Best approach to restore or recover 4TB WD My Book external HDD?

Yes, you are right.

GPT is more secure. Sector 2 has the partition table. A backup of that partition table exists at n-32 sector where n is the last sector. If the partition table at sector 2 is lost or corrupted, it will automatically read the backup at n-32 and the disk will be readable. The user wouldn't even know that the partition table at sector 2 is corrupt or lost.

That is why I am stumped seeing your screenshot. I do not know what exactly has happened in your case. I have to experiment and see whether I can simulate your disk condition or I have to examine your disk and check what is there at sector 0, sector 1, sector 2 , sector n and sector n-32.

If I am unable to simulate your disk condition, that is what I will ask you to do. But wait.

Hi @spoolin01

The WDM screenshot below shows my Seagate 5TB external exactly as your WD 4TB external WDM screenshot in your post #8.



My quick experiment suggests that if this is what has happened, the remnants of GPT partition data should still be there in the appropriate sectors. So let me find what is there on your WD external.

For examining the sectors you will be using Bootice for 64bit . (Use it on your Windows 10 Home 64bit PC)

Download latest version 1.3.4.0 of Bootice from Bootice Download (2022 Latest)

Extract the zip file in the same download folder. You will see two .exe files BOOTICEx64.exe and BOOTICEx86.exe. You will use BOOTICEx64.exe on your 64bit Windows 10 PC.


How to use Bootice: Read my post here Lost partitions! Solved - Windows 10 Forums

You will post the following screenshots for me to examine

Be sure to select your WD 4TB external in the opening screen.

1. Click on the Partitions button , and take a screenshot ( as shown in the above referred post)

2. Select sector 0 and take a screenshot. ( MBR sector)

3, Select sector 1 and take a screenshot. ( GPT header)

4. Select sector 2 and take a screenshot. ( GPT Partition tables 1 to 4)

5. Go to the last sector of the disk and take a screenshot ( This is the backup of the GPT Header in Sector 1)

6. Note down the total sectors shown in Bootice at the bottom of the sector map. If it is n go to sector n-33 and take a screenshot. ( Example: Total sectors shown in Bootice 9767541167 you will go to sector no 9767541134 and take a screenshot) This will be the backup of the GPT Partition tables at sector 2)

Post all the screenshots.

At the moment there is no need to save the sector map of these sectors. Also we are only examining the contents of each sector and not writing anything to the disk.

No need to panic. Do it leisurely at your own time and convenience.

@zbook,

If the remnant GPT partition data is found in the appropriate sectors that matter, it should be a simple task to restore the disk or so I would think. If that does not work, I shall hand over the platter to you. .

Having trouble managing attachments and formatting posts. Going to try again:

zbook - thank you for the offer of help. Let me start with the Bootice analysis first. I'll probably have some questions when I get to your recommendations.

Here is a summary of the Bootice results: Sector 0 has a small amount of data, Sectors 1, 2, and the last sector, as well as n-33, are all 0's. When I enter the final sector number shown in the Bootice display, 7814035456, I get instead Sector 7814035455.

Looking at the first 50 sectors or so, then jumping by 100 or more at a time, it appears the first sector after 0 with any data is 2071 which has a bunch of 16 digit repeats. The last 2050 or so sectors are also all 0's.

The Partition button does not show details similar to the example in the linked bootice post. I've also attached a shot showing what's under the button. The Sector 0 details don't differ between the MBR and FDD, both go to Sector 0 when selected.

Sector 0:

spoolin01 said:

.......zbook - thank you for the offer of help. Let me start with the Bootice analysis first. I'll probably have some questions when I get to your recommendations.

Here is a summary of the Bootice results: Sector 0 has a small amount of data, Sectors 1, 2, and the last sector, as well as n-33, are all 0's. When I enter the final sector number shown in the Bootice display, 7814035456, I get instead Sector 7814035455.

Looking at the first 50 sectors or so, then jumping by 100 or more at a time, it appears the first sector after 0 with any data is 2071 which has a bunch of 16 digit repeats. The last 2050 or so sectors are also all 0's.

The Partition button does not show details similar to the example in the linked bootice post. I've also attached a shot showing what's under the button. The Sector 0 details don't differ between the MBR and FDD, both go to Sector 0 when selected.............

OK. That means there are no remnants of the GPT partition data. So restoring the disk is not possible. You have to try data recovery process only. So I shall hand you over to @zbook ( When you want to draw the attention of zbook type @zbook. Then he will get notified.)

Note:The last sector in your case will be 7814035455. That is correct.

@zbook Over to you as promised with the following remark. Sector 0 of the OP's disk does not have any partition table in it. It has only been recognised as an MBR disk. No volumes present. If you look at it in Partition Wizard the whole disk will show as unallocated. So diskpart will not list anything.

.

@jumanji -

Could this be of help?

TestDisk - CGSecurity

I can't say for sure what could have happened to your disk. Initially you said it asked to be initialised but later you produced the WDM screenshot .showing two unallocated volumes. What happened in between? Only the wrong cable, but can it cause such severe damage? I do not know.

With the Bootice investigation I can categorically say all GPT partition data [in sector 1 (GPT header), Sector2 ( 64Byte GPT Partition tables) the last sector n ( Backup of sector 1) and sector n-32 ( Backup of partition tables in sector 2) ] are totally missing.

Do you have another 4TB WD external drive? If you have just check those sectors with Bootice. Even in other GPT drives you can check, just to get an idea what is there. ( As long as you do not edit the sector map and save it to the same disk, it is perfectly safe to examine the sector.)

In fact I had in Seven Forums long ago advised that those with GPT drives shoud save these sectors as a backup. In case of partition loss/corruption, the backup can be restored to those sectors using the same Bootice..

Siince you already have Easeus Data Recovery Wizard Pro 9.5, why don't you try recovery with it and report?