Crucial SSD Went RAW in the file system

Hi @MrMatt,

Seemingly you have selected the wrong disk ( your system disk) and wrong partition EFI when you ran TestDisk 7.2. You should select your faulty disk, the 500GB Crucial SSD, which will show the partition/s in it. The Volume Boot Record - VBR ( also called the Partition Boot Record-PBR) of each partition resides on the first sector of the partition. Its backup resides on the last sector of the partition. If those - either or both - are corrupt, you will not be able to boot into the partition and access the data in it..

I think I may have to guide you step by step. Don't worry. We shall do it. But it is going to take sometime . Be patient ( Your daytime is nighttime for me and viceversa . In consonance, my response and your response may not sync immediately and will be delayed. )

1. You had downloaded TestDisk Beta version 7.2. I would like to be on a familiar ground. So ...... You can delete the TestDisk folder and install the stable version 7.1.

TestDisk Download - CGSecurity
Scroll down on this page and you will see the stable version TestDisk 7.1. Download and install it.

2. Windows Disk Management: ( Post a full screenshot showing all the connected disks ( internal and external) and not a truncated screenshot)

Right click on the Start Button > Disk Management

In the Disk Management screen View > Top > Disk List.. This will show the Partition style of the disks. Take a screenshot and post.

Sample screenshot:



Further instructions on running TestDisk after I examine it.

A question now. What is that WD Unlocker F: ? Explain. How does that WD pest come in into your system?

MrMatt said:

..........Unfortunately, I accidentally unplugged my Western Digital 1,000GB "automated" back-up drive. IT was showing as a RAW file now.
I then robooted my computer hoping it would cure it, it did partially. But when I launch Disk Manager, I see the 1st attachment.. and belive disk 2 is my WD drive. I do not seem to be able to access it now. That is for a later issue.. one thing at a tme now.. The 2nd attachment is showing what all my computer has now.

I do not know what the WD unlocker is. I just googled it. It seems to be associated with my WD drive, as with google search it says "WD Unlocker provides data access to a drive that has been locked with a password" But again, we can just focus on the P (Crucial) drive issue..........

Yes, I also googled and found that it is associated with a WD external disk. Since you say you have set it up for "automated" backup you must be knowing how you set it up for the automated backup. Your WD 1TB external is now showing as " not initialised". Anyway it is a different issue which you may take up later in a new thread to be tackled by persons knowledgeable in it.

You have not provided the Windows Disk Management screenshot as ordained in my previous post.

Unplug the WD external disk from the USB port. Safely remove any other external disk/s also. (No external disks plugged into the USB ports till we complete this project oneway or other )

Right click on the Start Button > Disk Management

[/B] Maximise the Disk Management Window by clicking on the square at the top left of the Title bar to occupy the full screen.

In the Disk Management screen Menu bar click on View > Top > Disk List.. This will show the Partition style of the disks.

Take a full screenshot and post.

@MrMatt,

OK, your 500GB Crucial SSD is a GPT initialised disk.

Have you downloaded TestDisk V7.1?

Extract the testdisk-7.1.win.zip to the root of your system drive C:. You will run testdisk_win.exe in the extracted testdisk-7.1 folder. Create a shortcut on your Desktop for convenience and use it to run TestDisk.

TestDisk should be run with administrator privileges - Run as administrator. Rightclick on it and "Run as administrator".

I repeat the steps here specific to your case.

If at any time you get a screen different from what is expected in this procedure as outlined or you have any doubts on how to proceed further, stop ,take that screenshot, close TestDisk, post the screenshot and ask for clarification. Do not try to experiment on your own.

You can close TestDisk anytime by repeatedly pressing Q, or [Quit] command if available on the TestDisk window or clicking on X in the top Title bar - the usual process to close a window.

Screen1: [No Log] Press Enter ( You will use the Up/Down Left/Right arrow keys to highlight/select any field in the TestDisk window)

Screen 2: You will see your system disk ( probably 250GB) and your faulty Crucial 500GB disk. Highlight/Select your 500GB Crucial SSD (identified by its capacity/device name) [Proceed] is already highlighted. Press Enter

Screen 3: Highlight/Select [EFI GPT] (if it is not highlighted already) Enter
(Note: By default TestDisk will show the partition table type of the selected disk. In your case since your disk is a GPT disk it should be [EFI GPT] - EFI GPT partition map (blah... blah...............) )

Screen 4: Highlight/Select [Advanced] Enter

Screen 5: Does this screen show your single partition highlighted? Is [Boot] highlighted? Enter

Screen 6: will show the status of the Boot sector and Backup boot sector. Further action will depend on their status

Take a screenshot of the TestDisk window ( not a full screen shot) and close TestDisk

Post the screenshot. After I see that we shall proceed further.

MrMatt said:

My continuing thanks for your continuing help!

I cannot get past page 5 as it appears different from your instruction.

To verify my steps, i captured a screenshot of every step done, as shown below, from left to right.

I do not see at the bottom of the screen a [Boot] to highlight, unfortunately.
Moving the cursor to line 2 "P MS Data" does not change things.

Strange and unbelievable!!!! Let me have a look at it.

Are you running TestDisk as administrator?

Repeat the exercise. Make sure that you rightclick on testdisk_win.exe and run as administrator

When you reach screen 5, highlight/select the MS Data partition. Take a screenshot and post it. I want to see what all command options are available on that screen with my own eyes.

( The first partition of course is the 16 MB MSR (Microsoft System Reserved) partition and TestDisk correctly shows the data partition start sector is at 32778 and end sector 976771071. So the partition exists, The partition boot record and its backup should be present in those sectors to boot into the partition. Why is TestDisk refusing to show their status?!!!!!!)

After seeing your screenshot, I may decide to examine the relevant sectors in your disk with Bootice.

Give it a read here Lost partitions! Solved - Windows 7 Forums just for information but do not do anything unless I ask you to do and give specific Instructions.

MrMatt said:

............Bad storms here, lost power for quite a while..glad it came back on to respond to you.. you might have thought I bailed out! Sometimes power can be out for days..

No probs even if power is out for days -- for me

Usually, in all the cases of this type we had dealt with ( Disk/drive has a drive letter but shows RAW), there will be many command options available as shown in the following screenshot.

]

In your case the [Boot] [List] options are not available. That, I guess, is because TestDisk sees some other problem that is outside that boundary. OK, let us see if this helps to locate the problem.

Like in the following screenshot, highlight [Type] and press Enter.



In the next screen, if MS Data is not highlighted, highlight MS Data. ( In your case , I would think that it would be highlighted already)



Next screen. In your case the partition type may show as Unknown (my guess). Whatever it is, move the highlight to NTFS and press Enter



In the next screen you may get all the Command Options. Most probably [Boot] is highlighted, but we will make a check here. Move the highlight to [List] and press Enter. Do you see all your folders/files listed.? After confirming whether "Yes"or "No", Press Q to get back to this screen where [Boot] is highlighted. Press Enter. Post the screenshot showing the status of the boot sectors.