Lost Partition Recovery Freeware

Reverse your partition mistake or corruption. I don't have much experience with this kind of emergency.  If you don't want to fool around, go straight to the commercial BootMaster Partition Recover

Quick Links

• http://www.cgsecurity.org/index.html?testdisk.html - "Tool to check and undelete partition. Works with the following partitions: - BeFS ( BeOS ). - BSD disklabel ( FreeBSD/ OpenBSD/NetBSD ). - CramFS (Compressed File System). - DOS/ Windows FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32. - HFS, Hierarchical File System. - JFS, IBM's Journaled File System. - Linux Ext2 and Ext3. - Linux Raid. - Linux Swap (versions 1 and 2). - LVM and LVM2, Linux Logical Volume Manager. - Netware NSS. - NTFS ( Windows NT/2K/XP/2003 ). - ReiserFS 3.5 and 3.6. - UFS (Sun/BSD/...). - XFS, SGI's Journaled File System."
   
• http://www.roadkil.net/bootbuild.html - "Boot builder allows you to create your own custom boot sector from scratch. This utility allows you to recreate or restore boot sectors lost due to virus or other damage to a drive. Boot sectors can be imported/exported to a disk or created from a template. This program supports FAT and NTFS boot sector types."
   
• http://paradiseprogramming.tripod.com/prescue.html - "Partition Rescue backs up your disk's partition system to //partition rescue floppy disk//. If your disk's partition system gets damaged you can restore it by booting your system using this rescue disk. It can recover your disk from damaged partition table, missing partitions,
  virus attack etc."
   
• http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA003009/mbrscane.html - "MBRSCAN  is a PC-DOS program which dumps MBR (Master Boot Record) and boot record of each partition and analyzes partition table entries.  I wrote this
  program to dump the MBR when I encountered MBR corruption at OS installation. At first, I used a debug command to look at the MBR. Then I wrote the MBRSCAN for asking other person to display the MBR much
  easier. After that, I added partition table analyzer to the MBRSCAN. If you have some knowledge about hard disk, you can figure out partition and boot problems using this tool. The MBRSCAN is also good for understand partition table structure."
   
• http://www.diskman.co.uk/default.aspx - The core Diskman library supports a variety of file system and disk manipulation commands which can be used to extract and modify information not normally available from the OS. Diskman is currently supported by MS-DOS (and its clones) and Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP . A Linux version of Diskman may be developed in the future. Diskman 4 is the latest MS-DOS compatible release: Backup and restore VFAT (Windows 9X/nt/2000). Long File Names (LFN). Archive compatible with DOSLFNBK, the leading LFN backup utility. Support for disk image files up to 2GB (4GB coming soon). Support for spanned image files up to 2TB. Mount and manipulate disk images (such as those created for Rawrite). Export volumes or entire physical drives for later restore. Quickly copy every file into image files for easy backup and later restore. Directly edit disks at the sector level. Support for all BIOS supported disks, DOS supported drives and Image files. Help repair disks after a virus attack or rescue critical data."
   
• http://pjwalczak.com/scaven/index.php - "SCAVEN is a micro-tool for data recovery. It was designed to perform unattended multi-string searches through large hard drives. It records position of matches found to the output text file in a sector:offset:match format (fixed size column). SCAVEN is an effective tool and time saver in the
  recovering data from: files permanently deleted, files lost through overwrite, accidentally formatted drives, drives with damaged MBR / lost partitions, drives with corrupted FATs, drives which developed bad sectors, SCAVEN will not help if:drive developed mechanical problems (strange metallic sounds), motor is dead (not spinning at all), controller failed (drive not detected by BIOS)"
   
• http://www.salvagentfs.com/6.0.html - "SalvageNTFS is capable of scanning a partition, or even a whole disk drive, for anything that looks like valid NTFS data. Normally, the location of this information is stored on the volume itself; however, if this becomes damaged, the volume can become unusable. SalvageNTFS continues to function and can (after an exhaustive search) furnish a complete list of data that can be recovered. Additionally, most file system drivers fail less-than-gracefully when unexpected data is encountered. SalvageNTFS is able to identify damaged records, extract whatever information it can, and continue using the other portions of the volume with ease."
   
• http://www.sysint.no/nedlasting/mbrfix.htm - "Perform several Master Boot Record (MBR) tasks, like backing up, restoring, fixing the boot code in the MBR, etc. The utility should not be used for GUID Partition Table (GPT) disks. The utility now, by popular demand, also come in a x64-version running unde x64-editions of Windows and PE."
   
