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bellis1

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 9, 2003
277
24
I made a mistake and now I cannot get my files back. I have a CD-RPW disk and I had been storing a bunch of files on it using an IBM. I then inserted the disk into the Mac OS X and all the files are there. However, I used to toast to write a session onto the same disk but just one file. It did this but now the other files are gone. I did not erase the whole disk because the file it wrote was small and quick and when I check the size of the disk it is correct but the files have become invisible or inaccessible. I tried just looking for hidden files but no luck. I tried Data Rescue X but there is something wrong with the allocation blocks and it can't figure them out so it has asked me to do it manually. And I have no idea what to do. Are my files gone forever. Does anyone have any ideas?
 
What does the IBM see?
What does the Mac see?

I am not familiar with the CDRPW format. Do you mean a printable CD-ram.

From what I understand, the catalog track is only partially appended on CDRWs. The catalog track lies on the inside of the CDR. The appended track contains information that sends the computer to the proper location on the CDRW, where additional information is stored. Technically the information isn't over written, but the catalog track could have been corrupted. (I hate CDRWs. Trouble with the lot of them.)

On the tricky side.

Try duplicating the CDRW. Do a 1 for 1 copy, not files. The CDR should be copied from towards the outside. Interrupt the burn, mid process, and see what the computers see. All I can think is that if the computer goes to the location where your last burn was and finds that it isn't there, then you might be able to partially recreate the data.

Does anybody else miss the days of brute force copying and Hex editors to recover data? Life was so much easier on a big floppy drive where the catalog was on track 7.

A data reclamation service should be able to help you if the data wasn't over written.
 
Still need help

So the files are there because I can download a file recovery program on a Win machine and it knows they are there. It is just the directory or cataloging got messed up when I burned a new session. But I don't want to pay $50 bucks although I will if need be. I would like to figure out how to do it on my mac. An additional question I have is how do I access the contents of the CD-RW from the terminal? I don't know if it will detect the lost/invisible files. What directory do I find it in? Any help appreciated.

My first reaction was to look for the files with a hexeditor program. I just wrote it off that it just didn't work. There are a lot of things about the new sysytem that I do not yet understand. I am still adjusting and trying to learn the unix underneath. I just wish I could learn faster!
 
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