Recuva (Free Version) SSD- RAW File system

Recuva
1

* I have an SSD with a RAW file system format. It didn't have a drive letter so I enabled one (Drive:S).

When Recuva scans it is states it is an unrecognizable file system, and request to format the SSD drive.

I have not formatted the Drive: I have used other software to scan the RAW file system drive and it found Files (Music, Photos etc) So there are viable files on the SSD drive @ 480GB.

QUESTION: Can the Free Version of Recuva find Data Files (Music, Photos etc) in a RAW file system? It ask to format the drive, but don't want to lose the data. The drive is attached to a PCI-E slot ( Sata to PCIE) on an Asus Z77 Motherboard.

The drive was an OS drive, and still has files that from what I understand are still readable. Is there an option for Recuva to read the RAW file system on the SSD?

2

Hi ssd, and welcome to the forum.

If Windows now sees your drive as unallocated space (RAW), then you have the option of using partitioning software to search for and hopefully restore the partition as it was. All drives have at least one partition, and yours is lost.

The second option is a "Quick Format" of the drive, which will not touch the data but will reinitialize the file system (by writing to the drive boot-sectors), and enable Recuva to scan it.

I say second option because if you quick format, you will negate the opportunity to try the first option above.

To save my fingers have a read here ...

https://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=47569&hl=

... which links to another post for the free partitioning programs, and there are a few.

Any problems, come back to me and I'll assist where I can.

Hope that helps.

:)

3

Ok,

* I will quick format the Drive which will keep the Data and allow Recuva to access the formatted drive files.

Basically re-initialize the file system.

* Just want to make sure I can access the Data files after a Quick Format and recover them with Recuva.

4

* Ok so I formated it and it didn't find (Music files on quick scan), it is now in Deep Scan mode.

I will return with any questions.

5

Hi again.

My apologies, I omitted to remind you to select "Scan for non deleted files" in "Options/Actions", as the files weren't in fact deleted.

6

* I believe the option is already checked.

I am re-doing a scan for "all files" and see what it finds.

So far it did not find any " Music.mp3 files" on a deep scan.

I am also looking for other files (images as well) but decided to try the .mp3 files first.

Do I need to use Recover file directory options?

7

* Ok so it did not specifically find any file formats when the scan completed.

It only found 15 file structures all @ 1kb - 1MB - and some o bytes etc.

One file was 447GB size $ BadClus.

Can you please let me know how to find specific files I dont want to recover a 447 GB file onto my OS.

Do I need to scan this files $ BadClus cluster now.

It is set to 1 pass simple overight (Does it need to be set to another setting).

8

$BadClus is a system file so will be of no use in recovery. I believe it was used to hold bad cluster remapping before all that was done at the disk controller level. My few remaining memory cells say that it might be a sparse file, so the 447gb size might not represent actual space used or content.

I would scan for all file types and not put anything in the File Name or Path box.

'It is set to 1 pass simple overight (Does it need to be set to another setting).'

Ignore this. This option is specifically for overwriting files - the last thing you want to do.

9

* So Which files can be found with this software.

So far it has not come up with any files.

Please let me know why it is not finding any files.

* I did a quick format as you requested.

10

* There 4 different choice to scan under Disk Volume :S

New Volume S:

System Reserved:

Another: System Reserved:

Local DIsk Hard Volume. ( Is this a Main C Drive Volume) these are all located underneath the SSD S: Volume

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Can I get some feedback on what the issue could be?

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The only options there are with Recuva are normal and deep scan. If you don't enter any selection criteria (and I advise that you don't) then Recuva will return all that it finds. There are no tweaks to find further files. There may well be no further files to find.

Although there is a lot we don't know:

What is your O/S

What format was the disk before the problem

What is the new format (with a $BadClus file I suspect NTFS)

What exactly does a quick format do, especially with an SSD

Does the disk controller handle formats on an SSD any different from a HDD

Are you using Recuva in Wizard or Advanced mode

What selection criteria are you using

the answer to these will not necessarily bring any great break-though.

If you think that other software would bring better results then by all means try it, but in the end none of us know what's on the disk and what the software (including Recuva) is actually doing.

13

Windows 7 64 bit O.S.

Format was RAW (From corrupted drive)

* It was just just a windows quick format (as you requested). Not sure how to request windows to format ssd, I assumed it knows how to Quick format SSD.

Not sure what a Disk controller is. It's Intel chipset Core i7 3700K. ACHI Mode.

Recuva is Being Run as it was Originally Installed at Default settings.

* Any more suggestions, I'd like to find and salvage some files.

14

Hi ssd008.

The problem I believe is simply the fact that your drive was corrupted or physically damaged before we started.

The extent and type of that corruption or damage was impossible to say from our end, and it now transpires from your recovery attempts that your drive appears to have had some bad sectors.

Bad Sectors Explained:

How many bad sectors and whether they are physical damage or data corruption was again impossible to tell without having it sitting in front of us and carrying out various tests.

The $Badclus file, as Augeas alluded to above, is simply a meta file where the drive controller stores the location of all bad sectors on a drive, and prevents any further writing to those sectors.

