RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 - Commercial Version

Sample Facts Report file "RFD_M.RPT" obtained for drive M:, the last logical drive on a 20 GB Seagate HDD, is given below. The directory involved is M:\BACKUP\.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 Copyright 2001-2004 Systech Software G.Namasivayam and G.Gurupandian Time 11:50:11 Date 19/05/2004 Volume Name: SYSTECH Volume Serial Number: 2460-17DF Readability of FAT's (a zero indicates an unreadable FAT sector): FAT Copy 1: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 3A 3B 3C 3D 3E 3F 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 4A 4B 4C 4D 4E 4F 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 5A 5B 5C 5D 5E 5F 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 6A 6B 6C 6D 6E 6F 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 7A 7B 7C 7D 7E 7F 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 8A 8B 8C 8D 8E 8F 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 9A 9B 9C 9D 9E 9F A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 AA AB AC AD AE AF B0 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 BA BB BC BD BE BF C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 CA CB CC CD CE CF D0 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 DA DB DC DD DE DF E0 E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 EA EB EC ED EE EF F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 FA FAT Copy 2: FB FC FD FE FF 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 10A 10B 10C 10D 10E 10F 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 11A 11B 11C 11D 11E 11F 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 12A 12B 12C 12D 12E 12F 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 13A 13B 13C 13D 13E 13F 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 14A 14B 14C 14D 14E 14F 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 15A 15B 15C 15D 15E 15F 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 16A 16B 16C 16D 16E 16F 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 17A 17B 17C 17D 17E 17F 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 18A 18B 18C 18D 18E 18F 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 19A 19B 19C 19D 19E 19F 1A0 1A1 1A2 1A3 1A4 1A5 1A6 1A7 1A8 1A9 1AA 1AB 1AC 1AD 1AE 1AF 1B0 1B1 1B2 1B3 1B4 1B5 1B6 1B7 1B8 1B9 1BA 1BB 1BC 1BD 1BE 1BF 1C0 1C1 1C2 1C3 1C4 1C5 1C6 1C7 1C8 1C9 1CA 1CB 1CC 1CD 1CE 1CF 1D0 1D1 1D2 1D3 1D4 1D5 1D6 1D7 1D8 1D9 1DA 1DB 1DC 1DD 1DE 1DF 1E0 1E1 1E2 1E3 1E4 1E5 1E6 1E7 1E8 1E9 1EA 1EB 1EC 1ED 1EE 1EF 1F0 1F1 1F2 1F3 1F4 Sectors per Cluster: 64 FAT Type: FAT16 FAT copy used: FAT copy 2 Drive & Path M:\BACKUP File Name 1st LSector FAT Sector #Clusters #Fragments FILE1.TXT - 00815 FB 8 1 00000815-00000A14 = FILE1.TXT FILE2.TXT - 00A15 FB 8 1 00000A15-00000C14 = FILE2.TXT FILE3.TXT - 00C15 FB 2 1 00000C15-00000C94 = FILE3.TXT FILE4.TXT - 00C95 FB 1 1 00000C95-00000CD4 = FILE4.TXT FILE5.TXT - 00CD5 FB 1 1 00000CD5-00000D14 = FILE5.TXT FILE6.TXT - 00D15 FB 1 1 00000D15-00000D54 = FILE6.TXT FILE7.TXT - 00D55 FB 1 1 00000D55-00000D94 = FILE7.TXT FILE8.TXT - 00D95 FB 1 1 00000D95-00000DD4 = FILE8.TXT FILE9.TXT - 00DD5 FB 1 1 00000DD5-00000E14 = FILE9.TXT FILE10~1.TXT - 00E15 FB 1 1 00000E15-00000E54 = FILE10 Month1.TXT FILE11~1.TXT - 00E55 FB 1 1 00000E55-00000E94 = FILE11 Month1.TXT FILE12~1.TXT - 00E95 FB 1 1 00000E95-00000ED4 = FILE12 Month1.TXT FILE13~1.TXT - 00ED5 FB 1 1 00000ED5-00000F14 = FILE13 Month1.TXT FILE14~1.TXT - 00F15 FB 1 1 00000F15-00000F54 = FILE14 Month1.TXT FILE15~1.TXT - 00F55 FB 1 1 00000F55-00000F94 = FILE15 Month1.TXT FILE16~1.TXT - 00F95 FB 1 1 00000F95-00000FD4 = FILE16 Month1.TXT FILE17~1.TXT - 00FD5 FB 1 1 00000FD5-00001014 = FILE17 Month1.TXT FILE18~1.TXT - 01015 FB 1 1 00001015-00001054 = FILE18 Month1.TXT FILE19~1.TXT - 01055 FB 1 1 00001055-00001094 = FILE19 Month1.TXT FILE20~1.TXT - 01095 FB 1 1 00001095-000010D4 = FILE20 Month1.TXT FILE21~1.TXT - 010D5 FB 1 1 000010D5-00001114 = FILE21 Month1.TXT FOLDER1 > - 02695 FB 1 1 00002695-000026D4 = Folder1 FOLDER2 > - 02755 FB 1 1 00002755-00002794 = Folder2 FOLDER3 > - 02795 FB 1 1 00002795-000027D4 = Folder3 FOLDER4 > - 02815 FB 1 1 00002815-00002854 = Folder4 FOLDER5 > - 02855 FB 1 1 00002855-00002894 = Folder5

