Recovery Guides: step-by-step DiskPatch operations:
Partition Table repair.

A list of terms used in this page and their explanation can be found here.

This guide describes a DiskPatch function in condensed form: if you need additional information, read the corresponding part of the manual.

 
Problem :  MBR damaged; partition table(s) deleted/damaged; EPBR damaged; extended partition deleted
Symptoms :  partition disappeared, logical partition disappeared, all partitions disappeared, blank screen at boot time
Solution :  rebuild the partition tables
 
Things you need to know before we start:
  • In the world of disks and data recovery we start counting disks at 0 (zero). So the first disk is 'disk 0', the second disk is 'disk 1', etc.
  • Use the cursor keys to navigate the menus, use the <Enter> key to select an option, use the <Escape> key to abort or leave a menu.

Here we go:

Start DiskPatch and select the problem disk.


(example: your screen will differ)

After selecting the disk, the menu will expand, showing actions that can be performed for the selected disk.
The selected disk will be marked in high intensity blue in the disk list (disk 1 in our example).

Now select 'Perform repairs', then 'Rebuild partition tables'.
Select how the partitions that we're looking for were created (read more here).

Now select 'Quick scan'.

Please note: if the resulting list of partitions is incomplete you should run the 'Full scan'. You can read about the difference between the two modes here.
 
As the scan runs a status display is shown.

When the scan has completed the following display will be shown.

Now it's your turn. Select the partitions that need to be recovered. Make sure to include all partitions you want back; also select the ones that were okay earlier. DiskPatch always rebuilds the entire partition table so it needs to know which ones to include.
Selected partitions are indicated by the checkmark on the left of the partition entry.
If the list is long and cluttered you can use the 'display filters' to clean it up, read the corresponding part of the manual.
Please note that after a quick scan DiskPatch has already selected all eligible partitions (as is displayed in this screenshot), so you won't have to do anything unless the list of selected partitions is incorrect.
 
If you need to change the selection, Use <Enter> to display the partition select menu:

Once you're finished with the 'partition select' display, press <Escape> to continue to the repair phase. The following screen will be displayed:

Select 'Start repair'. DiskPatch will ask you if you wish to create an undo file (recommended), if this option is enabled.
Enter a description or leave the default suggested text. Press <Escape> at this point to skip creating the undo file (not recommended).

The repair will now start. A status display will tell you what's going on:

After the repair DiskPatch will show a completion screen. The repair is now finished. Press a key to close the completion screen, DiskPatch will now return you to the menu.
 
Things to consider when the repair has been completed:
  • When the partition tables have been rebuilt, DiskPatch does not set an active partition. This is intentional and will prevent you from accidentally booting into a partition that may still suffer other damage. If you're confident that things are okay you can use DiskPatch to change the partition status and set an active partition. Check this guide for an explanation on how to do this.
  • If the MBR was damaged you may need to refresh the MBR boot code. Check this guide for an explanation on how to do this.
  • If you need to perform another partition table repair (because you selected the wrong partition, or because you wish to try another partition) you need to re-scan the disk.

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