How do I recover a data partition: gparted interrupted while extending it ...?

[m654321]

Just to report probably the worst case scenario. Am in a bit of a daze at the moment ...
Please don't anyone remind me that I should have backed-up the data before using gparted - I know - I usually do but didn't this time ...

I've just been extending a data partition on an SSD using gparted.
The SSD, plugged in as USB drive, was accidentally moved during the operation, temporarily disconnected, and gparted ceased completing the operation.

Its a 1TB drive: I was extending a 700GB ext4 partition (with 400GB data written on it) to absorb the remaining 230GB of unallocated space.

How do I recover the data? I hope it's not lost as it's not backed up!
Gparted is showing nothing stored on the SSD - the undo operation didn't work.


Quite frankly, I'm hoping for a miracle to recover the data ...

[ptyerman]

Ouch! Avoid any more work using Gparted or any other partitioning software as it may make things worse. Have you tried using Testdisk to look for the lost partition? If it finds it there is a very good chance it would recover the original partition. Use the extended search option, it will yield better results.
I've recovered partitions before using Testdisk, it's extremely good at what it does.

[m654321]

Have you tried using Testdisk to look for the lost partition?
Use the extended search option, it will yield better results.

Many thanks - I'm now running testdisk.
I can only see one option: "Quick Search" - can't find Extended Search or Deeper Search ...


Using Quick Search, I was only able to recover 3 of the original 9 home directories, i.e. lost+found, Downloads & Templates. However, all three directories were empty ...

[Moltke]

Hi [member=458]m654321[/member]

I faced a similar situation, mine was a usb 1TB hdd and it looked like I'd lost almost 800gb of data  :-X but I recovered my data/partition with testdisk following instructions from here: https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step
Since then I  bookmarked it in case - hope never but better safe than sorry - I ever need it again. To be honest it was quite very easy and I recovered my data with little no effort.
Good luck recovering yours!

EDIT: By the way, I almost forgot but for best results you should use test disk from a live environment. Here: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3132067/...tdisk.html

Hope this helps!

[trinidad]

Read here first:  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DataRecovery

In my experience imaging the partition first without tampering any further is the safest if you have the resources to do so, especially if the partition contained an OS. Recovering the partition is faster than recovering the files, but if you can't recover the partition you can still recover a lot of the files. The caveat is that file carving 400gig will take many hours.

TC

[m654321]

Read here first:  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DataRecovery
In my experience imaging the partition first without tampering any further is the safest if you have the resources to do so, especially if the partition contained an OS. Recovering the partition is faster than recovering the files, but if you can't recover the partition you can still recover a lot of the files. The caveat is that file carving 400gig will take many hours.
TC

Thanks TC.  It's a data partition only (it's SSD2, containing /home partition) - not bootable. As I said above, I was only able to recover three home directories and they were all empty!  The 400GB od data therefore seems to be lost.

[trinidad]

The data is probably still there, but you may be stuck using a file carver which will take many hours. I recently recovered most of a Debian base OS 150gig that way in about 20 hours, but it took almost a week to indentify all the files. 400gig would be overwhelming without major resources. If you can be selective: that is go after whats most important to you from the disk; that could trim down the time involved. Imaging the partition would be best and then working at it selectively.   

TC

[m654321]

Hi [member=458]m654321[/member]

I faced a similar situation, mine was a usb 1TB hdd and it looked like I'd lost almost 800gb of data  :-X but I recovered my data/partition with testdisk following instructions from here: https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step
Since then I  bookmarked it in case - hope never but better safe than sorry - I ever need it again. To be honest it was quite very easy and I recovered my data with little no effort.
Good luck recovering yours!

EDIT: By the way, I almost forgot but for best results you should use test disk from a live environment. Here: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3132067/...tdisk.html

Hope this helps!

Many thanks for your help.
I've now wiped the drive. I discovered I had a backup on setup3 below (Phew!!!!) , though the backup was done 3 months ago. So I only loose the last 3 months of data - putting it into perspective, the data represent a total of 15 years data: photos, videos, admin, etc, so I've got the bulk of it. I'll keep your & TC's links though, as they might be useful next time - though as you say let's hope there wont be a next time!

[Moltke]

[quote author=Moltke link=topic=4967.msg37605#msg37605 date=1514637736]
Hi [member=458]m654321[/member]

I faced a similar situation, mine was a usb 1TB hdd and it looked like I'd lost almost 800gb of data  :-X but I recovered my data/partition with testdisk following instructions from here: https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step
Since then I  bookmarked it in case - hope never but better safe than sorry - I ever need it again. To be honest it was quite very easy and I recovered my data with little no effort.
Good luck recovering yours!

EDIT: By the way, I almost forgot but for best results you should use test disk from a live environment. Here: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3132067/...tdisk.html

Hope this helps!

Many thanks for your help.
I've now wiped the drive. I discovered I had a backup on setup3 below (Phew!!!!) , though the backup was done 3 months ago. So I only loose the last 3 months of data - putting it into perspective, the data represent a total of 15 years data: photos, videos, admin, etc, so I've got the bulk of it. I'll keep your & TC's links though, as they might be useful next time - though as you say let's hope there wont be a next time!
[/quote]

Glad you solved it!   Back then I didn't have and still don't any backups because that usb hdd is my backup drive! I need to get a new one to backup the backup lol If you can afford it I suggest you do the same, -in fact, I think everyone should...cause you never know, right? -  and keep that well guarded and unplugged from your machine/s, that way you'll know it will always be there in case the worst scenario  happens, hope it never does but again, better safe than sorry  

[m654321]

[member=7109]Moltke[/member]
I normally have 2 backups, so that's 3 copies including the original - just to be sure, except on this occasion...!!!
It seems to be that something always goes wrong when you don't have a back-up - Murphy's Law!

After today's major fright, my wife backed up all her stuff.