External hard drive suddenly "unlabeled volume 1"

Berton said:

The drive could be good but something malfunctioned and the format could be something other than what windows recognizes. I boot a Linux LiveUSB Thumb drive which can recognize a number of formats. Another possibility with external drives is the interface in the case uses a different format and could be failing.

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jumanji said:

Hi @randomdude,

Your external disk has perhaps become RAW - file system corrupted. Linux will also not read a RAW disk.

1. Furnish full details of your External hard disk.- Manufacturer, Model Number, Capacity . Also whether it is an MBR disk or GPT disk.

2. To ascertain its status post a screenshot of Windows Disk Management with only the external disk plugged in. How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management

3. Download, install, and run the trial version of Hard Disk Sentinel, Hard Disk Sentinel Trial version - HDD health and temperature monitoring
In the left pane, select the external disk by clicking on it.The Overview tab will show its Performance%, Health% and the number of bad sectors, if present in the text panel. Take a screenshot and post.

Sample screenshot:

View attachment 101420

I will see the screenshots tomorrow morning ( my local time now is 21:51), and then we shall decide how to proceed further.

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jumanji said:

@randomdude

I have seen your post.

Your Seagate 2 TB external disk is perfectly healthy. It has become RAW but has a drive letter D: So the partition exists.

A disk in this condition has either corrupt Volume Boot Records or corrupt Master File Table. We will try to find it and try to repair it and restore the disk using Test Disk.

Caution: DO NOT, DO NOT run checkdisk on the RAW disk. You may end up losing all data.

For the next two days I will be extremely busy . So we shall take it up further when I get easy. Keep watching for the notification.

You have not answered whether it is an MBR disk or GPT disk. If you do not know, invoke Disk Management and find out. Left click Start button > Disk Management > View > Top > Disk List. The disk list will show the Partition Style of the disks.. Note down the Partition Style of your RAW 2TB Seagate external disk. This information will be used in TestDisk when we run it.

View attachment 101609

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jumanji said:

Hi @randomdude

I am earllier than scheduled. And here is the worksheet for you - tried and tested.

Download the stable version of TestDisk v7.2(not the beta version 7.2 -WIP) from here TestDisk Download

Extract the testdisk-7.2.win.zip to the root of your system drive C:. You will run testdisk_win.exe in the extracted testdisk-7.2 folder.

Create a shortcut of it on your DeskTop for convenience.

TestDisk should be run with administrator privileges - Run as administrator. Rightclick on it and "Run as administrator".

I repeat the steps here specific to your case.

If at any time you get a screen different from what is expected in this procedure as outlined or you have any doubts on how to proceed further, stop,take that screenshot, close TestDisk,post the screenshot and ask for clarification.

(You can close TestDisk anytime by repeatedly pressing Q, or [Quit] command if available on the TestDisk window or clicking on X in the top Title Bar - the usual process to close a window.)

Screen1: [No Log] Press Enter ( You will use the Up/Down Left/Right arrow keys to highlight/select any field in the TestDisk windows)

Screen 2: Highlight/Select your 2TB external HDD (identified by its capacity/device name) [Proceed] is already highlighted. Press Enter

Screen 3: Highlight/Select [EFI GPT] (if it is not highlighted already) Enter
(Note: By default TestDisk will show the partition table type of the selected disk. In your case - GPT- it should be [GPT] - EFI GPT partition map.)

Screen 4: Highlight/Select [Advanced] Enter

Screen 5: Does this screen show your single partition highlighted? Is [Boot] highlighted? Enter

Screen 6: will show the status of the Boot sector and Backup boot sector. Further action will depend on their status.

Various possibilities exist:

1. Boot sector - Bad
Backup boot sector - OK
Execute the [Backup BS] command ( writes the backup to the start sector of the partitïon when you confirm "y" in the next screen)

2. Boot sector - Bad
Backup boot sector - Bad
Execute [Rebuild BS] command ( Rebuilds the Volume Boot Record and writes it into the Partition start sector and partition end sector)

3. Boot sector - OK
Backup boot sector - Bad
Execute [ORG. BS] command. ( this will copy the original boot record in the partition start sector to the partition end sector and make it OK.)

The above three operations should repair the boot sectors and make your drive accessible. A reboot is required.

The fourth possibility and an important one:
Boot Sector - OK
Backup Boot sector - OK
Hmmm... both are good. Then what is the problem? MFT???
You will execute [Repair MFT] command.
If TestDisk says " Both MFT and MFT mirror are OK" or "Both MFT seems ok but they don't match, use chkdsk", close TestDisk. You will run check disk on that volume to correct the file system corruption.

Caution: You will run checkDisk only and if only TestDisk confirms that your MFT is OK and you will not interrupt Check Disk for any reason. Running Check Disk when the MFT is corrupt will delete all data and all data will be lost irrecoverably. You will be left with an ultra-clean disk without any data.

"Run check disk from command prompt.

Open Command prompt. Start > All programs > Accessories > Command Prompt

Type
CHKDSK K: /f /v /r /x Press Enter. Note: Replace K: with the actual drive letter of the external drive

Allow check disk to complete. Do not, do not, do not interrupt/abort for any reason.

If TestDisk says it is unable to repair MFT, you will have to use a commercial software to recover the files - GetDataBack or active @ File recovery. These are "try before you buy" software. If these show your files, you may be able to preview/open the files and check the file integrity. You can buy a license only when you are satisfied.

A successful recovery on the above lines here which you may read External drive data Lost - Windows 10 - Windows 10 Help Forums ( This in fact is a copy and paste of it to make this thread self-contained. )

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jumanji said:

I have to tread cautiously.
1. Are you runninng TestDisk as Administrator?
2. In your case both your system drive and the external drive are 2TB. The system drive will be shown first and next the 2TB external disk. Did you select the correct "disk - the second in it?

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jumanji said:

OK. Now the pictures speak. Follow the instructions in the following screens.
View attachment 101712View attachment 101713View attachment 101714View attachment 101715

After checking and confirming the files are seen, execute the [Boot] Command. Post the screenshot showing the status of the boot sectors

Then you can close TestDisk.

I will be online again after my dinner. AfterI see the screenshot further instructions will follow and you may have to rerun TestDisk

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jumanji said:

OK , further on

Did list show all your files?

IF Yes, proceed as follows:

The screen you see below, was your last screen that proclaims both Boot sector and backup boot sector bad.
Screen 9:

View attachment 101717


View attachment 101718View attachment 101719View attachment 101721

Only if you have seen the files and folders, give the [Write] command

View attachment 101724




View attachment 101722View attachment 101723

Press [Quit] to close TestDisk, Reboot your PC

Are you able to access all the filders and files?

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jumanji said:

OK, the first two sentences in my last post was an inadverdent misfire during the compilation. and advance thinking .

Let the [Rebuild BS] complete, And then you should list and see the files before you give the [Write] Command

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