Samsung SSD in External Enclosure Requesting Formatting

@KADD

That is something inexplicable. How did it become a FAT16 partition?

OK. may be instead of executing [Boot] command you have to highlight [Type] and then change the partition type to NTFS. I have done one such recovery. I have to search and find that to direct you to that or I have to run TestDisk on a trial drive and write the steps.So give me sometime and I shall be back.

Right now it is 2317 hrs now. I am hitting the sack.

Tomorrow perhaps I shall continue. You will get a notification when I post. So keep checking.

@KADD

We will now take a deviation. Go upto Screen 5 as you did before. ( Do not forget to run TestDisk as administrator)

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

Screen 2: Will show your system disk and the 238GB external disk. Highlight/Select your 238 GB external SSD (identified by its capacity). [Proceed] is already highlighted. Press Enter

Screen 3: Highlight/Select [Intel] Intel/PC partition (if it is not highlighted already) Enter
{ Since your external disk is an MBR disk, ensure that you select this Intel Partition type.}

Screen 4: Highlight/Select [Advanced] Filesystem Utils Press Enter

Screen 5: This screen shows all three partitions in your external disk. You have correctly highlighted the second partition which for reasons not known shows as 2 P Fat16 >32 M

And this is your Screen 5:



Now we will deviate.

On this screen [Boot] is highlighted. Press the left arrow key and highlight/Select [Type] and press Enter

Note: We are going to change the partition type and File system as NTFS. and check whether it lists the files. [Here I am assuming that it should be NTFS. I am also assuming that after taking it out of the damaged Dell Precision M4600 and putting it into the Sabrent enclosure you have not partitioned/formatted it in any way and have not tried any unsuccessful data recovery before coming here.) Do not worry. Whatever changes that we will be making in the partition type/Filesystem are kept within TestDisk and not written into the SSD unless a [Write] command is given. We will give the [Write] command only if the files are listed.

The screenshots that follow were part of the successfull recovery in this thread Crucial SSD Went RAW in the file system and were taken on my trial disk- a Samsung SSD - to illustrate the steps involved.

When you select/highlight [Type] and press Enter you will get the following screen to choose Partition type.



Select/highlight MS Data [Proceed] is already highligted. Press Enter.

The next screen will show the filesystem to choose.



Select/highlight NTFS . [Proceed] is already highlighted. Press Enter.

In the next screen you will get all the commands as shown below



Do the actions as stated in the screen . When you highlight [List] and press Enter , in all probability the next screen will say "Can't open file system. File system seems damaged" Press Q to go back the previous screen, highlight [Boot] and press Enter

The next screen should show the status of the Boot sector and Backup boot sector.

From here on follow the process as indicated before.

1. Boot sector - Bad
Backup boot sector - OK
Execute the [Backup BS] command ( writes the backup to the start sector of the partitïon when you confirm "y" in the next screen)

2. Boot sector - Bad
Backup boot sector - Bad
Execute [Rebuild BS] command ( Rebuilds the Volume Boot Record and writes it into the Partition start sector and partition end sector)

3. Boot sector - OK
Backup boot sector - Bad
Execute [ORG. BS] command. ( this will copy the original boot record in the partition start sector to the partition end sector and make it OK.)

Any of the above three operations should repair the boot sector/s and make your drive accessible. A reboot is required.. Close TestDisk and reboot.

The fourth possibility and an important one:
Boot Sector - OK
Backup Boot sector - OK
Hmmm... both are good. Then what is the problem? Master File Table (MFT) ??????
You will execute [Repair MFT] command.

(a): If TestDisk says 'Both MFT and MFT mirror are OK" close TestDisk. You will run check disk on that volume to correct the file system corruption.

Caution: You will run checkDisk only and if only TestDisk confirms that your MFT is OK and you will not interrupt Check Disk for any reason. Running Check Disk when the MFT is corrupt will delete all data and all data will be lost irrecoverably. You will be left with an ultra-clean disk without any data.

Run check disk from command prompt.

Open Command prompt. Start > All programs > Accessories > Command Prompt

Type
CHKDSK K: /f /v /r /x Press Enter. Note: Replace K: with the actual drive letter of the second partition of external disk as determined in Windows Disk Management.
Allow check disk to complete. Do not, do not, do not interrupt/abort for any reason.


(b): If TestDisk says it is "unable to repair MFT", you will have to use a commercial software to recover the files - GetDataBack or active @ File recovery. These are "try before you buy" software. If these show your files, you may be able to preview/open the files and check the file integrity. You can buy a license only when you are satisfied.

