External disk showing unallocated and not able to retrieve folders

userknr

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Jul 31, 2014
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My disk accidentally fall down and became RAW in Disk Management. After then I just changed it to active partition in Disk Management and it shows Unallocated and then initialized using MBR Parition style in Disk Management.

Now I can retrieve data (like FILE0000.extension) but not able to retrieve in the original folder structure (Folder name/sub foldername/filename) using various data recovery tools, which was earlier possible when the disk was in RAW format before marking the disk as active partition.

Various tools used were Icare, Parition Wizard, Find and Mount, Easeus, Recuva and GetDataback. When in RAW format, using Format Recovery option in ICare I could list and backup the files as in its original folder name. But when I initialized using Disk Management, the disk doesn't get listed in the Format Recovery Option of the Icare tool.

Please help me, whether I would be able to retrieve the data in its original file folder structure.
Thank You

 
Solution
Try using TestDisk to restore partition structure.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

That being said, you are way overdue with backup. The first time you notice any problems with HDDs, it can already be too late. And you just kept playing around with your data, by using restore utilities, instead of backing them up on another drive. This disk has issues, and needs to be replaced ASAP.

userknr

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Jul 31, 2014
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Thank you , and right now im backing the remaining files, I did backup most of the data using tools (in the format FILE00000.extension), just being cautious does Test disk restore original file folder structure?

 

trekzone

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Mar 31, 2014
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UFS Explorer and R-Studio are good data recovery applications that might give you better results of retrieving your files and folder in its original structure but these programs are not free.

 

userknr

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Jul 31, 2014
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4,510


And now its completely gone. Thanks all for the help.