This file was obtained by running the following command:

RECOVRFD M:\BACKUP\*.* -D -O

This is the file one gets whenever Root Folder (Root Directory) or any subfolder (subdirectory) is listed on screen and saved in a file as well by specifying switch "/O". The screen output conceals everything after column "#Fragments".

Now an explanation of the column headings:

File Name

This column lists the names of files and folders in Short File Name (SFN) format. All files and folders are listed including system, hidden and readonly files and system and hidden folders. But when files are recovered, they are saved in their original Long File Name format names except when long file name services are not supported by the OS. Report files too list Long File Name format filename for each file.

1st LSector (First Logical Sector)

This column lists the starting sector number, in hex, of files and folders. The respective file's or folder's contents start at this sector. In other words, the respective file's or folder's contents can be found from this sector onwards. Logical Sector numbers start with 0 (sector zero is the Boot Sector) and end with an appropriate number (sectors count - 1) for the last sector on the floppy disk / disk partition.

Usage:

Starting sector number is DEBUG compatible. This number is provided for use by hard-core users who would not be satisfied of things until they can see everything for themselves. Hard-core users who can flawlessly use DEBUG can use these numbers to cross verify what RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk says. They can get first-hand knowledge of what has happened to their data or disk.

We recommend every one to access disk sectors directly and look at the contents there. First-hand experience leads one to be more confident in handling complex disk error conditions. One can save the Boot Sector in a file just by using DEBUG. Just a few floppies and hours of experimentation is sure to make one an expert because most people don't really feel upto accessing disk sectors directly.

We highly recommend that users gain enough experience to the level of playing with the floppies at the least. We hope this enables them to analyze disk error conditions properly to help them pinpoint problems and find ways to deal with them. Experience on floppies is a must so as to be able to handle problems arising on Hard Disk Drives.

It should be remembered that RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 is against manual data recovery and so use of DEBUG.EXE is restricted to exceptional cases only.

FAT Sector

This column lists the DEBUG accessible sector number, in hex, of the sector on which the first FAT entry for a file or folder is entered. It may be remembered that for each partition, Logical Sector numbers start with 0 (zero). Sector 0 is the Boot Sector which contains the drive parameters for that drive/partition whether or not that drive/partition is Bootable. FAT Sectors come after that. And Root Folder (Root Directory) sectors come after FAT.

