Long story short I messed up a couple of drives(2tb & 3tb) and have tried to recover the partitions using test disk and failed. I am still trying to get these drives going. I am about to use photorec on 2tb drive that is healthy and has data on it but the partition is messed up. I want to recover the files and be able to use the drive again. It is my understanding when you use photorec you want another drive the same size or larger to copy the files over. The thing is I would prefer to use the 3tb to copy the files to from the 2tb drive which has data on it but I want to make sure there is nothing on the 3tb drive first. I’m pretty sure there is nothing on it but it is messed up(no partition).
I was wondering what software I could use to see if there is any files on this drive so I can use it for the backup files from the other 2tb drive that is having issues that I know has data on it. Any help is greatly appreciated thanks.
How exactly did you mess them up? Testdisk should have been able to recover most simple stuff so that’s why I ask.
Photorec just recovers files so you need a disk at least as large as the amount of used space.
You should get yourself a decent size storage space so you can image both disks to work on. Writing anything is going to destroy your chances of recovery so work should always be done to the images.
@Adubs thank you for your help i really appreciate it. It is the same drives you helped me with in my other post/thread. it hasn’t gotten any help in awhile since its an old thread(I tried to get the thread going again but everyone abandoned it):
I am really just trying to see if there is anything on this 3tb drive so i can format it and use it for the 2tb backup with photo rec(seems to be the next step from that old thread). there is a bunch of screen shots from test disk and in Linux with the self test in Ubuntu in that thread.
I vaguely remember that thread. Skimming it now it seems you kinda got and answer to send to drive savers or something of the sort and TBH thats the way to go looking at the things uncovered.
I’m echoing what I said then and what I said previously. You need to image the drives an work on the images or at the minimum get another drive to move the stuff you recover to.
This tutorial goes over a decent amount of what to do
the data isn’t that important for me to pay to have it save honestly. it would just suck to lose it all. I am in the process of starting photo rec but I would like to use the 3tb with no partition as the backup image drive for the 2tb. But I want to make sure there is no data on the 3tb first. Is there a way to see if there is any data on the drive before I format it and get it ready for the backup image of the 2tb?
also it is even worth trying to use this 3tb drive after this self test in linux?
Heres the problem. The original thread talks about these disks originally being external. That could very well mean they are encrypted and thats why you dont see partitions in testdisk. Also without a known good place to store the data on its pointless to try and recover. That 3tb disk is breathing its last breaths and the longer you play around with it, the closer the data gets to being unrecoverable.
I’m not trying to be mean to you man but you’re in over your head a little and I dont want to sugar coat it. Seek professional help or get another disk to at least put anything you get off of them on. You could lose both disks trying to back up the info to that 3tb.
thank you for the help. I have a good known 2tb drive I can use for the backup instead. I just did not want to use it because it is for something else and i will have to put everything back on it again after i solve these issues.
should i try test disk again or just use photorec?
Well, you tried testdisk and it netted no info. Photorec is the next logical step but if it doesnt see anything, those drives will have to go back into their enclosures.
ok thank you for all of your help i really appreciate it. I will get this hard drive ready for the backup image and start photo rec.
I do have the sata to usb adapters still. when i plug them in the dying 3tb shows up in disk management as unallocated and the 2tb does not show up at all in disk management.
they do not make sense to me. there is some disc image files, a lot of html, a lot of text doc, and a lot of java files. If i remember correctly it was a lot of .iso/disc image files
there are some pics that are viewable but its a weird picture(white board with a rainbow hue on the top middle) and all of them are the same picture somehow.
