[SOLVED] Missing Partition - Help!!

[LowRiderJT]

When I first set up Windows XP on my computer I took my boot drive ( 500GB) and I split it into 3 partitions
BD - 30GB
This partition was reserved solely for windows
AD - 30GB
This partition was reserved for application files and downloads
MD - 440GB
This partition was meant to be an overflow of media from two other 1TB drives.

I ran into some software issues and needed to update to Windows 10. I had been running Windows 7. In order to do that I needed additional storage on BD and the Microsoft setup application wouldn't let me change the install location for the update (even if I chose to simply create an image).

I scoured some forums and found out about MiniPartitionTool. I took 10GB from AD and moved it to BD and alas, my problem was solved. I upgraded to Windows 10.

Shortly after, MD disappeared. (I initially found this odd because this was the one partition I didn't touch in MPT). I ran the recovery and when MPT prompted me to pay to finish recovering my harddrive I uninstalled the program thinking it was simply a ploy to get money out of me.

Realizing that I still didn't have my drive, I again returned to the forums and thought i found the answer with 'diskpart' - I fired it up and the disk is visible, but MD didn't appear in the volume list.

I searched internet for another program in hopes of finding someone who provided the software free of charge. I found Partition Find and Mount. Unfortunately, it's not free to recover my data completely but with the program running I can mount the harddrive and copy data off of it.

I don't currently have enough storage to save all of my data elsewhere and I'd rather not have to buy a program to have this fixed. Even with PFM running and the HDD mounted, it still doesn't display in diskpart.

If anyone can provide any insights, that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

Sounds like you've got quite the mess on your hands.
This is why partitioning a drive for stuff like this is never recommended.

Here's what I suggest.
Google Drive gives you 15GB of free storage.
Use it for important files that can't be recovered if deleted.
Can use some free storage from Mega.nz as well for some additional files.

Then, delete programs and games. basically delete absolutely anything you can that you can simply re download and install to free up some space, then move any other important files that you can onto cloud that will fit, and whatever you can fit onto your other 1TB drives you mentioned having.

basically all you need to do at this point is backup data that if deleted will be lost forever that is important to you. This can include save data for games.

Once you've gotten everything off of the 500GB drive that needs to be gotten off, use your USB installation you created of Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool, and boot into it from PC startup, and then go and delete all partitions so that you have just one empty drive again, then install Windows clean and fresh.

After you've installed Windows clean and fresh, check for updates. and if you need to restart, do it, then check again, and keep clicking check for updates until it tells you there's no more to be had.
Then use the built in Windows Partition Manager to make new partitions if you want for sectioning off space for certain things again.

Alternatively, if you would like, you can get a 2TB drive for $55 USD from Seagate here and use it for all your stuff and not partition the drive you install Windows onto anymore.
https://www.newegg.com/seagate-barracuda-st2000dm008-2tb/p/N82E16822184773

 

[LowRiderJT]

Sounds like you've got quite the mess on your hands.
This is why partitioning a drive for stuff like this is never recommended.

Here's what I suggest.
Google Drive gives you 15GB of free storage.
Use it for important files that can't be recovered if deleted.
Can use some free storage from Mega.nz as well for some additional files.

Then, delete programs and games. basically delete absolutely anything you can that you can simply re download and install to free up some space, then move any other important files that you can onto cloud that will fit, and whatever you can fit onto your other 1TB drives you mentioned having.

basically all you need to do at this point is backup data that if deleted will be lost forever that is important to you. This can include save data for games.

Once you've gotten everything off of the 500GB drive that needs to be gotten off, use your USB installation you created of Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool, and boot into it from PC startup, and then go and delete all partitions so that you have just one empty drive again, then install Windows clean and fresh.

After you've installed Windows clean and fresh, check for updates. and if you need to restart, do it, then check again, and keep clicking check for updates until it tells you there's no more to be had.
Then use the built in Windows Partition Manager to make new partitions if you want for sectioning off space for certain things again.

Alternatively, if you would like, you can get a 2TB drive for $55 USD from Seagate here and use it for all your stuff and not partition the drive you install Windows onto anymore.
https://www.newegg.com/seagate-barracuda-st2000dm008-2tb/p/N82E16822184773

Thank you for your reply!

Would you mind elaborating on why partitioning in this way is not recommended? (aside from my current plight lol). My reason for the partition : I originally had installed Windows XP and had Ubuntu running on a different drive in my computer. Windows, as you know has not been the most stable OS in the world, so in order to protect my data without having purchase twice the storage space, I partitioned a piece of the drive for the OS so that if something were to be corrupted in the operating system or it just needed a refresh, my information is safe from corruption and it's easier to reinstall. Think of it like a petri dish.

Unfortunately the amount of data on the drive is over 400gb and a lot of it is comprised of music and movie collection that has been accrued over the last 11 years. I have initiated a transfer of what I have space to save. At the current rate, that will take days. lol.

Is there a reason you're advising me to backup the entire physical drive and not just the corrupt partition? BD (my boot drive) and AD (my application drive) are still functioning. I'd rather not have to reinstall windows unless absolutely necessary.

I have been looking into purchasing a new HDD, thank you for the budget friendly recommendation!!

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

I was simply saying to back up stuff that can't be downloaded again such as personal text documents and such.

another thing you could do then I guess, is to back up whatever is on the OS partition that can't be recovered if deleted, then perform a clean install of Windows onto that partition making sure to properly wipe the partition before installing Windows onto it and see if your missing drive is no longer missing.

Dealing with partitions can be a hassle, because while you can do it, there is always something that can go wrong like in this case.

There's also the issue of a drive being near the end of it's life cycle, and sectors of the drive as well as certain partitions can just simply up and disappear.

It's far more secure to just get another drive for storage of important data so that you don't have to partition a drive for things and can keep the OS and unimportant files and programs on just a single drive without doing all the crazy partitioning stuff.

As for recovering data or restoring a missing partition assuming that Windows isn't the issue, that requires professional grade software and equipment in most cases and therefore costs money.

 

[hang-the-9]

Thank you for your reply!

Would you mind elaborating on why partitioning in this way is not recommended? (aside from my current plight lol). My reason for the partition : I originally had installed Windows XP and had Ubuntu running on a different drive in my computer. Windows, as you know has not been the most stable OS in the world, so in order to protect my data without having purchase twice the storage space, I partitioned a piece of the drive for the OS so that if something were to be corrupted in the operating system or it just needed a refresh, my information is safe from corruption and it's easier to reinstall. Think of it like a petri dish.

Keeping data on the same drive in a different partition is in no way a safe way to protect data. That is like keeping a spare key to your car inside the car. Sure if you need to re-install the operating system you don't need to touch the partition with your files, but there are many other ways your data can get lost as you found out, and what if the drive itself failed?

To keep things safe you can keep one drive for the OS and programs, a second for data and a third for backups. Or one drive for OS/Programs/Data and a second for backups. Or maybe even a third drive for a second backup, or cloud storage.