Can I get the data off this 2.5" HDD?

How do I stop the scan? There are no menu options showing on the screen.

I tried ESC. I tried "Q" for quit. Didn't work. PLEASE tell me there's a way to stop the current operation without quitting the program?

Better yet, How is that not in the documentation?

Also, while Testdisk is running, my Explorer can hang (not responding) on certain folders that are not on the drive under test. What's up with that? Windows memory isolation issue?

Edited by Shplad, 09 April 2024 - 12:34 PM.

Pressing Q should have quit the program. Does Ctrl+C work?  I can't say why  explorer is hanging unless it's because Testdisk is hogging memory. If Ctrl + C doesn't work I would simply close out Testdisk as  a scan is only doing a read on the drive. Nothing is written to the drive.

If you can't close the program open Task Manager and quit the Testdisk process.

Just tried Ctrl-C / Ctrl-Break. Neither worked. Only Task Manager worked.

Okay, it's showing some appropriate files on the partition in question. What next? Do I try to repair the boot sector/partition table?

On a separate note, skimming through the Testdisk docs, it reads: 

In some cases, especially after initiating a detailed search for lost partitions, TestDisk may show partition data which is from the remnants of a partition that had been deleted and overwritten long ago.

 

Does this apply to the Deeper Scan results screen, or only the screen where it summarizes the partitions it believes it's found?

I'm wondering if the person who sold this drive to my friend had HFS or FAT(32) partitions on it before selling it to him.

Edited by Shplad, 09 April 2024 - 02:24 PM.

It's possible it had partitions previously.  I don't have that much experience with Testdisk but the Deeper Scan would likely find any partition remnants. Looking at your image in post #16 I you can see that there are partitions that have sector overlaps. I believe this is why your disk is labeled as RAW. I was hoping you could get the Quick Scan to complete. In post #14 you can see that the one partition had a sector overlap also. I was hoping simply pressing upper case P after highlighting the Acer partition would get show all the files.

If a Quick Search doesn't completet the next step would be to use PhotoRec which is in the Testdisk folder. The downside of PhotoRec is that all files recovered have generic names with the correct extension. A file would need to be opened to determine what it is. PhotoRec also recovers files in real time so the recovery drive needs to have the required space, enough to recover all the files on the problem drive. All the files recovered default to the Testdisk folder so if there isn't enough space on the drive you launched Testdisk from you can attach an external USB drive with enough free space and have the Testdisk folder on the external when launched.

There are paid programs that can recover data with the file names intact, those being Minitools Data Recover and Easeus Data Recovery.

John:

Thanks again. I futzed around with it, and Testdisk is now copying pictures to another, known good drive. Tons of them. I will then do the same for Docs, Contacts and maybe bookmarks. After all that, I'm wondering whether it would be worth the effort to repair the partition. I ask because the laptop this drive was in was dropped on the floor. Hence the damage.

I wouldn't bother repairing the partition if you get all the required data off the drive especially since the laptop was dropped. I would reformat the drive and then run a chkdsk /r on the drive. Maybe a long scan using GsmartControl to see if the drive passes. I wouldn't be using the drive unless the data on it was backed up to another device. I wouldn't be using it for an OS drive.

Okay, I must say this has been a good learning experience. I was under the impression at the beginning of all this that Testdisk couldn't restore data until the partition table/boot sector was repaired. And boy, was I wrong. I'm glad I was.

Yes, I absolutely won't recommend my friend use this drive, as it's way too old and already has damage, mostly likely physical damage to the platters.

I'll post back if I have any more questions.

Thanks SO much, John and Dan.

Edited by Shplad, 09 April 2024 - 04:25 PM.

All needed data retrieved. Thanks again.