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TestDisk can be downloaded from http://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk.html

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TestDisk (not always the latest version) has been included on

Running TestDisk under DOS

Hard disk must be detected by the BIOS. Note:In very few cases, hard drives should be connected to the motherboard IDE connectors, as some IDE add-on cards are broken.

Running TestDisk under Windows 95

You need to run the DOS version of TestDisk. Hard disk must be detected by the BIOS. Hard disks and other media that are larger than 32 gigabytes (GB) in size are not supported in any version of Windows 95. http://support.microsoft.com/?id=246818

Running TestDisk under Windows 98

You need to run the DOS version of TestDisk. Hard disk must be detected by the BIOS. Windows 98 with the correct patchs may handle harddisk bigger than 32 GB http://support.microsoft.com/?id=243450

Running TestDisk under Windows NT 4/2000/XP/2003

Since version 5.2, there is a Windows version of TestDisk. It runs slower than Linux and DOS version. To handle disk bigger than 137 GB, support for 48-bit Logical Block Addressing (LBA) must be avaible.

Windows version of TestDisk is using /dev/sdX for disk name. It's linux device name for SCSI harddisk, but in fact, TestDisk doesn't know if it's IDE, SCSI or USB disk. TestDisk is using those names because cygwin compiler has an internal mapping for /dev/sdX to windows device.

Windows 2000 and 48 bit LBA

Windows 2000 SP3 adds support for 48-bit Logical Block Addressing (LBA), which lets you access hard disks larger than 137GB. To enable 48-bit LBA with Windows 2000 SP3, you must also make sure the EnableBigLba value is defined and set properly in the Windows registry. To enable EnableBigLba in the Windows registry, perform the following steps:

  1. Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe). In Windows, click on Start->Run, enter "regedit".
  2. Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Parameters registry subkey.
  3. From the Edit menu, select New, DWORD Value.
  4. Enter the name EnableBigLba, then press Enter.
  5. Double-click the new value, set it to 1, then click OK.
  6. Close the registry editor.
  7. Restart the machine for the change to take effect.

If you are not familiar with regedit, you can also try this tool http://www.48bitlba.com/enablebiglbatool.htm

Windows XP and 48 bit LBA

Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) adds support for 48-bit Logical Block Addressing (LBA), which lets you access hard disks larger than 137GB. http://support.microsoft.com/?id=303013

Running TestDisk under Linux

Linux kernel 2.2 and older are restricted to 65535 cylinders. Big disks are only handle by kernel 2.4 or newer.

Program compressed with UPX will decompress and run in /tmp directory. Free space must be avaible and execution of binaries on the mounted file system must be allowed (If necessary: mount -o remount,exec /tmp)

Running TestDisk under FreeBSD

Under FreeBSD 5.2-RC1 and maybe other version, you may have to use the Geometry menu to enter the correct disk geometry.

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