Tom's Hardware > Forum > Storage > Hard Disks > MBR Overwritten, Partition Removed, Data intact! How do i recover?

MBR Overwritten, Partition Removed, Data intact! How do i recover?

Forum Storage : Hard Disks - MBR Overwritten, Partition Removed, Data intact! How do i recover?

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Hi, is there any solution to fixing this problem?

MBR had been overwritten
Partition Tables removed
Data Sectors never overwritten
Partition Table Doctor 3.0 Unable to retrieve or fix the problem.

Is there anyway i can rebuild the partition table in order to access my undamaged data in the harddisk(300GB) under MS Windows XP NTFS?

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It can be done manually with a disk sector editor, but it's not easy. (I speak from experience!) Here's a link that explains the process. The moral is, always keep good backups.

Reply to ijack

GetDataBack is supposed to be good. I haven't used it personally.

I just realized you want to rebuild the partition table. Not likely, if you screw it up your data can get overwritten and then you could loose some of it. Just use GetDataBack.

I hope this is indeed your data.

Message edited by Zorg on 10-02-2008 at 05:26:21 PM

Reply to Zorg

Moral is learn the xp recovery console.

Boot from windows cd into console:

fixmbr c:

Be happy.

Reply to MezzFA0

So fixmbr also does the partition table?

NOT :pfff:

Reply to Zorg

fixmbr and fixboot are the two commands you want to use at a windows recovery console, fixboot first, then fixmbr, then run a chkdsk just in case.

Reply to Flakes

Let me see if I can explain this. He has no partition anymore!

Reply to Zorg

I've used GetDataBackForNTFS with 100% success before.

------------------------------ Lian-Li PC-7B | XClio Greatpower 550W | P4 3.2 Prescott SL7E5 | Scythe Ninja
2GB DDR400 Corsair VS (4*512) | eVGA nVidia GF 7600GS AGP vmod 1.46/1.91 OCd 759/907
WD 160GB & 640GB SATA
WinXP MCE 2004
Reply to KyleSTL

MezzFAO - I'll still go for my moral. If you can fix a trashed partition table with fixmbr you're a better man that I. It just fixes the boot record - a trashed partition table is much more complicated than that.

There's no substitute for a good backup regime.

Reply to ijack

GetDataBack for NTFS will find the partition, and allow you to copy the files off that drive and onto another drive. It definitely will work in this instance.

Another application that may work is Active@ Partition Recovery. This is a bit more risky because it works in-place. i.e. It scans the drive attempting to find your partition and then attempts to fix the partition table directly on that drive. I have used it and it works fine as long as the partition itself is intact. If the partition is messed up also, you're better off using GetDataBack.

------------------------------ - SomeJoe7777

"Did he dazzle you with his extensive knowledge of mineral water? Or was it his in-depth analysis of, uh, uh, Marky Mark that finally reeled you in?" - Troy Dyer (Ethan Hawke), Reality Bites, 1994
Reply to SomeJoe7777

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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Storage > Hard Disks > MBR Overwritten, Partition Removed, Data intact! How do i recover?

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