Remember anytime you see a [Write] command in the TestDisk Window, the [List] command will also be there. First execute the [List] command and check if all or most files are listed. Only if you are satisfied, Press Q to go back to the previous screen and execute the [Write] command.

Have a good day.

@KADD
TestDisk is highly interactive. According to the present condition the screens may differ.( In your case you are keeping the original C: drive as it is with the OS still resident in it..So TestDisk does not see it as a Data partition).

When you execute the [Type] command, you are straightaway getting a screen showing all the filesystems.
Select/highlight 07 HPFS-NTFS and [Proceed]



If you have even a slightest doubt in further processing, do not hesitate to post the screenshot and ask for clarification. Because of the almost 12 hours time difference we may not sync immediately. Doesn't matter. We shall do it slowly.

Post the screenshot showing the status of the bootsectors when you come to it for me to examine and decide the next action.

@KADD

Hold on. I am a little wary of going ahead with [Rebuild BS] command. It will write the rebuilt boot record into the partition start sector and partition end sector. In all probability, say 90%, it may make that partition accessible.

But before giving that command, I want you to save what is present now in the partition Start sector and partition end sector For the next two days my wife who is going on a Japan tour tomorrow night will be keeping me busy every now and then with her commands

You will be using Partition Wizard v9.1 to ascertain the partition start and end sectors. And you will be using bootice to save those sectors- to restore those should it become necessary. Necessary instructions in about two to three days from now. Till then just relax.

Do not keep your external disk plugged-in all the time. Safely remove and keep it aside till then.

And yes - bootice - Read it here Lost partitions! Solved - Windows 7 Forums

Edit: Your day has started now.You may get an early call before you retire for the day. So watch for the notification tonight or tomorrow morning.

Hi @KADD

Through the day, I did a small experiment to refresh myself. I created three partitions on my 500GB Seagate external HDD akin to the three partitions in your Sabrent external SSD, I made the second partition RAW by intentionally corrupting the start and end sectors of the partition.. Then I ran TestDisk and as expected it said Boot sector - bad Backup boot sector-Bad.

[Rebuild BS] command was executed. It started rebuilding by checking the Master File Table. On completion of MFT check, it returns a screen where you will have the option to [List] the files. So you can check whether all the files are listed. If all or most of your files are listed you can go back to the previous screen by pressing Q and give the [Write] command. So you can go ahead with the [Rebuild BS] command. Only if all your files are listed you will give the [Write] command . When it proclaims Both boot sector and Backup boot sector are OK, you close TestDisk by [Quit] command , reboot your PC.

The screenshots are shown below.

My external 500GB Trial HDD with the second partition RAW. - same as in your case.



TestDisk [Advanced] File system Utils run till it shows the following screen.. This is where we left off. So you will repeat all the steps till you reach this screen and follow up as in the succeeding screenshots. ( Lot of typos and so I shall be correcting those as and when I see it)



Next screen: Search Master File Table on. This may take sometime to complete depending on the partition size. May be half an hour or so in your case.



When the search is completed successfully you will get the following screen. Execute the [List] command.



Next screen: Does it show all your files? ( Here it shows all the files on the second partition of my Trial disk)



If it shows all your files go back to the previous screen by pressing Q. Select/highlight [Write] command and press Enter



And that should take you to this next screen, asking you to confirm. Press 'Y' to confirm



The final screen:
The new extrapolated and rebuilt boot codes are written into the partition start sector and partition end sector.TestDisk proclaims Bootsector OK Backup bootsector OK . [Quit] is highlighted Press Enter



TestDisk closed , reboot your PC

Now you should be able to access that partition and see all the files.

As always, remember to run TestDisk as administrator, remember to select the Sabrent external disk, remember to select the second partition for processing and if you have any doubts , take a screenshot, close TestDisk and ask for clarification.

And what if TestDisk fails to find a valid MFT to rebuild the boot sector?

I do not know . Perhaps it will ask you to execute [Repair MFT], but let us hope for the best.

What I feel is when you took it out from the damaged PC and decided to use it as a data disk, you should have copied all data to another disk, and should have formatted the SSD removing the OS completely. The presence of the dormant OS in the disk may be causing the anamalous indication of a FAT16 >32M partition while in fact it is an NTFS.

@KADD

Really? How were you able to do it so quickly? If I have to believe it, you should post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management and Partition Wizard.