Major problem with Maxtor OneTouch II external drive (MBR)

[kdvgent]

I have a Maxtor OneTouch II external drive (300GB) that I used as backup drive for both my Linux and Windows computer.

I now have a problem - the drive is reported, both on Linux and Windows, as being empty. Linux says that there is an unknown partiition table, Windows does see the drive as empty and not formatted.

Testdisk has first said that the Partition table doesn't have the endmark 0XAA55, then (after MBR code) it has given as partition

2 * Xenix bad block .... (bad ending head)

Then after correcting the number of cylinders (and rewrite MBR), it has given

3 * Sys=3F .... (bad ending sector)

In both cases "Analysis" does not find any partition.

Windows says that I can do a "fixmbr" from an XP recovery disk but:

- I would not know how to tell "fixmbr" that I want it to operate on an external drive (for which I do not have even a drive letter as Windows considers the drive as not formatted.
- My Windows PC refuses to take the installation CD and start from there (installed version of the operating system is newer that the one on the CD - probably SP2 is causing this?

At present, I am running R-Studio (demo) version on my Windows PC but this will take about a week to finish.

Any suggestions?

[akje]

Hey!
have you used your disk at all?
If you haven't, try this:
1. format your disk, using the software that came with the disk under Windows.
2. Copy what-ever to your disk, the file system will be either FAT or NTFS. (mine is NTFS)

To see the disk under Gentoo, besure to have it plug-in before you boot!!! (this is the only way! I can't get it to work if isn't plugd in at boot!)
Use USB, i can't get it to read the disk when I use firewire.
Gentoo should be able to detect your disk, and you can access it from /media/usbdisk or /mnt/usbdisk.
If you want to be able to write to your disk you have to change the disk settings in /etc/fstab add the rw option.


Some times my windows can't read the disk. What I do then, I unplug the disk. Reboot, wait until Windows is up and running,
then plug in my disk and everything is good.

If you find a way to use firewire, let me know!
I love my maxtor disk!
_________________
---
Sincerly
Andy
"In a world without fences, who needs Gates?"

[kdvgent]

I recuperated most of my data via the program I mentioned before.

I then reformated the disk under linux, partly with FAT, partly with Reiser and I am using it happily ever since (of course, the Reiser part only under Linux.