I think I saw some good in the logs you posted, especially when it
started showing directory names...

| FAT: cluster=2(0x2), pos=19555
| 1 * FAT32 LBA 0 1 1 2637 29 63 39873267
| [DSK1_VOL1] FAT32, 20 GB / 19 GiB
| Directory /
| 5352 drwxr-xr-x 0 0 0 19-Mar-2006 03:47 RECYCLED
| 5376 drwxr-xr-x 0 0 0 24-Mar-2006 16:22 movie clips
| X 5288 drwxr-xr-x 0 0 0 13-Sep-2008 15:53 MASTER
| Reinstall for KT7

It looks to me a recovery is possible. Either Richards or the TESTDISK
guy should be able to do it. Has the latter gotten back to you yet? (I
hope so.) More below.

mikesmith wrote:
....snip

| ************** HIS RESPONCE ***************
| My previous recommandation is still valid:
|
| Enable the expert mode, RebuildBS, choose
| FAT1: 33
| FAT2: 9763
| Send me the new log file.
|
| __________________________________________________ ________
| __________________________________________________ ______
|
| ************ 7TH E-MAIL **************
|
| _______________________________________
|
| On Sun, 23 Nov 2008, Mike Smith wrote:
|
| hey Christophe
|
| i dont know if i did this right i did this to get to where i think
| you wanted me to get..
|
| Advanced
| enable the expert mode...
| Advanced
| RebuildBS
| Boot
|
| then it said something like...
|
| potential FATS and it listed 2 different things..
| one of them was..
| fat1 32
| fat2 9762..
|
| i just clicked proceed..

I suppose you couldn't change them right there. OK, then-- if that's all
you could do.

| then the next thing poped up..
| and the first one was blinking 32...i changed it to 33
| and then fat2 poped up saying 9762...and i changed it to 9763
|
| i changed them to 33 and 9763 like you said to

Fine! (But would be nice to know why he chose those values. But I guess
he knows!)

| then it said this...
|
| Number of FATS (Usually 2) (1-2) :2
| and i just clicked... ok..and left the 2

Looks right to me.

| and i guess it started searching subdirectory ..
| and stoped at this numbers.. 190464 / 39873267 4
|
| and now down at the bottom it says
|
| STOP
| cluster size (0-128) :32
|
| and line is flashing under the 3 like i need to pick cluster size...
|
| what am i suposed to pick under the cluster size?..
| or am i just suposed to click stop now...
| and not change that 32 number
|
| ********** HIS RESPONCE ***************
| Validate the other values

Yea, I'm not sure, either, what he means by that-- but it could mean to
accept them. Let's see (as glee once posted)...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q192322/
Description of Default Cluster Sizes for FAT32 File System
.......Quote.........
Partition size Cluster size
------------------------------ --------------
512 MB to 8,191 MB 4 KB
8,192 MB to 16,383 MB 8 KB
16,384 MB to 32,767 MB 16 KB
Larger than 32,768 MB 32 KB
......EOQ.............

Yikes, it looks to me the default for a 20 GB partition is 16! But I'm
not sure what size your partition actuall is. The TESTDISK log shows two
possibilities...

| Disk 81 - 7911 MB / 7545 MiB - CHS 1022 240 63

That's about 8 GB, which would have a cluster size (by default) of 4 KB.

| Disk 81 - 20 GB / 19 GiB - CHS 42197 15 63
| LBA size=39876480

That's where it says 20 GB. But this too wouldn't have a default cluster
size of 32 KB. Of course, it could be your particular partition is not
using a default size for some reason. Because the log went on to show
valid directory names-- maybe stick with 32 for the cluster size. (I
can't really say.)

| Christophe
|
| __________________________________________________ _____
| __________________________________________________ _____
|
| ***************** 8TH E_MAIL *************
|
| __________________________________________________ ____
|
| hey Christophe
|
| im lost here...
| i don't know what you mean Validate!!..

I'm hoping he's gotten back to you with an answer for that & the rest of
what you ask.

| plus...
| theres things you didn't say what to do after..
| i changed the FAT 33 and FAT2 9763
|
| like the last letter i wrote i've had my computer running for 4 days
| in Dos just sitting running..
| wating on what to type on the CLUSTER thing..
|
| i asked you what i should type in there..
| when it was flashing on the 3 in 32..
| ***i just clicked ENTER...and left it at 32***

Ask him what is the actual size of the partition getting rebuilt, & show
him that table of default cluster sizes.

| then it went to another page..
| that looks like im going to show you below..
| you didnt say what i should pick on this page either...
|
| like i keep telling you christophe..
| im am NOT a computer wizzard..
| and have no idea what im doing here..
|
| and when theres things you do not say anything about i get lost..
| and have no idea which things to pick..
| hoping im not messing anything up picking things
| that you didn't say i would have to pick from...
|
| like this next page...
| you didn't say anything about the cluster page
| or this page that was after it..
|
| and what thing i should pick on this next page either..
| heres what the page looks like...

