When performing a Partition Data Recovery we strongly recommend that you proceed as following steps:

1. We recommend that you first download the demo version of Partition Table Doctor. (http://www.ptdd.com/download.htm)
2. We suggest that you'd better install Partition Table Doctor on a healthy Windows machine without the drive you want to recover attached. Make sure you have sufficient space on the good drive for storing the recovered data. You may also store the recovered data to a LAN if you have access to one. The machine on which you are running Partition Table Doctor supports such operating systems as Windows95, 98, ME, Windows NT, W2K, Windows XP, and Windows 2003.
3. Shut down the computer and attach the drive you want to recover (bad drive) as the 2nd drive (Please see: How to install a hard drive?). You might need to adjust the jumper of the 2nd drive. Make sure it is recognized correctly by the BIOS when starting up the computer. If you're not sure how to create a master/slave setup on your computer, there is an excellent article with detailed instructions on how to do so here.
4. If you haven't done so already, install the Bad Device as an additional device to the Computer. It's important that you use this page as an installation reference only. You can also contact the drive manufacturer for assistance with installing their drive as a slave (secondary) device. Be sure that the primary drive is loading Windows.
5. How to recover lost or deleted partition?
   MBR And Partition Table Error:
   SYMPTOMS:
   - When we try to boot after hardware testing procedures, we see just blank screen without any messages
   - Not found any [active partition] in Hard Disk
   - DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER
   - Invalid partition table
   - 'Invalid Drive Specification' messages
   - Partition deleted by FDISK or PQMAGIC

   Please run Partition Table Doctor and select "Rebuild Partition Table" on menu "Operation". There are two modes of searching process: the "Auto" mode and "Interactive" mode. The Auto mode can automatically save each partition found without any process control. This mode process is applied in most situations. While the Interactive mode allows you to select each partition found by Partition Table Doctor. When errors occur in rebuilding the partition table in Auto mode, you can switch to the Interactive mode. Searched partitions will be displayed on screen in time sequence. You can search repeatedly till the partitions you need has been found, and then save the results by pressing the "Ctrl+S" key or selecting "Save" on the menu "General".

   For more detail: Rebuild Partition Table.

6. How to fix boot sector?
   Boot Sector of Partition Error:
   SYMPTOMS:
   - Missing Operating System
   - Invalid media type reading drive
   Abort, Retry, Fail?
   - File system is displayed as 'RAW'
   - Windows may ask if you want to format the drive
   - File names contain 'weird' characters
   - 'Sector not found' messages

   Fixboot is very good at repairing boot sector of partition.

   If you cannot access the FAT16/NTFS partition in Windows Explorer, it will be marked with "X" in Partition Table Doctor. Right click the partition and choose Fixboot. Partition Table Doctor will automatically check and repair the boot sector of the partition.

   If you cannot access the FAT32 partition in Windows Explorer, it will also be marked with "X" in Partition Table Doctor. Right click the partition and choose Fixboot. There are two choices for you:

   • "Auto" mode: Partition Table Doctor can automatically check and repair the boot sector of the partition. We recommend that you choose this mode.
   • "Interactive" mode: If "Auto" mode doesn't work, you can choose this one. You need input the Label for the partition or file name (the file is in the Root Folder). If you do not know what file name to input, just follow the file name suggested:

   Bootable partition:
   io.sys, msdos.sys, ntldr, bootlog.txt
   Other partitions:
   _restore, recycled
   For more detail: fixboot.

7. After saving, please reboot the computer and backup all desired files. If you are not satisfied with the results of the repair after restarting the computer, click the "Undo Changes" on menu "General" immediately.
8. After copying all desired files, shut down the computer, remove the bad drive, put the bad drive in a safe place.

If there is not any mechanical problem on your drive, you can install Partition Table Doctor on the bad drive or use emergency floppy disk or bootable CD of Partition Table Doctor to recover partitions. You may go to step 4, 5, 6 directly. However, we recommend that you follow our steps to recover partition and backup data.

We also recommend that you build a brand new system now if your bad drive has been severely corrupted. Use another device other than the bad one. Install the operating system, then install the programs from their installation CD-ROMS. Finally you can import the recovered data to the new drive.

Verify that you have got back all the data you need. Do not recycle the bad drive unless you are absolutely sure about all wanted data is in place. It is a good idea to wait for 4 weeks before re-using the bad drive. If the bad drive has any mechanical problem you definitely must not use it again.

If you notice that there is any mechanical problem on the drive such as bad sectors and unusual noises, you need immediately stop the recovery and make a drive image first (You can use our Free Sector by Sector Backup software - EaseUs Disk Copy). When it is successfully created, you can recover from this drive image as the same as recover from the original drive. A mechanically damaged drive can fail entirely at any moment. It must be your primary goal to fetch all the raw data from such a drive as soon as possible. Making an image also reduces the drive load because each sector is read only once. Professional Data Recovery companies always make an image of the drive before trying to retrieve any file.

If your operational process differs from those above, please always make sure that you:

• never install Partition Table Doctor on the mechanically bad drive,
• never use the virus-infected drive as the boot-up system drive (C),
• never have temporary files and folders copied on the bad drive,
• never copy the recovered files to the bad drive,
• make an image first if the bad drive has mechanical problems.

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The differences between Partition Table Doctor and Data Recovery Wizard

Have you found that there are some important files lost in your data loss disaster even though the partition table has been retrieved with a partition recovery software?

If the data in the partition was loss or destroyed, you can not access them after retrieved your partition. When you encountered this problem, select a recovery software such as Data Recovery Wizard is a good choice for you.

The following table is the details of common problems which can be solved by Partition Table Doctor or Data Recovery Wizard. Hope this will be helpful to you.

Common problems related to data loss and solutions

• How do I recover deleted file(s) and folder(s)?
• How do I recover missing or lost logical drives?
• How do I recover formatted logical drives?
• How do I recover Fdisked drives?
• How do I recover lost file(s) and folder(s)?
• How do I recover repartitioned (such as Partition Magic resize partition error) drives?
• How do I recover hard disks involving Scandisk and Chkdsk?
• How do I Recover 'Ghosted' (or 'imaged') hard disk drives?
• How do I recover Raw Drive?
• How do I recover Encrypted Data on NTFS Partition?
• How do I recover Compressed Data on NTFS Partition?
• Raid Drive Recovery Overview
• Professional Data Recovery Software: Data Recovery Wizard