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**Qqmike** · Feb 08, 2009, 06:48 PM

Re: help recovering deleted partition

Absolutely.
Been there, exactly, recently.

TestDisk will restore your deleted partition(s) on the external drive; The best way to go.
PhotoRec will find many/most/all individual files, but some times it takes work (I just deleted my entire 8.10 OS by accident--chrooting--long story) and got my family photos back using PhotoRec.

This will give you some talk, some links, some encouragement, but you'll have to carefull study the TestDisk site instructions (VERY well done btw), and DO NOT TOUCH THAT EXTERNAL DRIVE NOW!

RESCUE Partitions & Data
Data Rescue Links & Comments & Tips
TestDisk -- PhotoRec -- Knoppix (or other Live CDs)
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3091847.0

Herman also uses it and has a brief step-through to illustrate:
Bigpond, home: http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/
(you'll have to find his page on it)

(Once, TestDisk restored my entire MBR after I intentionally messed it up in the worst way, as an experiment -- I had it backed up using dd, btw.)

**L0customs** · Feb 08, 2009, 06:55 PM

Re: help recovering deleted partition

thanx for replying before u did i found and downloaded testdisk and im reading the instructions now i hope this works i havent done anything with the drive but i did unplug it as soon as i found out what i did and i also plugged it into a diff pc i hope thats ok and testdisk does pick it up i just wish the instructions where ezer to follow so if i use testdisk and recover my partition wil i also have to run the photo thing? any help with using testdisk would be very appreciated

**Snowhog** · Feb 08, 2009, 07:01 PM

Re: help recovering deleted partition

As long as you don't write to the HD, it is safe. The last thing you want to do is rush things. Take your time. Read through the instructions. Ask questions on steps you don't understand or want clarification on. This is a learning process.

**L0customs** · Feb 08, 2009, 07:09 PM

Re: help recovering deleted partition

ok first question lol do i run testdisk then run photorec

**Qqmike** · Feb 08, 2009, 07:22 PM

Re: help recovering deleted partition

ok first question lol do i run testdisk then run photorec

Hopefully not.
If TestDisk is successful, that partition will be restored in the MBR (which, really just points to the partition), and then the partition is available to BIOS and to any operating system.
You individual files--photos etc--hopefully will not be damaged in any way. But those files ARE laying around that disk in bits and bytes, so careful not to disrupt such bits and bytes (and scramble the files).

Remember, too, that Herman has written down a walk-through of TestDisk, which might help some.

TestDisk will identify your disks.

There is some trial and error --see any tips I wrote down in my how-to (I really can't recall the details just now of TestDisk, but it went fairly quick and well in my cases, plural, many experiments).

**L0customs** · Feb 08, 2009, 07:34 PM

Re: help recovering deleted partition

i fixed it !!!!!!!!!! yes thank you guys very very very much

**Snowhog** · Feb 08, 2009, 07:42 PM

Re: help recovering deleted partition[solved with testdisk]

Do I hear the sounds of a Happy Dance going on in the background?

Ah, the feeling of relief when a FUBAR situation turns into Back in Business. Congratulations. Good job.

**Qqmike** · Feb 08, 2009, 08:15 PM

Re: help recovering deleted partition[solved with testdisk]

i fixed it !!!!!!!!!! yes thank you guys very very very much

And, L0customs, YOU did fix it! As you discovered, it's not perfectly clear what you'd tell someone else, how to use it, but it's all there, the TestDisk site is well written and maintained, there is some trial-and-error, some decisions to be made, and some luck involved, but more often than not, it will come out if you focus in, right? Just as you did.

Very good work! Congratulations.