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Thread: [RESOLVED] Fix MBR USB Drive

  1. #1

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    Hyperactive Member vbcode1980's Avatar
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    Resolved [RESOLVED] Fix MBR USB Drive

    Hi,

    I have a USB drive that suddenly won't be recognized again.
    Whenever I plug it into a pc Windows says the drive isn't formatted.
    Linux doesn't even recognize it.

    According to some diagnostic tool I downloaded the boot sector/mbr has been damaged, but the data still exists.

    Is there any way to fix this?
    I code C#....

  2. #2
    PowerPoster Nightwalker83's Avatar
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    Re: Fix MBR USB Drive

    Quote Originally Posted by vbcode1980
    I have a USB drive that suddenly won't be recognized again.
    Whenever I plug it into a pc Windows says the drive isn't formatted.
    Linux doesn't even recognize it.
    Who is the manufacturer of the USB? This sounds like a problem I am having with my Western Digital USB drive.

    Edit:

    The problem I have was that the system detected that drive was installed/connected to the computer. However, I could not view the files on the drive whenever I opened "my computer" or Windows Explorer the usb drive would not appear even though it was plugged-in.

    Found this Backup and Restore Master Boot Record (MBR) of Hard Disk Drive (HDD) I will give it a try if I find my usb drive.

    Failing that you could try creating a usb MBR.

    or

    http://www.techsupportforum.com/hard...usb-drive.html
    http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk.

    Here are the steps I followed to recover the situation:

    1) Download the Test Disk utility

    2) Connected the USB Drive to my laptop. (windows kindly offered to reformat the drive as the previous operation had failed... I obviously decilned :-)

    3) Ran the TestDisk program and select Analyse disk... takes about 15minutes

    4) The analysis results indicated the data was intact but the MBR (aka Master Boot Record) had been deleted.

    The TestDisk message went something like "the extrapolated boot record does not match the current boot record"

    5) Selected "Rebuild MBR"

    6) Selected "Write Boot"

    7) Selected "list" (which lists files and folders)
    Last edited by Nightwalker83; Dec 23rd, 2008 at 11:09 PM.
    when you quote a post could you please do it via the "Reply With Quote" button or if it multiple post click the "''+" button then "Reply With Quote" button.
    If this thread is finished with please mark it "Resolved" by selecting "Mark thread resolved" from the "Thread tools" drop-down menu.
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  3. #3

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    Hyperactive Member vbcode1980's Avatar
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    Re: Fix MBR USB Drive

    Quote Originally Posted by Nightwalker83
    Who is the manufacturer of the USB? This sounds like a problem I am having with my Western Digital USB drive.
    It's Maxtor drive.

    Quote Originally Posted by Nightwalker83
    Edit:

    The problem I have was that the system detected that drive was installed/connected to the computer. However, I could not view the files on the drive whenever I opened "my computer" or Windows Explorer the usb drive would not appear even though it was plugged-in.

    Found this Backup and Restore Master Boot Record (MBR) of Hard Disk Drive (HDD) I will give it a try if I find my usb drive.

    Failing that you could try creating a usb MBR.

    or

    http://www.techsupportforum.com/hard...usb-drive.html
    Thanks, I'll give it a try.

    I believe I already tried the TestDisk program. When trying to rebuild the MBR it gave an error about not being able to read a sector or something...
    I code C#....

  4. #4
    PowerPoster Nightwalker83's Avatar
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    Re: Fix MBR USB Drive

    Quote Originally Posted by vbcode1980
    It's Maxtor drive.
    I have an 180GB+ desktop drive that I use for backup, from tomorrow will be three years since I got it, has not malfunctioned in that time.

    From experience and other people who have the smaller (pocket) usb drives they are constantly failing. I had mine for about 6 months before I could no longer access it.
    when you quote a post could you please do it via the "Reply With Quote" button or if it multiple post click the "''+" button then "Reply With Quote" button.
    If this thread is finished with please mark it "Resolved" by selecting "Mark thread resolved" from the "Thread tools" drop-down menu.
    https://get.cryptobrowser.site/30/4111672

  5. #5

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    Hyperactive Member vbcode1980's Avatar
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    Re: Fix MBR USB Drive

    Quote Originally Posted by Nightwalker83
    I have an 180GB+ desktop drive that I use for backup, from tomorrow will be three years since I got it, has not malfunctioned in that time.

    From experience and other people who have the smaller (pocket) usb drives they are constantly failing. I had mine for about 6 months before I could no longer access it.
    This is a 500 GB desktop drive. Never had any problems with it, had it for 2 years now.

    I'll try out your suggestions when I get home.
    I code C#....

  6. #6
    coder. Lord Orwell's Avatar
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    Re: Fix MBR USB Drive

    if it's a desktop drive, i fixed one of those once by installing it as a slave in a 2nd computer. windows automatically repaired it while booting.

    If you have never had a hard drive fail, you are lucky. I bought a 500gb one two months ago with a 5 year manufacturer's warranty. It's at the manufacturer right now trying go get my data off of it.
    My light show youtube page (it's made the news) www.youtube.com/@artnet2twinkly
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  7. #7

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    Hyperactive Member vbcode1980's Avatar
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    Re: Fix MBR USB Drive

    At work we had used some products from http://www.partition-recovery.com/ once.
    I used those to get my data back.
    Active@ Partition Recovery was able to read the drive, distinguish the partitions, and create an image.
    Active@ File Recovery was able to open that image and save the files from it.

    It took quite a while, though.
    (6 hours just to read every sector of the drive, 6 more to create the image, another 6 to get the data from the image again )
    Last edited by vbcode1980; Jan 6th, 2009 at 11:01 AM.
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