IDE Data Recovery Help Please

[Shoween]

So I've got a really old IDE hard drive with some really valuable videos and data on it, I purchased an internal IDE to SATA adapter and have that hooked up, however Disk Management says the disk is "Unknown, Unallocated and Not Initialized"

What can I do to access the drive and all of it's contents, without wiping the drive. Because I know that "Initializing" it will clear it.

I use Windows 8.1 and could really use some help asap.

This is what Disk management has to say:

 

[Shoween]

That seems like a quite probable issue, that the drive format isn't compatible with windows. How would I go about this? I installed Partition Wizard but am quite unsure of what to do, I'm quite worried that I might accidently do something that will erase the drive.

Bare in mind that the data will not get erased unless you action any task to the drive, such as initialising, or indeed formatting it. So at this stage, all you have to do is get an enclosure or use one of the docks as suggested, to see if you can gain access to the folders.

We have established that Windows (at least your current version) will not recognise the file format of the drive. So can you tell me what OS the previous DVD writer system used? If you can get the disk attached to the same OS, (via an enclosure or dock) then the file format will be recognised again, and you will be able to transfer the data off it.

I'm unsure of the OS that the machine used, don't have any information with the machine anymore and it shows very little information on the case.

However, would this adapter here do the trick? http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-CB-ISATAU2-Supports-2-5-Inch-5-25-Inch/dp/B000J01I1G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421994076&sr=8-1&keywords=Vantec+2.5%22%2F3.5%22%2F5.25%22+SATA%2FIDE+to+USB+2.0+Adapter+-+Model+CB-ISATAU2

 

[Neur0nauT]

I'm unsure of the OS that the machine used, don't have any information with the machine anymore and it shows very little information on the case.

However, would this adapter here do the trick? http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-CB-ISATAU2-Supports-2-5-Inch-5-25-Inch/dp/B000J01I1G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421994076&sr=8-1&keywords=Vantec+2.5%22%2F3.5%22%2F5.25%22+SATA%2FIDE+to+USB+2.0+Adapter+-+Model+CB-ISATAU2

Unfortunately if you have no info on the former OS, it will be hard to find out what file format is on the drive, so even if you do get this adapter, you will still be facing the same issue.

If you are able to mount the hard drive into a Linux based system, and use a partition manager within that, then it might define what the Hard drive is formatted as, thus allowing you to get at the data.

I would be inclined to purchase one of the Hard Drive docks, as they support SATA & IDE, and also 2.5" drives as well as 3.5". There is a connection port for all these types. It works out cheaper than one of these adapters, and has more functionality too.

Here is a decent looking one on Amazon

I also found this link pertaining to your dilemma. Maybe it can be of use.

 

[Solandri]

That seems like a quite probable issue, that the drive format isn't compatible with windows. How would I go about this? I installed Partition Wizard but am quite unsure of what to do, I'm quite worried that I might accidently do something that will erase the drive.

Partition Wizard is quite safe. You queue up a bunch of changes, and it doesn't actually make the changes until you click the big Apply button at the top. So it's very difficult to actually do something accidentally.

Reading up on other people trying to do the same thing you are brings up two important points, one good, one very bad:
http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/353769-Connecting-a-PVR-drive-to-a-PC

1) Good news. These DVD writers frequently use ext2 or FAT32 with the partition ID deliberately set to the incorrect value. That would explain why Windows can't see any partitions. If this is what's going on, it's a simple matter of changing the partition ID to the correct value. Partition Wizard can do this - right-click the partition, Modify -> Partition ID.

2) Bad news. These devices nearly always encrypt the video files they store. This was probably mandated by Hollywood before they were allowed to bring the product to market. The encryption keys are probably built into the DVD writer, so without the original device working and the drive inside it, you are unlikely to get any video files off of it.

DVD writers sold outside North America may not have encryption. And the initial batch of DVD writers which entered the market probably didn't have encryption. So it's still worth trying to get your video files off the drive. Just don't get your hopes up.

 

[Shoween]

That seems like a quite probable issue, that the drive format isn't compatible with windows. How would I go about this? I installed Partition Wizard but am quite unsure of what to do, I'm quite worried that I might accidently do something that will erase the drive.

Partition Wizard is quite safe. You queue up a bunch of changes, and it doesn't actually make the changes until you click the big Apply button at the top. So it's very difficult to actually do something accidentally.

Reading up on other people trying to do the same thing you are brings up two important points, one good, one very bad:
http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/353769-Connecting-a-PVR-drive-to-a-PC

1) Good news. These DVD writers frequently use ext2 or FAT32 with the partition ID deliberately set to the incorrect value. That would explain why Windows can't see any partitions. If this is what's going on, it's a simple matter of changing the partition ID to the correct value. Partition Wizard can do this - right-click the partition, Modify -> Partition ID.

2) Bad news. These devices nearly always encrypt the video files they store. This was probably mandated by Hollywood before they were allowed to bring the product to market. The encryption keys are probably built into the DVD writer, so without the original device working and the drive inside it, you are unlikely to get any video files off of it.

DVD writers sold outside North America may not have encryption. And the initial batch of DVD writers which entered the market probably didn't have encryption. So it's still worth trying to get your video files off the drive. Just don't get your hopes up.

Well the videos were moved to the machine from a hand held video camera, so the format should be the same as what the camera used wouldn't it? Would modifying the partition ID do anything which could potentially harm the HDD or affect any of it's contents?

 

[fzabkar]

I wouldn't modify anything on the HDD without examining the file system first. That's why I suggested examining the drive with a disc editor (in readonly mode). Then we can determine the file system type. We would also be able to clarify any question regarding encryption.