• http://mbrwizard.tripod.com/ - "MBRWiz is a command line tool designed to directly modify the MBR, with the capability to set partitions active for booting, delete or hide partitions, back up and restore copies of the MBR, as well as sort the partition entries."

More Details

Name - TestDisk

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Download URL - Download Here

Developer - Christophe GRENIER

OS - BeOS, BSD, FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD, DOS/ Windows (all versions), Linux (all versions), Netware, SUN and SGI

File Size - 1210 KB

Supported Software Versions or File Systems - BeFS, CramFS, FAT16, FAT32, HFS, JFS, EXT2, EXT3, LVM, Linux Raid, Linux Swap v. 1, Linux Swap v. 2, LVM2, NSS, NTFS, ReiserFS 3.5 and 3.6, UFS, and XFS

Developer Provided Description - "Tool to check and undelete partition. Works with the following partitions: - BeFS ( BeOS ). - BSD disklabel ( FreeBSD/ OpenBSD/NetBSD ). - CramFS (Compressed File System). - DOS/ Windows FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32. - HFS, Hierarchical File System. - JFS, IBM's Journaled File System. - Linux Ext2 and Ext3. - Linux Raid. - Linux Swap (versions 1 and 2). - LVM and LVM2, Linux Logical Volume Manager. - Netware NSS. - NTFS ( Windows NT/2K/XP/2003 ). - ReiserFS 3.5 and 3.6. - UFS (Sun/BSD/..). - XFS, SGI's Journaled File System." 

Comment - I f partition deletion is your problem this may be your free solution. 

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Download URL - Download Here

Developer - Roadkil

OS - Windows 9X/ME/NT/XP/2000

File Size - 45 KB

Supported Software Versions or File Systems - FAT16, FAT32/NTFS

Developer Provided Description - "Boot builder allows you to create your own custom boot sector from scratch. This utility allows you to recreate or restore boot sectors lost due to virus or other damage to a drive. Boot sectors can be imported/exported to a disk or created from a template. This program supports FAT and NTFS boot sector types."

Comment - None

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Download URL - Download Here

Developer - Sreejith S

OS -  Windows 2000/NT/XP

File Size - 90 KB

Supported Software Versions or File Systems - FAT 16/32

Developer Provided Description - "Partition Rescue backs up your disk's partition system to //partition rescue floppy disk//. If your disk's partition system gets damaged you can restore it by booting your system using this rescue disk. It can recover your disk from damaged partition table, missing partitions, virus attack etc." 

Comment - Not currently available. May be added later.  

Name - MBRSCAN

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Download URL - Download Here

Developer - N. Kozawa

OS - CPC-DOS, DOS/V, DOS window of OS/2 and Windows 98

File Size - 47 KB

Supported Software Versions or File Systems - Not currently available. May be added later.

Developer Provided Description - "MBRSCAN  is a PC-DOS program which dumps MBR (Master Boot Record) and boot record of each partition and analyzes partition table entries.  I wrote this program to dump the MBR when I encountered MBR corruption at OS installation. At first, I used a debug command to look at the MBR. Then I wrote the MBRSCAN for asking other person to display the MBR much easier. After that, I added partition table analyzer to the MBRSCAN.  If you have some knowledge about hard disk, you can figure out partition and boot problems using this tool. The MBRSCAN is also good for understand partition table structure."  

Comment - Expert level.  Don't know if you can use the software to recover from a partition disaster. 

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Download URL - Download Here

Developer - Diskman

OS - Windows 95/98/NT/2000

File Size - 3417 KB

Supported Software Versions or File Systems - FAT16/32/NTFS

Developer Provided Description - "Diskman is free for noncommercial use. Diskman products may be licensed for commercial use and may be fully customized to suit particular application requirements. The core Diskman library supports a variety of file system and disk manipulation commands which can be used to extract and modify information not normally available from the OS. Diskman is currently supported by MS-DOS (and its clones) and Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP . A Linux version of Diskman may be developed in the future. Diskman 4 is the latest MS-DOS compatible release:

Backup and restore VFAT ( Windows 9X/nt/2000). Long File Names (LFN). Archive compatible with DOSLFNBK, the leading LFN backup utility. Support for disk image files up to 2GB (4GB Not currently available. May be added later.). Support for spanned image files up to 2TB. Mount and manipulate disk images (such as those created for Rawrite). Export volumes or entire physical drives for later restore. Quickly copy every file into image files for easy backup and later restore. Directly edit disks at the sector level. Support for all BIOS supported disks, DOS supported drives and Image files. Help repair disks after a virus attack or rescue critical data."

Comment - Can be used to "Delete, create and manipulate disk partitions."  May not allow partition restore.  

