Recover formatted partition

[martasfly]

Hi guys,

I have a big issue. My SSD disk 120GB had two partitions, System 80GB and Repository 30GB. I needed to resize the repository and went to Disk utility. Honestly, I do not really like the new version, that probably applies to other users.
So I resized the system partition to 70 GB and then wanted to to increase the second one. However, I do not know why, but I clicked on the minus button at bottom of the window and it removed the repository partition with Untitled. Surprise, surprise I lost the files as I was too fast and did not read the warnings.

The question is how to recover the Repository partition to the state before. Is there any log file where I can see the exact size of the original partition, then remove Untitled and change the gpt to previous state? After that I will be able to recover the files.
I had only Photos library on the second partition, so only photos and videos needs to be recovered. I have tried Easus recovery wizard to check what files it can find. It was not so bad, but it does not show the tree structure of the found files only the list what is recoverable. I did not proceed so I am not sure if it put the files in the original path or just dump everything into one folder.
Anyone has good experience with other software, which restore the folder structure too?
Thank you so much for help.

Martin

 

[mysteryGenius]

Hi guys,

I have a big issue. My SSD disk 120GB had two partitions, System 80GB and Repository 30GB. I needed to resize the repository and went to Disk utility. Honestly, I do not really like the new version, that probably applies to other users.
So I resized the system partition to 70 GB and then wanted to to increase the second one. However, I do not know why, but I clicked on the minus button at bottom of the window and it removed the repository partition with Untitled. Surprise, surprise I lost the files as I was too fast and did not read the warnings.

The question is how to recover the Repository partition to the state before. Is there any log file where I can see the exact size of the original partition, then remove Untitled and change the gpt to previous state? After that I will be able to recover the files.
I had only Photos library on the second partition, so only photos and videos needs to be recovered. I have tried Easus recovery wizard to check what files it can find. It was not so bad, but it does not show the tree structure of the found files only the list what is recoverable. I did not proceed so I am not sure if it put the files in the original path or just dump everything into one folder.
Anyone has good experience with other software, which restore the folder structure too?
Thank you so much for help.

Martin

No easy way of recovering the folder structure man. That's as good as gone. Just salvage what files you can using recovery software and reorganise it manually.

 

[Fishrrman]

IF you wish to have much hope of getting anything back, you MUST stop using the "system" partition (that is to say, the entire drive) RIGHT NOW.

If you continue to use it, there's a very good chance that the data that was on the now-deleted partition will be over-written, and "gone forever".

If the System partition is your boot drive, you MUST start booting from a DIFFERENT drive RIGHT NOW.

Then, get ahold of "data recovery" software such as "DataRescue", and give it a chance to work on the problem drive.

DR will also need a "scratch drive" on which to recover the deleted data. It can't be the problem drive itself.

DR (and all the other data recovery apps) work like this:
1. You download the app for free
2. You launch the app and "aim it" at the problem drive
3. DR will examine the drive, and report back as to what files it has found
4. At this point, you can recover ONE file (one file ONLY). This is to verify that the app will work BEFORE you pay the registration fee.
5. You now pay the registration, get a code, enter the code, and DR will "go to work" on the drive, recovering what it can.
6. BE AWARE that you will almost certainly lose all previous folder hierarchies, and probably most file names as well. This is "par for the course" with data recovery software.

If DR cannot see the files on the drive "as it stands", I have used the following trick in the past to recover files on a corrupted partition:
1. I re-initialized the ENTIRE DRIVE to ONE partition (IMPORTANT -- I DID NOT "zero out" (secure erase) the drive, just a quick re-initialization. This replaces the directory but leaves the data alone on the drive sectors.
2. I then ran DR on the drive. DR was able to "by-pass" the [empty] directory, "go right to the platters" and FOUND the missing files.

 

[simonsi]

The folder structure only exists in the partition mapping tables which were blown away with the partition's removal.

Follow Fishrrman's advice...

 

[chabig]

Everything said above is accurate. One thing nobody has yet mentioned is a backup. Martasfly, please tell us you backed up your data...

 

[simonsi]

Everything said above is accurate. One thing nobody has yet mentioned is a backup. Martasfly, please tell us you backed up your data...

Must admit I assumed if a backup was available why would he be trying to recover files from a deleted partition?

Good question though I suspect the answer isn't pretty.

 

[chabig]

Must admit I assumed if a backup was available why would he be trying to recover files from a deleted partition?

Good question though I suspect the answer isn't pretty.

I agree. He wouldn't be asking the question if he had a backup. I just pointed that out so others can learn.

 

[martasfly]

Thanks guys for the input. I thought it would be like that.
Yes, I have a backup, but a couple of weeks (month or two) old. Yes, I should make a backup regularly.
I would not be to much data I loose for that period, but It will be said to loose some good photos.

Cheers.

 

[Fishrrman]

"Yes, I have a backup, but a couple of weeks (month or two) old. Yes, I should make a backup regularly.
I would not be to much data I loose for that period, but It will be said to loose some good photos."

Save yourself time, money and trouble.
Restore from the backup you have.
Forget about the photos.
That's life.

 

[simonsi]

Thanks guys for the input. I thought it would be like that.
Yes, I have a backup, but a couple of weeks (month or two) old. Yes, I should make a backup regularly.
I would not be to much data I loose for that period, but It will be said to loose some good photos.

Just plug in a drive and use Time Machine...takes an almost continuous backup and saves all this drama with photos that can't be recovered...