As for the adapter, it appears to be working fine. However, Disk Management identifies the drive as a 160GB model (= 149GiB), not 150GB (in BIOS) as stated by the OP. Perhaps that was a typo.

 

[Shoween]

I wouldn't modify anything on the HDD without examining the file system first. That's why I suggested examining the drive with a disc editor (in readonly mode). Then we can determine the file system type. We would also be able to clarify any question regarding encryption.

As for the adapter, it appears to be working fine. However, Disk Management identifies the drive as a 160GB model (= 149GiB), not 150GB (in BIOS) as stated by the OP. Perhaps that was a typo.

I've installed DMDE and am looking at the drive, however I'm not sure what I'm actually supposed to look at and what is useful information. If you could tell me what to take a screenshot of I'll upload one. Also, how do I set it to view only?

 

[fzabkar]

DMDE starts up in readonly mode.

When you launch DMDE, uncheck the Show Partitions box, select your physical drive and click OK.

You should now see LBA 0 (sector 0) in hexadecimal mode. This is what we need to see.

 

[Shoween]

DMDE starts up in readonly mode.

When you launch DMDE, uncheck the Show Partitions box, select your physical drive and click OK.

You should now see LBA 0 (sector 0) in hexadecimal mode. This is what we need to see.

http://i.imgur.com/Nb1WdJe.png

 

[fzabkar]

Sector 0 is not a Microsoft MBR, nor does it have a partition table.

The "3360H_75H.CUB" text string is indicative of Philips firmware.

http://web.archive.org/web/20150125214624/https://www.p4c.philips.com/files/d/dvdr3360h_75/dvdr3360h_75_fur_eng.pdf

I haven't searched extensively, but I can't find any data recovery tool for Philips' proprietary file system.

 

[fzabkar]

Try UFS Explorer:
http://www.ufsexplorer.com

See http://forum.hddguru.com/viewtopic.php?t=17185

 

[Shoween]

Try UFS Explorer:
http://www.ufsexplorer.com

See http://forum.hddguru.com/viewtopic.php?t=17185

Using this, what would I do to recover the data?
Click "Recover" I assume, what File System Type would I set it to?

 

[fzabkar]

UFS Explorer may not recognise the file system, so you would perform a raw recovery. The data recovery software would simply search for file "signatures". For example, JPEG files might have "JFIF" in the header, so the software would search for that.

A free alternative which might work is PhotoRec:

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec_Step_By_Step
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/After_Using_PhotoRec

 

[Shoween]

After some time, using UFS Explorer I discovered that the File System is ReiserFS
What would be best to use to get the data from this File System?

 

[Shoween]

UFS Explorer may not recognise the file system, so you would perform a raw recovery. The data recovery software would simply search for file "signatures". For example, JPEG files might have "JFIF" in the header, so the software would search for that.

A free alternative which might work is PhotoRec:

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec_Step_By_Step
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/After_Using_PhotoRec

After some time, using UFS Explorer I discovered that the File System is ReiserFS
What would be best to use to get the data from this File System?

 

[Solandri]

After some time, using UFS Explorer I discovered that the File System is ReiserFS
What would be best to use to get the data from this File System?

Most Linux distros support ReiserFS, and have LiveCD versions which will let you try without having to install the OS. SUSE would be your best bet since it was the default filesystem for a while, but I've always found SUSE's UI a bit cryptic.

If a current version does not work, try an older version (about 10 years old). The author of ReiserFS was convicted of murdering his spouse, and development consequently stopped for a while, leading to the industry moving away from it.

 

[fzabkar]

@Shoween, if Linux doesn't work for you, then UFS Explorer is a tool that is well respected by data recovery professionals.

Best of luck with Linux, though.

 

[Shoween]

After some time, using UFS Explorer I discovered that the File System is ReiserFS
What would be best to use to get the data from this File System?

Most Linux distros support ReiserFS, and have LiveCD versions which will let you try without having to install the OS. SUSE would be your best bet since it was the default filesystem for a while, but I've always found SUSE's UI a bit cryptic.

If a current version does not work, try an older version (about 10 years old). The author of ReiserFS was convicted of murdering his spouse, and development consequently stopped for a while, leading to the industry moving away from it.

I was given a live version of Kali Linux. However the drive isn't showing up under "computer"
How could I view other accessable drives? I'm not too familiar with Linux. Would I be better off using a different linux distribution? What would be best?

 

[Neur0nauT]

http://distrowatch.com/ You will find a ton of different ones here.

I think Debain supports ReiserFS

 

[Shoween]

http://distrowatch.com/ You will find a ton of different ones here.

I think Debain supports ReiserFS

Kali Linux is based off Debain

 

[Shoween]

This is what the Disk Utility showed on Kali Linux http://i.imgur.com/7UKC2TE.jpg

 

[Neur0nauT]

This is what the Disk Utility showed on Kali Linux http://i.imgur.com/7UKC2TE.jpg

It's looking more and more like the FS may be corrupted if it will still not see it in that distro. I found this webpage which shows commands for checking and possibly repairing ReiserFS

Repairing ReiserFS disks

 

[Solandri]

It's looking more and more like the FS may be corrupted if it will still not see it in that distro. I found this webpage which shows commands for checking and possibly repairing ReiserFS

The other possibility is that it's not ReiserFS, and the manufacturer just used a fake filesystem ID to thwart attempts by people to read the (presumably copyrighted) video files by popping the drive into a computer. Try manually changing the ID to the usual suspects, like ext2, ext3 and see if becomes readable. You can always change it back to ReiserFS if it doesn't work.

 

[fzabkar]

There is no partition table in sector 0, so there is no partition ID to modify.

You can mount a genuine Reiser FS volume in Windows using tools such as RFSGUI, but I doubt very much whether it will be of any use.

http://unquietwiki.com/programming/