Help... I've lost my book

spapakons · 2026-09-17T12:34:10-0400

kelper said:
@Trebo58 bo58
I would send the disk to a professional data recovery service. The more you touch its contents the less data will be recoverable.

Professional data recovery centers ask for $$$ just to examine the disk and tell you if they can extract any data. How much valuable are your data? I suggest to try examining the disk yourself first before giving it to a professional service.

spapakons · 2026-09-17T12:46:37-0400

XxXxX said:
Ubuntu is about the easiest to make and use

Download Ubuntu Desktop | Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.

ubuntu.com

leave all the drives in the computer and just boot from the live Ubuntu USB into the live session

you will need two USB stick drives
one for the live Linux bootable distro and one for the data to be transferred to, if it is accessible

best of luck Steve ..

Linux is not going to read an unallocated partition, you need a recovery tool for that. Since Linux is not 100% compatible with NTFS, I would prefer a Windows tool to scan the disk.

spapakons · 2026-09-17T12:53:35-0400

glasskuter said:
A professional data recovery company would be your absolute best option, but they charge from $300 up to into the thousands (dependent on how much data there is to recover). Most reputable companies charge an upfront evaluation fee to determine if the data is recoverable. If the data is recoverable and the user chooses to do so, that fee is knocked off of the total recovery fee.

I am not sure about USA, but here in Greece a couple of data recovery services charge a minimum 300-500€, no matter if they can recover data or not. Even if you change your mind you pay the minimum charge. Also they don't scan a specific partition, they scan the whole disk and the larger the disk the more you pay, even if you only need a specific file.

SlicEnDicE · 2026-09-17T13:45:53-0400

spapakons said:
Linux is not going to read an unallocated partition, you need a recovery tool for that. Since Linux is not 100% compatible with NTFS, I would prefer a Windows tool to scan the disk.

TestDisk will do this fine. It will quickscan for partitions, and if it does not find anything, then there is a deepscan option. Once a partition is found, one can select it and list files to ensure it is the correct partition you want to recover.

NTFS saves multiple copies of the parttition table, and is quite easy to recover. When the main table is missing the partition shows as unallocated space.

pparks1 · 2026-09-17T13:53:42-0400

This is one of those situations where i really wish windows had a tool like Apple does with Time Machine that makes backups drop dead simple. It's also another reason why I understand the desire from Microsoft to have people using OneDrive for their data files, it helps to protect against these situations as it gives another location where the files are stored, since again Microsoft doesn't have a good integrated tool like Apple does with Time Machine.

I sincerely hope you have luck getting your files back. I've had to inquire with data recovery services in the past for work things that were lost and in almost all cases, the cost was too prohibitive to actually move forward with them.

spapakons · 2026-09-17T13:54:22-0400

SlicEnDicE said:
TestDisk will do this fine. It will quickscan for partitions, and if it does not find anything, then there is a deepscan option. Once a partition is found, one can select it and list files to ensure it is the correct partition you want to recover.

NTFS saves multiple copies of the parttition table, and is quite easy to recover. When the main table is missing the partition shows as unallocated space.

Unfortunately from these multiple copies usually only one or two have useful data to recover.

spapakons · 2026-09-17T14:01:09-0400

pparks1 said:
This is one of those situations where i really wish windows had a tool like Apple does with Time Machine that makes backups drop dead simple. It's also another reason why I understand the desire from Microsoft to have people using OneDrive for their data files, it helps to protect against these situations as it gives another location where the files are stored, since again Microsoft doesn't have a good integrated tool like Apple does with Time Machine.

I sincerely hope you have luck getting your files back. I've had to inquire with data recovery services in the past for work things that were lost and in almost all cases, the cost was too prohibitive to actually move forward with them.

Windows 95/98 had regscan tool to restore older copies of Registry if something went wrong. Windows ME and higher have System Restore but in Windows 11 is disabled by default, you have to enable it. Recently in Windows 11 the Point in Time Restore was introduced which works similarly to Apple's Time Machine, it regularly backups your data, but I am not sure about other partitions.

SlicEnDicE · 2026-09-17T14:20:21-0400

spapakons said:
Unfortunately from these multiple copies usually only one or two have useful data to recover.

There always exist at least one mirror copy. That is just how NTFS works.

pparks1 · 2026-09-17T14:20:49-0400

spapakons said:
Windows 95/98 had regscan tool to restore older copies of Registry if something went wrong. Windows ME and higher have System Restore but in Windows 11 is disabled by default, you have to enable it. Recently in Windows 11 the Point in Time Restore was introduced which works similarly to Apple's Time Machine, it regularly backups your data, but I am not sure about other partitions.

