Vista - Anyone know how to recover lost partitions?

There are hundreds of Linux distros that are Live CD's which do not touch
the hard drive except for swap. Some are specialized cd's for repairing
systems. Those are better than any of the major distros like Ubuntu. See
DistroWatch.

"Mark D. VandenBerg" <mvan103REMOVE@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uRHXN$btGHA.3936@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> This is where I got the idea from:
>
> http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop
>
> At the bottom of the page it says:
>
> "Ready to try Ubuntu?
>
> Just download the Ubuntu DesktopCD and test Ubuntu without changing
> anything on your computer. If you want to keep Ubuntu permanently, there
> is an easy installer right on the DesktopCD. Or you can order a few CDs
> for no cost from shipit."
>
> I take this to mean that this is a bootable operating system that makes no
> permanent changes to the hard drive(s) and therefore, in theory, may be
> one possible solution for data recovery.
>
> --
> Mark
>
> "Chad Harris" <RemoveHezbullahtotally@clearview.net> wrote in message
> news:Oilgl2btGHA.1284@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>I love the Linux repair solutions. I have friends who talk all the time
>>about theoretically using Linux to fix Windows XP (and possibly in the
>>future Vista) but I don't know how to do this and if you ever find detail
>>on these methods that work I hope you pass them on).
>>
>> I wonder what the Vista setup guys like Darryl Gorter and Vinnie Flynt
>> have done using Linux to try to repair Windows. I don't mean to deploy
>> from MSFT--I just mean that works or not.
>>
>> CH
>>
>>
>> "Mark D. VandenBerg" <mvan103REMOVE@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:Od8NDaatGHA.3240@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>> One of the Linux distros, either Ubuntu or SUSE (CRS disease!) is
>>> bootable from the DVD as a trial and may provide a way to view the data
>>> on the computer drives, but not having ever tried it, I don't know if
>>> this actually will work in practice.
>>>
>>> "Bernie" <bernie@nospam.org> wrote in message
>>> news:uPHJPPatGHA.4748@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>>I have all the most important data backed up. But I have a huge number
>>>>of downloads (utilities and lots of other stuff) that would take a long
>>>>time to replace. It is worth it to me to spend some hours and even some
>>>>money not to have to replace those things. So...
>>>>
>>>> I had four partitions; XP, Vista, Linux and a Linux swap. The XP
>>>> partition is the important one.
>>>>
>>>> So I can see there are sites promising partition recovery software for
>>>> a fee. I don't mind a smallish fee but I want to know what works and
>>>> what doesn't first.
>>>>
>>>> So anyone out there good at data recovery?
>>>>
>>>> More data: I have another drive in the machine with a lot of free space
>>>> but it is also my data drive. It is okay but doesn't have an O/S on it.
>>>>
>>>> There isn't a working O/S on the main drive and it is the main drive
>>>> that I want to recover. So the ideal solution is something that can
>>>> work from a bootable CD.
>>>
>>
>>
>

Not being a Linux guy, I am learning slowly. Thanks for the tip!

--
Mark

"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message
news:uGGeSMctGHA.1888@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> There are hundreds of Linux distros that are Live CD's which do not touch
> the hard drive except for swap. Some are specialized cd's for repairing
> systems. Those are better than any of the major distros like Ubuntu. See
> DistroWatch.
>
> "Mark D. VandenBerg" <mvan103REMOVE@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uRHXN$btGHA.3936@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> This is where I got the idea from:
>>
>> http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop
>>
>> At the bottom of the page it says:
>>
>> "Ready to try Ubuntu?
>>
>> Just download the Ubuntu DesktopCD and test Ubuntu without changing
>> anything on your computer. If you want to keep Ubuntu permanently, there
>> is an easy installer right on the DesktopCD. Or you can order a few CDs
>> for no cost from shipit."
>>
>> I take this to mean that this is a bootable operating system that makes
>> no permanent changes to the hard drive(s) and therefore, in theory, may
>> be one possible solution for data recovery.
>>
>> --
>> Mark
>>
>> "Chad Harris" <RemoveHezbullahtotally@clearview.net> wrote in message
>> news:Oilgl2btGHA.1284@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>>I love the Linux repair solutions. I have friends who talk all the time
>>>about theoretically using Linux to fix Windows XP (and possibly in the
>>>future Vista) but I don't know how to do this and if you ever find detail
>>>on these methods that work I hope you pass them on).
>>>
>>> I wonder what the Vista setup guys like Darryl Gorter and Vinnie Flynt
>>> have done using Linux to try to repair Windows. I don't mean to deploy
>>> from MSFT--I just mean that works or not.
>>>
>>> CH
>>>
>>>
>>> "Mark D. VandenBerg" <mvan103REMOVE@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:Od8NDaatGHA.3240@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>> One of the Linux distros, either Ubuntu or SUSE (CRS disease!) is
>>>> bootable from the DVD as a trial and may provide a way to view the data
>>>> on the computer drives, but not having ever tried it, I don't know if
>>>> this actually will work in practice.
>>>>
>>>> "Bernie" <bernie@nospam.org> wrote in message
>>>> news:uPHJPPatGHA.4748@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>>>I have all the most important data backed up. But I have a huge number
>>>>>of downloads (utilities and lots of other stuff) that would take a long
>>>>>time to replace. It is worth it to me to spend some hours and even some
>>>>>money not to have to replace those things. So...
>>>>>
>>>>> I had four partitions; XP, Vista, Linux and a Linux swap. The XP
>>>>> partition is the important one.
>>>>>
>>>>> So I can see there are sites promising partition recovery software for
>>>>> a fee. I don't mind a smallish fee but I want to know what works and
>>>>> what doesn't first.
>>>>>
>>>>> So anyone out there good at data recovery?
>>>>>
>>>>> More data: I have another drive in the machine with a lot of free
>>>>> space but it is also my data drive. It is okay but doesn't have an O/S
>>>>> on it.
>>>>>
>>>>> There isn't a working O/S on the main drive and it is the main drive
>>>>> that I want to recover. So the ideal solution is something that can
>>>>> work from a bootable CD.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>

No they are well and truly mounted .. so to speak.