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Download URL - Download Here

Developer - FileRecovery.Biz

OS - Windows 3.x/95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP /2003 Server

File Size - 861 KB

Supported Software Versions or File Systems - FAT12/16/32/NTFS

Developer Provided Description - "About 75% of all hard drive booting problems, partition access failures, deleted partitions, and generic "hard drive failures" are the result of an overwritten or otherwise corrupted Master Boot Record (MBR) or partition boot sector. With this in mind BootMaster Partition Recovery was designed as a simple expert system to provide a safe, easy-to-use method for recovering from MBR and boot sector related failures. BootMaster also provides powerful diagnostics, advanced recovery functions and timely, aggressive technical support to diagnose and solve far more complex and difficult problems."

Comment - No longer free.  Demo version available.  Inexpensive.  Seems to work well. 

Name - Scaven

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Download URL - scaven10.zip

Developer - Piotr J. Walczak

OS - DOS (in 9X and NT Based systems including XP)

File Size - 5.59 KB

Supported Software Versions or File Systems - FAT12/16/32/NTFS

Developer Provided Description - "SCAVEN is a micro-tool for data recovery. It was designed to perform unattended multi-string searches through large hard drives. It records position of matches found to the output text file in a sector:offset:match format (fixed size column).

SCAVEN is an effective tool and time saver in the recovering data from:
files permanently deleted
files lost through overwrite
accidentally formatted drives
drives with damaged MBR / lost partitions
drives with corrupted FATs
drives which developed bad sectors

SCAVEN will not help if:
drive developed mechanical problems (strange metallic sounds)
motor is dead (not spinning at all)
controller failed (drive not detected by BIOS)"

Comment - Not currently available. May be added later. 

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Download URL - dsfok.zip

Developer - Dariusz Stanislawek

OS - DOS

File Size - 76 KB

Supported Software Versions or File Systems - Any

Developer Provided Description - "with the DS File Ops Kit you can:

- backup any disk partition, including "live" and "hidden"
- backup entire disk, including "live"
- create an ISO CD-ROM or DVD-ROM image
- create a floppy disk image
- restore a floppy disk image
- save a block of data of any size from any location within a file
- overwrite a block of data of any size at any location within a file
- instantly create a file of any size
- truncate or extend files
- encrypt or decrypt files and directly overwrite them
- scan the volumes of a computer and get detailed infos
- check MD5 signature of a partial or complete data object
- join two files
- scramble a file with the contents of another one (OTP)
- do a bitwise reversion operation on any file
- securely erase files, partitions and disks

EXPERIMENTAL FEATURES
- restore disk partitions
- restore entire disk
(fast sector-level transfer)"

Comment - Not currently available. May be added later.  

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Download URL - Releases There are not yet any releases, binary or otherwise, of SalvageNTFS.

CVS

The CVS tree can also be accessed with a web browser via the Sourceforge viewcvs interface. Note, however, that both of these services are subject to SourceForge outages.

Developer - Will Glynn

OS - Linux/Others?

File Size - ?

Supported Software Versions or File Systems - NTFS

Developer Provided Description - "SalvageNTFS is capable of scanning a partition, or even a whole disk drive, for anything that looks like valid NTFS data. Normally, the location of this information is stored on the volume itself; however, if this becomes damaged, the volume can become unusable. SalvageNTFS continues to function and can (after an exhaustive search) furnish a complete list of data that can be recovered.
Additionally, most file system drivers fail less-than-gracefully when unexpected data is encountered. SalvageNTFS is able to identify damaged records, extract whatever information it can, and continue using the other portions of the volume with ease."

Comment - You will have to compile this program yourself, if you know what that means.Please note: Honestly the commercial software and services is the route you will sometimes have to take to recover your data.  That's not to discount the large number of high quality data recovery freeware generously given away by developers that you can see here.  On those occasions that you try the freeware and it doesn't work, the software in these pages will appear not be worth the time and effort you put in and this can be frustrating. I try to point out at the top of each page, what I see is the likelihood that and difficulty with which freeware can recover your data.

The Google Adsense Ads displayed on the pages should lead you to the standard commercial software and services available for the problem you are having. You can also try the commercial links by clicking on the Navigation Bar by that name on the left. It's also here.

For commercial software always be sure to try the demos first to see if the program works before buying. Also the difference in prices for software that does the same thing, for instance recovering PowerPoint Presentations, can be a large range like in this case $50 - 299. If possible, try several software solutions before buying.  For services, be sure there is a no data, no fee guarantee, and a recovered file preview available.

If you need help, I charge $22 for the first half hour and $22 for unlimited time after that. You can E-mail me at socrtwo@s2services.com.