You are asking the right questions. Try not to sound accusatory at this
stage, though.

| TestDisk 6.10 Data Recovery Utility,July2008
| Christophe
| http://www.cysecurity.org
|
| 1*FAT32LBA 0 1 1 2481 254 63 39873267 [DSK1_VOL1]
| Cluster 2, Directory/found?
| Answer Y(yes), N(o) or A(bort interactive mode).N or A if not sure.
|
| drwxr-xr-x 0 0 0 19-Mar-2006 03:47 RECYCLED
| drwxr-xr-x 0 0 0 24-Mar-2006 16:22 movie clips
| dr-xr-xr-x 0 0 0 14-May-2006 21:05 a2
| -rwxr-xr-x 0 0 64 25-Feb-2008 05:06 Capture.fcb
| drwxr-xr-x 0 0 0 21-Apr-2006 22:43 1a

It looks like you are certainly getting at least some directory names
correctly shown. But do you have a directory named "a2" & "1a"? Let us
see what he says about those.

| ***and theres alot more on the list...***
| i don't think typing the whole page matters..
|
| you did not say what to pick from here..
| like if i should pick....(yes / no or abort)

I hope he has given you the answer. I'd say to choose "abort", if you
are unsatisfied with the names being shown.

| i just picked Abort because i didn't know...
| you didn't say anything about what to pick on that page either..
|
| and when i picked Abort it took me to another page

Possibly -- since you chose to abort -- it is going to retry to get you
a better list of directory names.

| and now it searched
| **Search root Cluster**
|
| and when it was done..
| it asked me to..
|
| **create a new root cluster with 16 first-level directories (expert
| only) (y/n)**
|
| i picked **NO** because i didnt know what to pick either on this
| page..
| you didn't say anything about this page either...

You did well to choose "no", under the circumstances. This is a good
post of yours-- he can respond to it with finalized answers!

| after picking NO
|
| then it poped to a page that wants me to pick
| ** root cluster (2-1245431) :0 **
|
| and is flashing on :0 zero
|
| what do i type in there?
|
| you didn't say anything about choosing from this either...
|
| i have no idea what i have picked for these last 3 pages becasue you
| didnt say anything about the choices i had to pick from them...
|
| what do i choose for this page now thats asking me
|
| root cluster (2-1245431) :0
|
| yeah Christophe im lost i have no idea because you didnt say i'd have
| all these choices after doing what you said to do below..

All right, all right, you have done well to show him all the questions.
Just stop sounding accusatory, is all! You have done well not to answer
the questions on your own, but to show every single one of them to him.

| and heres all you said...
| you didn't say anything about the numbers or choices i'd have to
| pick...
| you do know im running the DOS program right?..
| and not the one from Windows?..
| heres all you said below..
| what about the rest?
|
| **My previous recommandation is still valid:**
|
| Enable the expert mode, RebuildBS, choose
| FAT1: 33
| FAT2: 9763
| Send me the new log file.
|
| ___________________________
| __________________________________________________ ___
|
| yeah PC that was a few days ago..i havent heard from him yet...

When you are certain he will never answer, I'm sure Richards will help
you guess-- if not, then I will!

| i had my computer blinking on the root cluster thing for like a few
| days now.. i have no idea what i should type in the Root cluster
| thing..
|
| it says....root cluster (2-1245431) :0...
|
| and is blinking on the :0 zero...
| i have no idea what to type in there....
|
| and my computer is sitting in DOS running for days now..
| i dont think it will be good to just re-start it with out typing
| something
| in there..
| i don't think just shutting off my computer without typing anything
| in there..
|
| yeah i dont know what to do now..
| kinda wish i never put this hard drive in that stupid Compaq system..
| because i know it was something to do with the Compaq and the hard
| drive was fine to start with...
| and now i probally messed it up changing what the testdisk guy had me
| change.
|
| anyways...
| sorry this is so long

It was long, but full of the proper questions. Has that guy answered
them yet?


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR