HFS+ changed to Microsoft Reserved!!

[luffx]

Hey all,

I think I just did something horrible.

So my powerbook G4 doesn't turn on anymore. So I figured I would remove the HD and extract the data. I have an IDE to USB adapter, so I hooked it up plugged it in. I should've hooked it up to another Mac, for an easy read, but instead I hooked it up to my Vista machine. /facepalm.

I wasn't paying attention and it asked what partition style to mount it as, so I selected GUID (over MBR), and now it claims it's a Microsoft Reserved drive. I doubt it reformatted, since I never saw any sign of it, and I doubt Microsoft would be so dumb as to prompt to format drives with unknown file types...oh...wait.

So I tried using HFSExplorer on the PC to read it, but it states there aren't any HFS volumes. So then I tried to plug it into a mac, but it won't mount the partition and reads it as a Microsoft Reserved disk. Is there anyway to change it back w/o losing data, assuming it's not lost already?

thanks,
~Luf.

 

[Fukui]

Not likely.

You may try to use one of the many data recovery tools, which will fish out your files but it won't be able to recover the names of those files except MP3's which iTunes will rename when importing (based on the data in the file). Its too bad the data recovery option was taken out of leopard!!

 

[Saladinos]

Each filesystem has a hexadecimal ID. HFS+ is 0xAF. It might be that the identifier has been changed, but the content not destroyed. Acronis should be able to change it.

Wikipedia, however, gives a grim view of the situation:

The Microsoft Reserved Partition, or MSR, is a partition on a data storage device that is labelled with Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) equal to E3C9E316-0B5 C-4DB8-817D-F92DF00215AE. The containing storage device has to use the new GUID Partition Table (GPT) format, not the traditional Master Boot Record (MBR) partition table format. Microsoft Reserved Partition is used to reserve space ahead of time for other use, and it does not contain any meaningful data itself.[1]
Microsoft requires an MSR on every GPT disk, and recommends it to be created as the disk is initially partitioned. It should be located after the EFI System Partition (ESP) and any OEM service partitions, but—most importantly—the first data partition must follow it. Initial size of MSR is 32 MB on discs smaller than 16 GB, or 128 MB on other discs, although it may later automatically shrink on behalf of other partitions, for example during the conversion from basic disk to dynamic disk.

It looks like Windows has formatted the disk, and because you chose GPT, it also created an MSR partition.

Did you try booting your Powerbook in Target Disc Mode first? It basically turns the laptop in to a USB drive. You could try putting it back and hoping that Windows is just being stupid.

 

[luffx]

Did you try booting your Powerbook in Target Disc Mode first? It basically turns the laptop in to a USB drive. You could try putting it back and hoping that Windows is just being stupid.

I didn't try Target Disc Mode b/c my computer wouldn't power on to begin with. Like....it was completely dead. No battery charge, not even able to turn on while plugged in after resetting the PMU. So I just removed the disk and attempted to retrieve the data. I have no idea why I didn't just plug it into my iMac, I was just being dumb.

 

[luffx]

I have Acronis, so I'll give that a try later tonight.

Thanks for the quick advice!

~Luf.