Accidentally deleted partition table! (solved)

[boandkris]

Hi all,

I recently bought a used MacBook. I used Boot Camp and made a new 32GB partition. I rebooted into my favorite linux Live CD (PCLinuxOS) and looked at the partitions and then left. I later found that the partitions were gone and the hard drive says its "empty" when I'm on the Live CD and I get the flashing question mark on a folder when I boot the Mac. I know that I didn't erase any data. I have worked with partitions quite a bit, and I'm pretty sure that I was working too fast and hit the "clear all" button on accident. There is another program in Linux that will show the partitions called "parted." Here is the code:

# parted /dev/sda
GNU Parted 1.8.8
Using /dev/sda
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
(parted) print
print
Warning: /dev/sda contains GPT signatures, indicating that it has a GPT table.
However, it does not have a valid fake msdos partition table, as it should.
Perhaps it was corrupted -- possibly by a program that doesn't understand GPT
partition tables.  Or perhaps you deleted the GPT table, and are now using an
msdos partition table.  Is this a GPT partition table?
Yes/No? y
y
Model: ATA ST9320320AS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 320GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number  Start   End    Size    File system  Name                  Flags
 1      20.5kB  210MB  210MB   fat32        EFI System Partition  boot
 2      210MB   286GB  285GB   hfs+         Untitled
 3      286GB   320GB  34.2GB  fat32        Untitled

(parted)

Any idea how to restore the partition table so that it will boot?

I tried my friends install DVD (don't have my own) and used "Disk Utility." It sees the hard drive, but not the partitions and won't mount it.

Thanks,
Kristin

 

[spinnerlys]

I don't know of a way to restore a partition table, but if you have another Mac handy (or an external 2.5" HDD with an empty drive to swap both drives, to install Mac OS X on the empty one, and putting the MB's one into the enclosure), you can use Target Disk Mode and a software called Data Rescue II to recover your data.

 

[boandkris]

Thank you for the thoughts.

I'm not really worried about the data (I hadn't put my files on it yet), but I was really hoping to be able to save myself from having to reload Mac OS X (Leopard). I don't have the original DVD's. The guy I bought it from gave me some copies, but they were DVD+DL and the drive won't read them. I have ordered my own retail set of Leopard DVD's, but they won't be here for a few days and I'm leaving for vacation on Sunday. I was hoping to take the MacBook with me. It seems that if "parted" can see the partitions then there should be some way to restore the table?

Also, I do have an external hard drive if that would help.

 

[spinnerlys]

You could use MRoogle to search for similar topics on this forum, but other than that I can't help.

 

[Bill Gates]

I'm not sure if it will help or not, but try running rEFIt's partitioning tool. It may be able to help. http://refit.sourceforge.net/

 

[boandkris]

Trying it now. Thanks so much.

 

[Diode]

Trying it now. Thanks so much.

Well if you don't care about the data a simple reinstall would have been done by now

 

[boandkris]

I couldn't get rEFIt to boot? I downloaded the .iso. Burned it, but couldn't get it to boot. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

Also, I probably would have reinstalled by now, but like I said earlier I'm waiting on the discs. I just thought that since no data is erased there might be a simple way to restore the partition table.

 

[Diode]

I couldn't get rEFIt to boot? I downloaded the .iso. Burned it, but couldn't get it to boot. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

Also, I probably would have reinstalled by now, but like I said earlier I'm waiting on the discs. I just thought that since no data is erased there might be a simple way to restore the partition table.

Oops didn't read that part my appologies.

 

[boandkris]

I got it!

I went back into the Linux Live CD (PCLinuxOS - the best Linux OS in my opinion) ran the "parted" (GNU Parted) program again. Looked at a list of its commands. Ran "mklabel" and gave the hard drive a "gpt" label. Then ran "rescue" and it found the partitions. Then the Mac booted up fine!

It anyone ever deletes the label or partition table on accident this is the trick!

 

[jacobzking]

Boandkris... I just accidentally formatted a volume with a lot of important data but haven't done anything to the drive. I basically need to do what you did and "undo" the format. Can you please contact me at j_king@mac.com and give me some advice. I read your post about mklabel but have no idea what any of it means. Thanks so much!!!!

 

[dua]

similar problem

boandkris,
I have a similar problem as yours two days ago. But since I'm not so familiar with Parted I would ask you please to share your solution in a step by step explanation, about how did you solve the problem. I would really apreciate your help!

Dua