Mark D. VandenBerg wrote:
> Is it possible that the drives are "unmounted?"
>

Well, to borrow a phrase from Jonah, "It's all buggered up then, isn't it?"
Have you tried physically moving the drive to another computer running
Windows, going into Disk Management and mounting the drives, and then trying
to recover the data that way?

--
Mark

"Bernie" <bernie@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:evEVuectGHA.1224@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> No they are well and truly mounted .. so to speak.
>
>
> Mark D. VandenBerg wrote:
>> Is it possible that the drives are "unmounted?"
>>

Not yet. I haven't had the time to really work on it yet and probably
won't till tomorrow night. I'm looking for the best options right now.
As that box has SATA drives and I don't have another SATA box here I
will stick a Win2k disk into it and see what it can do.

Somehow the partitions are still there but are only showing up as
unallocated space. Not as one lump of unallocated space but as 5 lumps
which corresponds to the number of partitions. The sizes also match. I
ran a partition recovery utility and it could see the folders and files
of the Vista installation but apparently not the XP installation.

Someone suggested trying an XP repair install and I will have a look at
that soon. At least as far as when it asks where you want to install it.
If the right partition comes up and can be used without being formatted
then it might work but seems a bit risky too.



Mark D. VandenBerg wrote:
> Well, to borrow a phrase from Jonah, "It's all buggered up then, isn't
> it?" Have you tried physically moving the drive to another computer
> running Windows, going into Disk Management and mounting the drives, and
> then trying to recover the data that way?
>

Trying a repair install may or may not work; I'm confused by what's going on
precisely here Bernie. But I can guarantee you one thing; it cannot hurt
anything on any box you have. It's completely safe. You lose nothing.

Remeber the song line "Repair Install's another word for nothing left to
lose."

Janis Joplin

I put the directions in one of my posts.

CH


"Bernie" <bernie@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:uFvlZ2ctGHA.5044@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Not yet. I haven't had the time to really work on it yet and probably
> won't till tomorrow night. I'm looking for the best options right now. As
> that box has SATA drives and I don't have another SATA box here I will
> stick a Win2k disk into it and see what it can do.
>
> Somehow the partitions are still there but are only showing up as
> unallocated space. Not as one lump of unallocated space but as 5 lumps
> which corresponds to the number of partitions. The sizes also match. I ran
> a partition recovery utility and it could see the folders and files of the
> Vista installation but apparently not the XP installation.
>
> Someone suggested trying an XP repair install and I will have a look at
> that soon. At least as far as when it asks where you want to install it.
> If the right partition comes up and can be used without being formatted
> then it might work but seems a bit risky too.
>
>
>
> Mark D. VandenBerg wrote:
>> Well, to borrow a phrase from Jonah, "It's all buggered up then, isn't
>> it?" Have you tried physically moving the drive to another computer
>> running Windows, going into Disk Management and mounting the drives, and
>> then trying to recover the data that way?
>>

Raven Mill wrote:
> The BEST data recovery utility is, has always been, and probably always WILL
> be SpinRite. If the drive is spinning up, you can retreive files. IMHO
> anyways...but I do it for a living...

Can it recover partitions?

I remember that line from what 36 years ago? It didn't make sense to me
then but it sure does now. Lyrics like that were way ahead of their time.

Chad Harris wrote:
> Trying a repair install may or may not work; I'm confused by what's going on
> precisely here Bernie. But I can guarantee you one thing; it cannot hurt
> anything on any box you have. It's completely safe. You lose nothing.
>
> Remeber the song line "Repair Install's another word for nothing left to
> lose."
>
> Janis Joplin
>
> I put the directions in one of my posts.
>
> CH

Bernie wrote:

>
> I think too far gone because all partitions are showing as unallocated
> space in XP setup. They have the right sizes and are shown as seperate
> entities but not as partitions.

Bernie:

I think this is because these partitions are no longer in the MBR
partition table. According to Mark Vandenberg (a few days ago) this is
what happens in XP Disk Management (installed or setup disk) when a boot
manager has hidden a partition from the OS.

In the documentation for osl2000 there should be instructions for what
to do if the IPL code of the MBR has been overwritten by some other OS
(which you did by running fixmbr from the XP CD, but which more commonly
happens when you load a new OS).

Hang tough,

David Wilkinson

Theres lots of windows PE hibreds...
and other boot solutions
Hirems Boot cd for one


"Bernie" <bernie@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:uPHJPPatGHA.4748@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>I have all the most important data backed up. But I have a huge number of
>downloads (utilities and lots of other stuff) that would take a long time
>to replace. It is worth it to me to spend some hours and even some money
>not to have to replace those things. So...
>
> I had four partitions; XP, Vista, Linux and a Linux swap. The XP partition
> is the important one.
>
> So I can see there are sites promising partition recovery software for a
> fee. I don't mind a smallish fee but I want to know what works and what
> doesn't first.
>
> So anyone out there good at data recovery?
>
> More data: I have another drive in the machine with a lot of free space
> but it is also my data drive. It is okay but doesn't have an O/S on it.
>
> There isn't a working O/S on the main drive and it is the main drive that
> I want to recover. So the ideal solution is something that can work from
> a bootable CD.