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Author Topic: HDD has identity crisis  (Read 5407 times)

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ras58396

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    Re: HDD has identity crisis
    « Reply #15 on: January 05, 2009, 06:04:00 PM »
    Maybe a fresh approach will help here.  I wonder if I disconnect the printer (F:) and disconnect (uncable) the non-recognized Maxtor internal HDD, and then redo the WXP install.  When that is complete, reconnect the Maxtor and go from there.  Maybe it will recognize the Maxtor drive.
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    JJ 3000



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    Re: HDD has identity crisis
    « Reply #16 on: January 05, 2009, 09:38:54 PM »
    Quote from: ras58396 on January 05, 2009, 04:12:51 AM
    I very well may have deleted the partitions on the Maxtor, which was the F: drive before the new OS install.

    Well, stick your XP CD back in and get to the partition screen and see if the E drive has an active partition.
    If the drive space shows up as raw, then you deleted that partition.
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    ras58396

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      Re: HDD has identity crisis
      « Reply #17 on: January 06, 2009, 06:24:52 PM »
      JJ 3000, I tried it...bad JuJu!  The drive is there but it is unpartitioned.  Since I am the problem, I will ask for advice before acting.
      The HDD had data that I did not want to lose...so sad.  Can I repartition it with the XP install CD or ??? other method, then use PhotoRec or some other utility to recover the data?

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      JJ 3000



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      Re: HDD has identity crisis
      « Reply #18 on: January 06, 2009, 07:39:17 PM »
      If you highlight the raw space and press C to create a new partition, you may be able to access your data when you boot back into XP.
      If that doesn't work, then http://www.recuva.com/ should help you get your data back. It's a free program :)
      Good Luck.
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      BC_Programmer


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      Re: HDD has identity crisis
      « Reply #19 on: January 06, 2009, 08:10:27 PM »
      RAW space is an unpartitioned drive.


      you create partitions in unallocated space.

      unallocated space <> RAW .

      deleting a partition deletes it from the Partition Table. Even if one was to recreate a partition of the same size, whatever program is used to create that partition will overwrite the Volume Boot record.

      but a recovery tool should be able to get some important stuff back.
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      ras58396

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        Re: HDD has identity crisis
        « Reply #20 on: January 06, 2009, 09:08:55 PM »
        Good JuJu, JJ and BC!!!!  I repartitioned the "F:" drive and it now is visible to WXP.  I will attempt the reccommended the recovery tool(s) tomorrow.  Thanks to both of you!
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        BC_Programmer


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        Re: HDD has identity crisis
        « Reply #21 on: January 06, 2009, 09:13:55 PM »
        just JJ. I didn't really do anything.
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        ras58396

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          Re: HDD has identity crisis
          « Reply #22 on: January 06, 2009, 09:19:48 PM »
           :)  Okay JJ gave me the key earlier, but you did add to the confidence factor.  Neither of you, or Patio, are short of experience.  I appreciate your efforts.
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          ras58396

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            Re: HDD has identity crisis
            « Reply #23 on: January 07, 2009, 07:37:48 PM »
            Tried to run http://www.recuva.com/ on the G: drive, but it came back saying "Unable to read boot sector".
            When I go through the XP install procedure it sees this drive as D:.  It is partitioned but not formatted.
            Windows Explorer sees it as not formatted.  Should I format it then try to recover?
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            JJ 3000



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            Re: HDD has identity crisis
            « Reply #24 on: January 07, 2009, 08:51:21 PM »
            NO!!
            do not format!
            format=erase
            try this
            http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
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            patio

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            Re: HDD has identity crisis
            « Reply #25 on: January 08, 2009, 07:02:42 AM »
            So this drive had XP installed on it as well ? ?
            You dould try booting to the XP CD and press R to enter the Recovery Console...
            At the prompt type fixboot and hit Enter...
            Remove the XP CD and re-boot.
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            " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

            ras58396

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              Re: HDD has identity crisis
              « Reply #26 on: January 08, 2009, 06:55:52 PM »
              Patio,

              XP not on this drive.  I am going to try cgsecurity.
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              ras58396

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                Re: HDD has identity crisis
                « Reply #27 on: March 15, 2009, 05:30:13 PM »
                Well this is for closure!  After all the recommended options failed, I took the HDD into the mass storage lab at work.  The engineers there were able to use some of their proprietary software to recover all my files.  Thanks for all your help, I appreciate the effort.
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                patio

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                Re: HDD has identity crisis
                « Reply #28 on: March 18, 2009, 08:48:55 AM »
                Wish i had a lab like that...

                Good ending to an ordeal though.
                Stop by Anytime !
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                " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "
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