Doh! my Netcomm router erased my USB HDD

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Abovetheclouds

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#143601 20-Apr-2014 18:28

I guess I suffer from the condition that if there is capability I have to try it, without researching it.

I got excited that my new Netcomm NB604N has a USB port for "network storage", I plugged in 2 different USB media drives and streamed video around the house with no problem, the router just created a "share" folder but allowed access to the rest of drive(s).

The problem happened when I plugged in a 3rd drive (1TB), as luck would have it, the one of the three that I do not have a complete backup of, the router completely wiped the drive (I assume a quick format as it happened pretty much instantly).

I have tried several recovery tools but can't seem to restore the directory or file structure, I can pull about 600gb of files but renamed generically which is not much help.

To make me sound even more like the guy who licks the electric fence over and over. This is the second time this has happened but last time I restored the drive fine, only problem is I can't remember how (too much fence licking?).

Last time, it was when I plugged it in to my sons new xbox, hoping to be able to watch tv/movies from it, it formatted it (without asking). If I recall, as I don't have any commercial recovery software (only easus partition home edition), I somehow made an image of the disc using a demo version of easus recovery wizard or similar and then mounted the image and re-populated the drive. Damn I wish I made notes.

Question though.... I notice that only partition on the drive is set to "logical", it wouldn't be as simple as changing it to "primary" would it?

I have not written to the drive or done anything yet, surely there is a way to restore the table without a sector level "recovery" of nameless data.

If anyone can help I'd appreciate it.

Cheers,

nakedmolerat

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#1028299 20-Apr-2014 18:59

To make me sound even more like the guy who licks the electric fence over and over. This is the second time this has happened but last time I restored the drive fine, only problem is I can't remember how (too much fence licking?).

Gold!

nathan

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#1028324 20-Apr-2014 20:28

What tools did you use that didn't work?

Abovetheclouds

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#1028333 20-Apr-2014 20:52

Hi,

I used easeus data recovery wizard, active@ File recovery and Recuva (each takes about 12 hours to scan).

Easeus gave me the best result, but as I say I was only able to recover about 80% of the drive and virtually useless with no directory structure or file names. I think it is best for recovering deleted files (not restoring file table etc).

Interestingly, I am searching my internet history from December 2013 and think I may have used iCare data recovery (demo), which may have enabled me to save an image with an proprietary extension, which I then somehow mounted without buying the software.... So I am running a scan with that now.

Curiously I also fired up iCare disk editor first and it shows the volume as last formatted Dec 29 2013, which gives me hope.

So if it has not been reformatted what the heck did the Netcomm do, change permissions? By any means of checking, the partition is showing as empty.

nakedmolerat

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#1028334 20-Apr-2014 20:54

Is it possible that the drive is actually broken?

Abovetheclouds

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#1028335 20-Apr-2014 21:05

I don't think so, I suppose I could find out by transferring files to it, but obviously don't want to do that, yet.

Here's a screen cap from active @ disk editor

Abovetheclouds

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#1028339 20-Apr-2014 21:21

So after searching through my history I can ascertain that what happened to the same drive 4 months ago was that the Xbox removed the partition, leaving unallocated space, so I got some free (limited to 1gb) partition recovery software to create a .DIM image and then converted it to ISO and mounted it.

This situation seems quite different. I really looks like the router just deleted all of the files. I Just can't believe that nowhere in the netcomm guide does it mention the risk of erasing data (ok I do believe it).

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Abovetheclouds

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#1028350 20-Apr-2014 21:32

I'm kind of wondering if it is possible that I can't see the files due to the netcomm taking over the permissions, I am scared to plug it back in to see if anything I can do through the router, maybe if I image the disc first?

The self help guide specific to the usb network storage is at http://media.netcomm.com.au/public/assets/pdf_file/0013/101164/NB604n-USB-Storage-.pdf (I can't link yet)

As I said in my OP, the other 2 drives I connected created a "share" folder on the drive and left the data alone, perhaps something in the way I set up the account credentials in the router for this drive?

richms

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#1028401 20-Apr-2014 23:10

If what you have is important then do a forensic clone of the drive onto another and work on that rather than run random programs off the internet on the drive itself.

Also lots of the software I tried seemed to be the same software with a different skin to it. All were absolutly hopeless.

Richard rich.ms

Abovetheclouds

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#1031246 25-Apr-2014 17:31

Thanks, yes good idea.

Have done that.

I still think that the router has somehow set permissions that are stopping me from seeing my data on the drive, when plugged in to the router and accessed over the network the drive security properties have all permission greyed out, except "special" permissions. So it would seem that the permissions are set by the router.

So frustrating, knowing my data is there but not accessible.