Just want to post a short tutorial on how to recover files (took me the entire US Labor Day weekend to figure it out). If you think this may useful to other people (such as those in ubuntuforums, askubuntu, and ubuntu launchpad "Answers" section), please share this with them.
The following is mostly derived from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DataRecovery 1. Stop using the wiped hard drive. 2. Use/borrow another hard drive or computer for recovered data. 3. Make a live-CD/usb if necessary (I used lubuntu and pendrivelinux's Universal USB Installer) 4. Run the live-CD or the recovery computer and use GNU ddrescue to make an image of the wiped hard drive so that we have a !backup!. Store the image on the recovery hard drive or computer. 5. Use testdisk on the image to recover the lost partitions and copy desired files http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step If everything goes well, you should be good to go. For me, some additional challenge occurred. 6. testdisk shows that my NTFS partitions have the correct sizes, but does not show any file. Still, use testdisk on the image to get the partitions back. 7. On a Windows computer, use OSFMount to mount the image http://www.osforensics.com/tools/mount-disk-images.html 8. Use chkdsk on the mounted partitions, use the "/f" option if fix is needed 9. Copy files from the mounted partitions, or unmount the partitions and use testdisk under live-CD (or Windows) on the fixed image -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of AIMS, which is subscribed to the bug report. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1265192 Title: Install/reinstall wipes out all/other partitions Status in elementary OS: New Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu: Triaged Status in “ubuntu-livecd-image” package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Status in “ubiquity” source package in Trusty: Triaged Status in “ubuntu-livecd-image” source package in Trusty: Confirmed Bug description: Brand new Samsung laptop with UEFI. I had installed 13.04 Ubuntu but on reboot I never saw the 'grub' style menu. It just kept going into Windows 8.1. So I got the 13.10 version (64 bit) and choose "Reinstall Ubuntu" (That may not be the exact text) It removed all the partiions including the recovery partitions. I do have a backup for the windows install, but I was very surprised that this happened. On a positive note I now have Ububtu up and running on my machine. This is not my first time with Ubuntu. I have installed Ubuntu alongside WinXp, Vista and Windows 7. I've used Ubuntu desktop for over 6 years. If you would like me to try something to replicate this. .. I could shrink my existing partion make another one - reinstall and see if it whacks that one. I can do this now .. I'm still moving into this laptop so starting over is not so bad. Steve Devine To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/elementaryos/+bug/1265192/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~aims Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~aims More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
