GPT Disk Partition
 

Hi,

Anybody know how to mount a GPT partiton drive on Windows 7?

Got a drive here that I'm recovering for a friend, but Windows does not recognise it.

I can run some data recovery software which will recover the data (tested already) but it's a dirty way of doing it. I want to try and keep the folders / file names intact if possible.

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

Linux will support both the GPT and windows partitions.. Grab an ISO of puppy linux and boot from that on a dvd/cd.. then copy across the data you want

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

Thanks Kymmy. Never used Linux!! :mad:

I've read that Windows 7 x64 should be able to read it native.

I can see the drive in Disk Management, but no drive letter assigned and it won't allow me to assign one.

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

Just download and burn the ISO.. then boot the PC from the burned disk (no install needed as it'll run straight from the cd/dvd).. once booted it's similar to windows where you just click the drives to open them and drag/drop the directories needed.. Only issue I find is that it's single click instead of double click to open them.

Puppy Linux can be found here
http://puppylinux.org/main/Download%...%20Release.htm

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

OK - will give it a go. When booted can I still access the Windows partitions? I'd like to be able to see both so I can dump the data across...

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

When it boots in the bottom left you should have the available partitions (cd/dvd/hdx(ide hard drives)/sdx(SATA hard drives)

Just click on the icon and it'll automatically mount them and open them.. It's really very simple..

Only issue I've found with opening windows drives is that sometimes it first of all mounts them as read only.. if this happens just right click on the drive icon and unmount, then try mounting again.

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

Not tried R/W on NTFS from Linux in ages, it used to be very buggy and hit and miss for writing, reading was always OK though

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

So...downloaded and burnt to CD - booted on main PC but it initialized the video and then went blank ....nothing.

On the 2nd PC I got it booted, got the desktop. Plugged in the USB drive - it cam up as an icon at the bottom and clicked on it, but no files / folders shown.

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

It could mean that it's a non-standard GPT.. which device originally wrote the partition and data?

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

Paragon HFS+ is supposed to be able to read GPT. There's a 10-day trial available here:

http://www.paragon-software.com/home.../download.html

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

It's a USB HDD that was connected to a PC - all folder / files available. It got connected to a Mac and then it became not accesable. Put back to the Windows PC and it was seen but no drive letter assigned.

I think the Mac may have tried to initilize the disk for use and wiped the MBR / FAT in the process.

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

If it has then you'll only be able to see the files via recovery software.

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

Yeah - that's what I thought...

Ah well...I can see the files via some recovery software but it gives the files temp names like FILE001.jpg, FILE002.jpg etc.

I suppose there's no way to recover the original filenames / folders?

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

Nope as the names would have been removed with the original tables

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

There's two copied of the FAT isn't there? Wonder if both have been trashed...quite possibly I think...

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

If the MAC prepared the drive then they would have done both copies.. the second copy is there purely of the first one gets corrupted.

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

That's what I thought - just confirming my suspicions.

Pitty they were not just deleted - may have been easier to recover!!

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

It's pretty decent now.

---------- Post added at 00:20 ---------- Previous post was at 00:19 ----------

GPT is a standard. If it's non-standard, it aint GPT ;)

---------- Post added at 00:20 ---------- Previous post was at 00:20 ----------

Most things can read GPT, it's just a partitioning table. It has nothing to do with your data and is very rarely used on a USB drive though, so I doubt the relevance of it at all.

---------- Post added at 00:21 ---------- Previous post was at 00:20 ----------

Either the drive is broke or, well, unlikely but possible the partition table was wiped.

---------- Post added at 00:22 ---------- Previous post was at 00:21 ----------

Indeed, though there's plenty of free and decent recovery programs out there. What's key is whether the drive shows up in Windows device and disk manager.

---------- Post added at 00:23 ---------- Previous post was at 00:22 ----------

If the partition table got buggered then all the original filenames and folders will be recovered just fine.

Even if reformatted and the FAT got crapped out, filenames will be mostly fine and just the folder names would be buggered. In the case of NTFS, the latter would probably still be OK as well.

---------- Post added at 00:24 ---------- Previous post was at 00:23 ----------

Not neccessarily, the extent of the damage depends on the filesystem, which the OP hasn't stated.

---------- Post added at 00:26 ---------- Previous post was at 00:24 ----------

Deletion absolutely buggers file and folder names by nature but a broken MBR or partition table leaves it all completely intact. A damaged FAT is another matter, but it wouldn't neccessarily be worse.

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

The standard is fixed yes but some earlier portable devices used to write a cut down version of the GPT (i.e.. no Secondary GPT header to save space) and for some reason these cut down versions are sometimes non-readable in some systems.. I am though going back about 12 years ;)

[edit as I typed out two responses but one seems to have gone missing]

It seems like a simple overwrite of the device by a MAC preparing it for data.. I hate it when a system thinks that just because it can not read it then it should be prepared for writing :(

Hopefully if the files were a sequential write then Lee will get back all of them (most likely on a solid state USB memory device) :tu:

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

I can't honestly say I've ever seen that happen on any PC, Mac or *nix. I've seen both format/erase the additional partitions to the one I told it to operate on, but never automatically or of its own accord.

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

...so continuing this one...I'm 54,940 files into the recovery. Is there a limitation of number of files you can have in one folder?

65,535 springs to mind for some reason!

Re: GPT Disk Partition
 

65534 was the limit under the old FAT32 system. It's a LOT more with NTFS. SOmething like 4 million I think so I guess you'll be OK.

(on reflection, that might be billion)