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Lost 2nd HDD, PLEASE HELP!!!
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Posted by: Leadhead
I've got a second HDD that is showing as "unallocated". I'm dual-booting 2000 and XP with basic NTFS partitions. I messed up on a Linux install on the 2nd HDD; it wanted to "initiate drive" two seconds after I clicked, I realized what it was doing 'formatting I think'. Anyways two seconds after I clicked "initiate" I backed out of everything and rebooted. That's when I saw the entire second HDD labeled "unallocated". I've tried running FIXMBR from the Recovery Console but it won't work.
Thanks in advance for any input guys
Posted by: Waffles
I'm guessing at this, correct me if I'm wrong:
Linux has its own file system, and when you clicked initiate, it started to format the drive in that system. When you reset the computer, it wasn't finished, so the file system is now messed up. I would try to format it back to NTFS or FAT32 and see what happens.
Posted by: Dabom
You've got two options at this point: install Linux or use the drive with Windows.
If you want to run Linux off of it, pop your boot disk in there and go through the installation process, making sure you let it do what it wants. 
Depending on how far the partitioning and/or formatting process got, you probably have two partitions foreign to Windows. So, if you want to use the drive as a slave, we'll need to get an extended DOS partition back onto it.
Just for kicks, try to format the drive as NTFS — format x: /FS:NTFS — like Waffles suggested. That's probably not going to get you anywhere, though.
Put a Windows 98 boot disk in and run fdisk. Remove as many partitions as you can; make sure you to select the right drive, heh. Then, put your Windows 2000 CD in, and after your computer's hardware is detected, you'll be able to choose which file system you want to use — FAT32 or NTFS. Select one and then proceed to install Windows. If you want, you can cancel the installation process and format the drive at boot up.
Let me know how it comes along.
Posted by: Leadhead
I'm sorry I forgot to mention that I have an assload of files on the 2nd HDD that can't be replaced. I'm not interested in installing linux, just recovering all the information on it "over 40 gigs".
No critical files were in the first ten gigs, so I'm possitive I can get all my files back since Liinux only initiated for a few seconds. I just don't know where Linux started or what damage it did in those few seconds of initiation.
Thanks guys
Posted by: Outlaw
I think when Linux initiates your HD, it destroys any/all data that is on it, I know close to nothing about Linux though, so I could very well be wrong about that.
Also, there is no first 10 gig of data as you don't know where windows puts what files on your HD (physicly).
Posted by: Leadhead
Linux's "initiate" only ran for a few seconds 'as mentioned above', so it couldn't have erased everything. Also, if I'm not mistaken when you view the Volumes or 'Partitions' in MS's Disk Management or Partition Magic they show you physically where the volumes are.
Thanks Again
Posted by: Waffles
I think what Sniper was trying to say is it most likely erased or corrupted the table of contents on the drive when it started to initiate. If that happened, your data is most likely gone.
Posted by: Leadhead
What is the table of contents, I haven't heard of that. Is it like the partition table? The partition table is in the MBR. There's a copy of the MBR at the middle or end of the drive 'I think at the end'. I just don't know how to copy or retrieve it.
Thanks
Posted by: Outlaw
Yes, the table of contents is the partition table.
I don't think there's a copy of it anywhere, but you might be able to restore your partitions with a program like Disk Doctor. I got no other info on this program, I just heard about it somewhere, I'll see if I can find some place to download it.
Posted by: Sarc
DO NOT ATTEMPT ANOTHER FORMAT!
No matter what you do, a format will erase all data, eliminating your chances of retrieval.
You'll need to do or have done, some sort of data recovery.
You can pay to have this done, usually a pretty penny.
I'm not sure what options your going to have. Since Linux does in fact use a different partitioning system, the chances of Windows seeing it in a recognized format again is slime. At least based on the knowledge I have.
I do not recommend what I'm about to explain, only as a last ditch effort.
If Windows does see the partition, it is probably considering it to be extremely screwed up.
Very specifically, if this is the case, you may be able to use Scandisk to turn all the files into checksum files.
Basically, if this is possible, Scandisk would see all the files, but there would be no table to identify them, so it would label each and every one systematically.
Example:
FILE0001.TMP
FILE0002.TMP
ect. ...
You would then have to go to each and every file and rename them to at-least the appropriate extension.
This involves a lot of guess work, and trial and error.
Very tedious.
I had to do this on a old 650MB drive that decided to take a massive brain fart and screw it's own File Alloc. Table.
I'd hate to imagine doing this on a drive as massive as 40gig. 
It's probably easier to pay someone to recover the data for you.
If you do decide to attempt this on your own, have someone with you that knows Scandisk very well. Better yet, let/PAY them to do it.
There are many questions that can pop up, and guessing is the last thing to do.
Best of luck.
I feel for you, but am glad I'm not in your shoes. 
Posted by: Dabom
What file system is on the drive?
Posted by: Shalome
If the data is really very important and there's no way to replace it, there ARE professional companies that specialize in data recovery from damaged or partially formatted hard drives. It'll cost you a bit of money, but for some information, it's worth it -- especially if you didn't back up critical files before messing around with installing operating systems... Look for a computer service center that says it performs data recovery, or call computer service centers and ask if they perform this service.
Posted by: Dabom
Once again, what file system is on the drive?
Posted by: Leadhead
As typed above, they are all NTFS partitions. There are about four Basic partitions on the 2nd drive, two of which have critical data on them.
I've tried Disk Doctor and it knows there's a problem. It asks if I want to scan for DOS partitions, after I click yes it asks me twice more if I want to scan for more DOS partitions. It scans for quite a while but doesn't fix anything.
I've also tried scandisk, but it won't work because the entire second drive is gone. I'm assuming without the MBR it can't scan the drive.
I've contacted the HD manufacturer and they recommended some data recovery buisnesses. I found one company 'DIY Data Recovery' that had a program called Repo Man that seems suited for my problem so I bought it for about $30. I ran it and it found some partitions but I'm not sure if they're the right ones, so I haven't tried to recover them yet because I don't want to make a mistake. I'm gonna read a lot on the forum at there websight before I do anything with their program.
Thanks again Guys
Posted by: Leadhead
I finally got it all back! DIY Data Recoverys Repo Man 2.0 found all my partitions and others that I had before. It showed me the sizes of them and asked if I wanted them rebuilt. If you back up your MBR in Repo Man first, after you rebuild the partitions you can go back if it's not the partition you're after. For $30 dollars I highly recommend this before calling or paying for a profesional job.
Thanks a lot for all the input guys. I hope this thread will help someone else and save them a lot of grief.
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