map with an old
printout from Ranish Partition Manager and they match. Here's a
section from RPM:
2 Pri 1 Windows NT NTFS 0 1 1 254 254 63
3 Pri 2 Extended LBA 255 0 1 15770 254 63
4 A Log Windows NT NTFS 255 1 1 15770 254 63
5 Pri 3 Windows FAT-32 LBA 15771 0 1 15932 254 63
Why is partition 4 listed as A Log? I'm pretty sure this is where the
data is that I really want to find.

"Log" very likely means "Logical Partition".

The above would be primaries 1,3 and a logical contained in
primary 2, which is an extended patition,. i.e. a container
for logical partitions.

Arno

The partition function  in my program will give the size of each partition,
and the starting location.  If it needs to be reconstructed, thye recon-
struction routine will scan the drive looking  for possible starts, and
where possible using values from pointer blocks.

A lot of commercial PCs, such as Dell and Sony start a disk with a
short - often FAT - hidden partition that is used for recovery.  
The data is then on the second logical partition.

Once a partition has been selected for recovery, for logical recovery
my NTFS function does require valid values for cluster size and the
start of the MFT.  There are helper functions for each of these.
(Analyse disk...)
As you now have an image, you can make as many mistakes as you like,
and will not lose more data.

More nonsense.
After 'your' socalled 'mistake' you have to re-image again.
The only way to make mistakes without loosing data is to
keep yet another copy of the image as a backup or not to
allow any changes to the image and use it as a source only.



For a partially damaged drive, the most
successful function to use with NTFS recovery is 'Recover from file
entries'  This will read each MFT in sequence, rather than trying to
read with the logical directory tree.  Thus, if a critical part of the
directory tree has failed, files will still be found with valid names.  
If the MFT structure is damaged, the whole disk can be scanned
for MFTs.

On the NTFS screen is a function for file filter - this can be use
to select just your .tax files.

Function key F1 will give contect sensitive help on every screen

Michael- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It is a pity that you do not know what the software I wrote actually
does.

One important thing is that it never changes the source. If the boot
sector needs updating, it does so on a virtual boot sector, not the
real thing, thus any trial and error mistake does not change the
source.

Sound design for software not targetted at experts (which I gather
this is). Also a nifty feature for experts. If the (prevalent?) case
that the disk is actually fine, this seems to be a valid alternative
to working on an image.

Newsgroups are here to share information, and generally assist, not to
run others down.

Something Folkert does not understand and very likely never will.
He is here to run others down.

Arno
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Look for filename in drive without valid MBR
    ... printout from Ranish Partition Manager and they match. ... short - often FAT - hidden partition that is used for recovery. ... start of the MFT. ... As you now have an image, you can make as many mistakes as you like, ...
    (comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage)
  • Re: Fix corrupt NTFS partition?
    ... Pressing F10 at boot will still bring up the HP recovery environment. ... The Windows installation CD lists the HP Recovery partition as FAT32 ... When i select Repair MFT it quickly flashes the message "Failed to ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Look for filename in drive without valid MBR
    ... printout from Ranish Partition Manager and they match. ... short - often FAT - hidden partition that is used for recovery. ... start of the MFT. ... As you now have an image, you can make as many mistakes as you like, ...
    (comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage)
  • Re: Look for filename in drive without valid MBR
    ... printout from Ranish Partition Manager and they match. ... Once a partition has been selected for recovery, ... my NTFS function does require valid values for cluster size and the ... start of the MFT. ...
    (comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage)
  • Re: Corrupt Windows XP config file
    ... I attempted to install Windows XP in the second partition, ... I then brought up the Recovery Console and used the FIXBOOT command to try ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
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