The point in time restore isn't nearly the same thing as Time Machine. Time machine stores the backups on an external disk and is a full copy of the data, not just deltas from what is on the hard drive. You can use that to restore the whole thing, just a file, just a folder, etc. A point in time restore doesn't help whatsoever if the drive has failed as it only stores the backups locally on the computer disk. And point in time restore only keeps backups for 72 hours, everything older than that is purged. And unlike Time Machine, Point in Time restore will not allow you to just restore a single data file that you lost. You have to restore the entire set of system data contained in the point and time restore.

OldNavy · 2026-09-17T14:24:53-0400

Hopefully this will end in a successful outcome for Trebo58 then we can talk about a backup strategy that would have saved the situation.
It seems he did not have one.

kelper · 2026-09-17T14:31:47-0400

I know how to reset any Windows password in a trice but would need to know that the OP is not intent on accessing someone else's computer. How could he prove his bona fides?

jumanji · 2026-09-17T14:35:37-0400

@Trebo58
I have just one question at the moment.
You said Western Digital My Book. That would be an External Disk. Crystal Disk Info shows your disk as ST5000NM0084-1HT17X
Did you buy it as an internal disk? Refurbhised/Renewed? Did you format it and partitioned it after purchasing?

Trebo58 · 2026-09-17T15:51:19-0400

Jumanji... Not sure about your question, as the drive is an internal drive on my HP PC. As per my screenshots of the Disk Manager.

It was formatted as 5TB internal, and I formated as GPT the then set up the three partitions, as E: Storage, F: Working Files, and J: Extra Space.

It was never a Western Digital My Book?

Not sure if you saw the results of the Partition Recovery Wizard

pparks1 · 2026-09-17T16:25:31-0400

OldNavy said:
Hopefully this will end in a successful outcome for Trebo58 then we can talk about a backup strategy that would have saved the situation.
It seems he did not have one.

Yeah, i wasn't trying to derail the conversation. I just mentioned it since I'm kinda surprised that Windows hasn't really ever included a nice built-in easy to use external backup. It would solve a bunch of these problems. It looks like what MS did instead was more or less focus on OneDrive as the solution and to ensure that files were in 2 locations. This is even better than a physical backup to an external hard drive in the event that the hard drive and the external are onsite at the same place and a disaster like a fire were to take place.

Trebo58 · 2026-09-17T16:34:04-0400

I want to say thank you to you all for the suggestions. I do appreciate them.

However, as quite a few of you have mentioned, the person who hopefully will be able to help me is jumanji. So please do not think I am ignoring you.

Banjoman301 · 2026-09-17T16:44:50-0400

I wonder if you were creating restore points for that drive...

What some folks are not aware of is that a restore point does contain user files..

When a System Restore is run, it only restores system files.

However, NirSoft has a free tool called ShadowCopyView that allows you to select a restore point, and see those user files...which can then be extracted.

Hail Mary shot.

jumanji · 2026-09-17T16:53:27-0400

Trebo58 said:
Jumanji... Not sure about your question, as the drive is an internal drive on my HP PC. As per my screenshots of the Disk Manager.

It was formatted as 5TB internal, and I formated as GPT the then set up the three partitions, as E: Storage, F: Working Files, and J: Extra Space.

It was never a Western Digital My Book?

Not sure if you saw the results of the Partition Recovery Wizard

Thanks for your reply. My bad, I misunderstood the title of this thread "Help ..... I have lost my book". I have lost my mind

. WesternDigital has three models of external disks Elements, My Book and Passport.

I am going out now. Will continue after I return.

You may try Disk Genius as suggested by SIW2. Let us see whether it could find the files. Post the screenshots.

SIW2 said:
I would have a look with diskgenius free version, just in case it can identify a partition table error or find something under the FILES tab.. Long shot but it is worth a try

SIW2 · 2026-09-17T17:12:07-0400

It worked in this scenario I had a while ago

disk management claimed disk2 unallocated

diskgenius said different

can't guarantee your situation is the same but it is worth a try

Trebo58 · 2026-09-17T17:22:20-0400

When using DiskGenius, when I click on the drive, it shows the three drives E: Storage - FREE 2.0TB (Grayed out) - J: Extra Space, as per the screenshot, what process/procedure do I do next

SIW2 · 2026-09-17T17:25:41-0400

what process/procedure do I do next

click the disk in the left pane

Tools > check partition table error

you could also try clicking where it says Free 2tb , then click the files Tab

Otherwise you will have to try one of the data recovery programs.

Active is less dear than the others , so if it can find your precious files you can then decide if you want to buy it to do the recovery.

Find and Restore Lost Files: Undelete deleted files and recover damaged disks

Active@ File Recovery provides ability to detect and recover lost files and damaged disks.

www.file-recovery.com

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