Usage:

This column is provided to cater to such a strange need as modifying FAT itself to recover a file.

#Clusters

This column lists the number of clusters a file or folder is contained in. This number is in hex. A cluster is a compulsorily contiguous bunch of sectors.

Usage:

One can see if his folders (directories) are contained within one cluster. And when it is contained in more than one cluster the next column #Fragments must have a "1" to indicate that the folder is in one fragment. On a FAT16 partition folders are always contained within one cluster because it is difficult to completely fill this one cluster with file and subfolder entries. When a folder spans two clusters we recommend it be split into two separate folders so that one day when one has to remember or find out folder sizes one can be sure that none of the folders occupy more than one cluster. This helps in complex cases like loss of Root Folder without a backup available. These are advices to hard-core people and those who write source code (in any language) with big dreams. These people have a very demanding data security specification that is unnerving to others. Because backup programs don't talk about uncertainties with respect to FAT, Root Folder, Boot Sector and Partition Table. RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 addresses issues relating to the first 2 w.r.t. Hard Disks and the first 3 w.r.t. floppies.

#Fragments

This column lists the number of fragments a file or folder has. After the defragmenter was run, all these numbers under this column must not be anything other than 1 (one). Otherwise (a) either a particular file's contents had to be placed (when the file was copied or modified) in at least 2 fragments because of a bad sector in between or (b) the defragmenter was inefficient.

Usage:

This column is also dedicated to preventive maintenance. One has to keep files and folders defragmented so as to have unfettered control over them because we are talking about 100% security for files and folders at all times. We are not going to be satisfied with the File Allocation Table copy saved a week back if we are to lose the current FAT without a warning. This is an ultra hard-core specification that starters may ignore or take it in a light-hearted way. Starters need to do just one thing; just defrag as often as possible and ensure that files and folders are in one fragment each. (One fragment means no fragment at all as all file contents are gathered into a single chunk occupying a single series of sectors/clusters). The learning one gets from using RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 and experimenting is far above a Master's Degree in IT. No minimum educational qualification is required to use RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2. One can get to an expertise level of 5 years in just 5 months. We hope this is only reasonable.

Sector Number Pairs to the right of #Fragments

Of the sector number pairs and the file / folder names that one gets in the Facts Report File (only in the file and not on screen), the sector number pairs are of utmost importance. It is the location detail for a file / folder. A pair consists of two 8 digit hex numbers (for a FAT16 file system) or two 4 digit hex numbers (for a FAT12 file system) separated by a hyphen. The disk sectors indicated in a sector number pair hold between themselves a fragment of the file / folder concerned. The number of disk sectors a pair indicates is to be calculated by subtracting the first number in a pair from the second and adding a one to the result. For example, for FILE1.TXT, number of sectors occupied by it is 00000A14 - 00000815 + 1 which is 200h (512) sectors.

These sector number pairs are listed to provide for direct access to file / folder contents in exceptional disk error conditions. In the normal course of file / folder recovery, file / folder location details are managed internally by RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2.

RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 helps one backup the Root Folder. If anything happens to the Root Folder on disk, the Root Folder backed up as a file can be supplied to RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 to recover files and subfolders. When the Root Folder had not been backed up before it was physically damaged but the Facts Report File is available, manual method of recovering subfolders using DEBUG.EXE is explained below. This helps in understanding the importance of the sector number pairs which help locate file and folder contents at the sector level.

The said subfolders can simply be saved to files by using DEBUG and the number of sectors the sector number pairs indicate. Once the subfolders are obtained, RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 can be used to recover all files and lower level subfolders in that path (by supplying the subfolders to it in the form of files) even when the Operating System refuses access because of the physically damaged Root Folder. The use of DEBUG here is limited to obtaining the first level subfolders only. Thus RECOVER Fixed/Floppy Disk v2.2 can be made to recover files / folders by looking for directory entries in the file supplied rather than on disk.

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