From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from lists.gentoo.org ([140.105.134.102] helo=robin.gentoo.org) by nuthatch.gentoo.org with esmtp (Exim 4.54) id 1FK0Ii-00074M-QG for garchives@archives.gentoo.org; Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:46:33 +0000 Received: from robin.gentoo.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by robin.gentoo.org (8.13.5.20060308/8.13.5) with SMTP id k2GLjUjh000828; Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:45:30 GMT Received: from smtp.gentoo.org (smtp.gentoo.org [134.68.220.30]) by robin.gentoo.org (8.13.5.20060308/8.13.5) with ESMTP id k2GLd0KY018648 for ; Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:39:01 GMT Received: from main.gmane.org ([80.91.229.2] helo=ciao.gmane.org) by smtp.gentoo.org with esmtp (Exim 4.54) id 1FK0BQ-0005ey-FS for gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org; Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:39:00 +0000 Received: from list by ciao.gmane.org with local (Exim 4.43) id 1FK0BJ-0002dt-Kv for gentoo-user@gentoo.org; Thu, 16 Mar 2006 22:38:53 +0100 Received: from c-68-39-44-30.hsd1.nj.comcast.net ([68.39.44.30]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Thu, 16 Mar 2006 22:38:53 +0100 Received: from pete4abw by c-68-39-44-30.hsd1.nj.comcast.net with local (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Thu, 16 Mar 2006 22:38:53 +0100 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org From: Peter Subject: [gentoo-user] Re: unformat a partition Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:38:47 -0500 Message-ID: References: Precedence: bulk List-Post: List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Id: Gentoo Linux mail X-BeenThere: gentoo-user@gentoo.org Reply-to: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-15 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: c-68-39-44-30.hsd1.nj.comcast.net User-Agent: Pan/0.14.2.91 (As She Crawled Across the Table) X-Archive: encrypt Sender: news X-Archives-Salt: f251431d-529f-4945-adc5-cca8a3a713ac X-Archives-Hash: 1c44d3044c083b47100c563c66628b35 On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 12:15:24 -0500, Nick Smith wrote: > i just accidentally blew away my ntfs partition with the gentoo > install cd (formatted hda1 instead of hdb1) is there a way to unformat > if it was just done? like undo the format information? i formatted > with ext3. ordinarily i wouldnt mind, but i have some VERY important > information on there and a ton of pictures i cannot lose (originals). > i can probably use getdataback when i get home just wanted to know if > there was another way since im still at the prompt on the install cd > now. > > thanks (bangs head on wall) A definite MAYBE. If you did a quick format, not doing error checking, there is an excellent chance your data is intact. If you did error checking, then probably not, although badblock normally restores data as it checks each sector. If you know about partition editing, then go in and change the partition type back to ntfs and see if it can be mounted by Windows or linux. Now, first thing I would do is do an image backup of the partition just so you can save it and try again with a different approach if need be. Second, the sfdisk utility in Linux allows for low level partition editing, but it's not easy. Windows utilities are much better for this kind of thing. I remember the old Norton Disk Doctor for example. Nonetheless, the good news is if you did a quick format, you most likely will be fine. How fine depends on whether or not you can get the partition to mount again under the original partition type. Otherwise, there are services like Ontrack which, for mega $$$ get your stuff back. Good luck! -- Peter -- gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list