Need help. Data ended up as a RAW drive

[GEO147]

Somehow in upgrading my PC a large 2tb stirade drive containing all my personal info, pics, docs, videos and music ended up as a RAW drive.

I tried data recovery with M3 Data recovery but everything it recovers is corrupt. I paid €84 Euro for it too.

Any advice on this matter would be appreciated.

 

[RobertR1]

There are higher end places that do data recovery by sending your drive in. It's expensive but depending on the critical nature of the data, certainly doable.

 

[karoliens]

Try contacting Louis https://rossmanngroup.com/
They should be able to recover data if it's mechanical drive.

 

[GEO147]

Cheers I'm in Ireland tho. Think it's just a software issue. Don't think it's hardware.

 

[Durge Driven]

Always give Basic PC specs helps

What exactly did you do and what did you " upgrade " ?
Operating system ? MBR / GPT ?
You mean 2TB "storage" drive as in external ?
could be a number of reasons depending on answers

 

[Ho3n3r]

Maybe try the answer given here: https://superuser.com/questions/130...as-raw-when-chkdsk-correctly-reads-it-as-ntfs

Hope it helps.

 

[Terry Rock]

I feel your pain on that drive issue.
I had an external Seagate drive do exactly the same about three months ago.
It was perplexing to say the least.
Lots of tools pop up when searching for recovery software....and everyone of them proved to be bait and switch.
In the end Recuva was the only option that did not install...then pop up a "we can scan but you have to pay untold amounts to recover any data software".
It recovered lots of pictures and documents but almost nothing else was usable.
Most of the 'recovery' software out there misrepresents itself.

 

[GEO147]

100% agree Terry. I got mine fully sorted. What I used was minitool partition wizard $59 to scan. Then it wanted 99 more to recover, no thanks. What I did then was use partition wizard to "fix" the partition. That meant it then showed as a normal drive in windows. Bit was still raw.
So I then used software called Testdisk. Amazing freeware (you can donate if you wish) to repair the master boot file. Then it immediately showed up and was accessable in windows. Last step to get into the files was to change the security settings in the properties tab for some folders and get presto. FULL RECOVERY

So happy to get it all back. Will be fully backed up going forward.

Oh yeah and I get a refund from minitool as it was a switch and bait like you say.

Testdisk was the key. Was only software that could really fix the MBR master boot record. It can also be used to recover files if required.

 

[Terry Rock]

Glad you got it sorted.
It'd sure be nice for some regulatory entity to prosecute some of these companies for their false advertising.
Many of them need to be put out of business...for good.

 

[Durge Driven]

To me it sounds like issue was mixed partitioning, it has happened to me on occasion and diskpart fixed it

If I used UEFI OS and I didn't need MBR on external say to use with TV does not support GPT
I would copy the 2TB off ( do while sleeping )
Reformat to GPT
Copy back for minimal fragmentation
Today UEFI - GPT is just logical

• GPT disk provides greater reliability due to replication and cyclical redundancy check (CRC) protection of the partition table. Unlike MBR partitioned disks, data critical to platform operation is located in partitions instead of unpartitioned or hidden sectors.
  [*]GPT partitioned disks have redundant primary and backup partition tables for improved partition data structure integrity.

 

[Durge Driven]

OT but better then new thread

On storage I got to stop using Officeworks and shop around
they only short bike ride away so convenient
I had a idea about archive storage, checked out 128GB SSD Sandisk Fit was $52+ AU

SanDisk 128GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive Black

Shop SanDisk 128GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive Black with our Price Beat Guarantee. Buy with Afterpay or Zip. Enjoy free Click and Collect. Save with Officeworks.

www.officeworks.com.au

Umart had same for $28 and with courier was still $12 cheaper

Sandisk 128GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 130MB/s Flash Drive - Umart.com.au

Buy Sandisk 128GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 130MB/s Flash Drive - Buy Now, Pay Later + FREE pick-up & same day dispatch!

www.umart.com.au

My Idea
I have 2 PC that both share 2 monitors ( 4 leads )
AS you will find you are constantly updating archives on both for text, download, drivers, apps, most "stuff"
Network is not option and I don't want to have to run both PCs to sync and beside that is not backward compatible when you got different archives ( I got 2nd tower to save power ) so running 2 would be silly

I use a 15 port Orico hub stupid expensive but shuts down any unused devices so when I swap PC I only have to change a single lead .
Even if you had dual hubs you would still have to swap wheel shifter pedals etc etc every-time I want to drive modern or older sims on both towers so I don't have to do any of that bar the single lead

But archives has always been a pain

Then it hit me decent sized fast USB3.0 left in the hub ! so obvious all this time !

So when drive gets here I will transfer both archives from both PC to the USB and remove all duplication
Every shortcut for both will be constantly update I give it Letter X

Also motorsports TV downloads and media to watch will also fit so no more copying stuff from USB3.0 dock
or painfully slow cheap USB to watch something on other tower
Guaranteed every time there is a new driver or app I would be on the wrong system lol
Now immaterial

 

[Case_]

I was just about to say that by far the best recovery software is Testdisk, it's just quite challenging to use and not for someone who's looking for a simple tool with a GUI, you have to know what you're doing with Testdisk. As is usually the case with powerful tools like that.

 

[GEO147]

It really is a life saver.