Carrying out a Quick Format clears the stored data from the $Badclus file which means it no longer has any idea where the bad sectors are. I believe this is why it now shows as being the same size as the entire drive although it probably takes up very little space at all.

This information is a simplified version of my researching many many google hits on the $Badclus file. Not completely my own knowledge as it's a complex subject.

Just for info, the bad sectors could have caused a search for the lost partition to fail. Impossible to say for sure.

It was just just a windows quick format (as you requested). Not sure how to request windows to format ssd, I assumed it knows how to Quick format SSD.

Windows does know how to format an SSD, but I believe you have to select "Quick Format" somewhere during the initial set up of the format. Do you remember specifically doing that? I don't have an SSD to check this myself.

As to your data, I'm sure it will still be there as the $Badclus file doesn't overwrite the entire drive as it appears to show, but how to now get at that data I'm not sure.

Running "Chkdsk" may be an option as it may repair any soft bad sectors and mark any hard bad sectors so they won’t be used again.

How to Check a Disk from Windows: (CheckDisk in Win 7, 8 and 10)

I don't have any personal experience of using Chkdsk on a corrupt drive, so others contributing may help here. If successful a scan with Recuva could have better results.

Or, if your files are very important, it could be that the only course of action now is professional recovery, but even that may not be an option depending upon the physical state of your drive.

15

* I assumed the post was about the process of data recovery with Recuva.

I would have never continued to Quick Format the Drive if recovery is not possible with this software.

* Do I need to make the 100MB partition active instead of the 447GB Partition?

Windows only allows 1 Active partition. I'm going to Get the 100MB active and run a scan.

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* I assumed the post was about the process of data recovery with Recuva.

Your assumption was right, but unfortunately you started off with a drive which is damaged in some way, and deviation from that was an attempt to inform and help.

I would have never continued to Quick Format the Drive if recovery is not possible with this software.

Recovering data from any drive, even one in perfect condition, isn't always possible. Recovering data from a damaged drive, with any free software, is sometimes impossible.

I gave you two options with my first post and I emphasised that quick formatting was the second option.

If you hadn't quick formatted the drive, what would have been your next move? You have a damaged drive, evident by the result of the quick format. Not caused by it I might add.

If it's at all possible, that issue needs to be rectified first. The quick format hasn't done anything at all to the drive contents as it simply rewrites the boot sectors and makes the drive accessible.

Whatever data was there, will still be there.

17

* I haven't delved too much into Recovery scenerios etc. This is my First Time attempting this.

What you are saying is Recuva itself will not be able to recover lost files, although despite the quick format> The Files should still be there, but can only be re-allocated with *Other software.

I assumed it was mostly possible with Recuva.

18

If your files were intact on your drive, then they should still be intact. As I say, a quick format does not touch the data on the drive.

As long as it was just a quick format, and as long as the data wasn't damaged originally by whatever happened to your drive.

None of us work for Piriform by the way, or are experts at data recovery or damaged drive repair. We're just members like yourself, but if we can help at all with what experience or knowledge we have, we will. The obstacle to get around if possible is that $Badclus file.

So with that in mind can you firstly tell us what exactly happened to your drive, and did Recuva show any files from that 100mb partition.

Secondly, a good place to start with this is for you to provide us with a screenshot of how Disk Management views that drive.

Or better still install something like the free version of "MiniTool Partition Wizard", which will not only show your drive state but also has a number of tools which may be useful later, after you post a screenshot with your drive loaded into it.

This is how MiniTools appears (showing my drives) ...

post-8751-0-94525100-1485300380_thumb.jpg

... and on the left as an example of one of those tools you can see highlighted a "File System Checker". We won't go there yet, just show me a screenshot to begin with.

Partition Management programs don't ever do anything automatically, so there's no risk simply allowing this one to display the state of your drive.

:)

19

* OK,

I scanned the 100MB Partition but it did not show anything for the Drive.

I changed the Active drive in Disk Management back.

These are the 4 Menus Recuva Finds and shows.:

New Volume S:------------------------------------------------------------------Running a Scan on this drive shows: 0 Files found

System Reserved: (\\?Volume {2853faca- etc...---------------------Running a scan on this drive shows 2 files folders 1@ 32,768KB - No overwritten clusters detected.

System Reserved: (\\?volume {cfc07------------------------------------Running a scan on this shows no results.

Local Disk (\\Hard disk volume 7-------------------------------------------Running a scan on this shows: unable to determine file system type.

20

* I've run EaseUS to check for any files (After Quick Format) it didn't seem to find any right away (was deep scanning)

* Right now I'm going to leave the drive as is, and not attempt a Recovery.

Basically I discovered the Windows system image of the drive I made was acessible without actually re-cloning the drive (which I attempted to do-but took 3 days (very slow).

I ended up grabbing the files from windows VHD feature on a System Image on another drive, picked up all programs and files no issues.

* Note: I will keep Recuva for future use for HDD drives etc.

Thank you for the Feedback for this issue.

*If windows image recovery didn't take soo long I would not have had to recover any files from the drive with software.