How to Recover a GPT Partition

You sit down, log into your computer, and after booting up, you find that one of your GPT partitions is missing. Oh no. All of those important photos, videos, and documents have disappeared without a trace.

Like most people, you search Google for some suggestions on what to do next. And, you’ve landed yourself here. Luckily, this is the perfect place to be. Today, we’re going to take a look at what GPT partitions are and how to recover them.

Reasons Behind GPT Partition Loss

GPT partition loss can happen for a multitude of reasons. In most instances, it’s unavoidable and is the result of something out of your control. In others, it could simply be the result of user error.

Here are some common reasons why your GPT partition was lost:

• ⛔ Unexpected system shutdown – If your computer is in the middle of performing an action to the GPT partition like formatting, writing, or resizing – there’s a chance that the partition can be lost due to the unexpected power failure. This can also cause data on the partition to become corrupted.
• 😐 Accidental deletion or format – Accidents happen to everyone. In some instances, you may have accidentally deleted or formatted a partition that you weren’t supposed to. This is especially easy if the wrong command is entered through a terminal based solution like Command Prompt, and can quickly erase or format the partition in the blink of an eye.
• 🧰 Interrupted partition resizing or disk management operation – Partition resizing, merging, splitting, or moving is one of the riskiest moments for any partition table. If it crashes or the drive disconnects mid-process, the GPT entry or file system metadata can be left incomplete.
• ❓ Failed partition type conversion – If you’re converting your drive’s partition from MBR to GPT, your partition is left in a vulnerable state during this process. If anything were to go wrong, like an unexpected power failure, it can cause catastrophic damage to your partition.
• 🐜 Malware – The bane of any computer user’s existence. Malware can be created to specifically target the partitions on your drive, either to delete them or encrypt them and force you to pay a sum to regain access to them.
• 🔨 Corrupted partition table – If your partition table becomes corrupted, your operating system might not be able to view your partition. In some cases, this doesn’t mean that the partition is lost, but instead that the operating system can’t find it.
• 💽 Drive health problems – Bad sectors, failing HDD heads, controller issues, unstable USB enclosures, can damage partition metadata or make the system lose access to the partition.

No matter the cause, there are ways you can go about recovering the data from the lost partition.

How to Recover Data from a GPT Disk/Partition

When you need to recover a lost partition, you basically have three options: restore the data from an existing backup, use recovery software to scan the disk yourself, or send the drive to a professional recovery service. Let’s look at each option:

Restore from a backup

If you’ve prepared for this type of situation, you can restore the data directly from a backup. This is going to be your fastest and most efficient ways of recovering any lost data, as you can almost guarantee that the data is readily available.

There are all kinds of backup options: Windows File History, Backup and Restore, Time Machine on Mac, cloud backups, external drive backups, third-party backup tools. We won’t go too deep into it here, because the exact steps depend on what you used before the partition disappeared.

The obvious problem is that this method only works if that backup already exists. If you didn’t back up the files from that partition (or if the backup is too old), move onto the next method of recovery.

Use data recovery software

Luckily, if you find yourself in a position where your GPT partition has disappeared, there are ways you can recover the data that was on it using data recovery software.

In order to recover the data, we’re going to make use of Disk Drill, a data recovery tool that specializes in all types of data recovery, including partitions. Disk Drill is available for both Windows and Mac, and it’s proven to be reliable and easy to use, so it’s a great choice for all types of users who want to recover data from a GPT partition without getting too technical.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Download and install Disk Drill.
2. Once installed, open it. On the main screen, you’ll see a list of the drives in your computer. Select the drive that the partition was on.
3. Click on Search for lost data to begin the scan. If Disk Drill asks what type of scan you want to run, choose Universal Scan.
4. As Disk Drill scans the drive, it will start showing the lost partitions it has found, along with file categories such as Pictures, Videos, Audio, Documents, and so on. In our screenshot, as you can see, Disk Drill has already found one lost partition during the scan. Let it finish for the best recovery results.
5. Click the lost partition itself to review files found inside it. Or you can open one of the file categories instead, if you already know what type of files you need. Both options work here.
6. From here, you can select the files you’d like to recover. When ready, you can click Recover.
   Specify a location for recovery. Press Next.
   
   ⚠️ Note: To avoid losing the files again, it’s recommended that you recover to a storage location that’s not located on the same disk where the partition vanished.
7. When recovery is finished, you’ll be met with a brief overview of what has been done.

Once you’ve recovered the data that was on the lost partition, you can now recreate that partition and load the data back on.

Use a recovery service

If you don’t want to run recovery on your own, you can also enlist the services of a professional data recovery service.

For cases like a lost GPT partition, we usually recommend the DIY route, as long as the drive is still detected by the system with the correct size and doesn’t show clear signs of physical failure. Professional recovery services usually handle more severe cases, such as drives that appear dead, make unusual clicking/grinding sounds, show the wrong capacity, or have obvious physical damage.

But, if say the files are important enough that you don’t want to risk any mistakes, a professional service is still an option. For example, Clever Files has a team of experts who can inspect the drive and recover the data for you. 

 A professional recovery service gives you the best chance at recovering lost or deleted data from a GPT partition, and is usually the final option you choose if you’re unable to get it done yourself.

Which Partitioning Scheme Should You Choose? (GPT vs MBR)

By the way, if you are wondering what the difference between GPT and other partitioning schemes means in practical terms, it mostly comes down to compatibility and limits:

Master Boot Record (MBR) is another type of partition style that was introduced with DOS 2.0 in 1983. While for a long time it was sufficient in satisfying the needs of both end-users and enthusiasts alike, with the rapid rate at which technology is developing, MBR is quickly becoming legacy in comparison to GPT.

MBR

MBR only works with disk drives up to 2TB in size, and can only support four primary partitions. In order to add more partitions, you need to replace one of your primary partition slots with an extended partition, which you can then use to make extended partitions within it.

GPT

GPT supersedes MBR in almost every way. Size limits and the number of partitions you’re allowed on a single drive are only limited by the operating system. It is commonly used with UEFI-based systems; modern Windows boot drives normally use GPT when the computer boots in Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) mode. And, probably the biggest advantage over MBR in terms of recovery – GPT stores both primary and backup partition tables on the disk, which gives recovery tools more metadata to work with if one copy becomes damaged.

How to Prevent Data Loss Going Forward

Although data loss can occur at any time, you can take preemptive measures to prepare yourself for when it happens.

• 💽 Make backups of your data – Of course, the best way to keep your data safe is by creating copies of it. There are so many different ways you can backup your data, from cloud solutions like Google Drive to entire clones of your hard drive to an external drive that you keep in a safe place.
  Note: For Mac users, check out our complete guide on backing up your Mac.
• 🛡️ Use Antivirus – Viruses and malware can target your computer and either erase your data or hold it for ransom. Using an Antivirus solution like Malwarebytes is a great way to add an extra layer of security to protect your machine against those with malicious intent.
• 🔌 Use a UPS if power loss is common – If you use a desktop PC and your area has unstable power, consider using an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). A UPS gives the computer enough time to shut down safely instead of cutting power in the middle of a disk operation.
• ✅ Remove your drives safely – Before removing any external storage media from your computer, be sure to safely eject it before doing so. If you remove your storage device while it’s in the middle of an operation, it could corrupt the data and even the partition itself.
• 💂 Look for signs of a failing drive – If you hear your drive making clicking noises, files disappearing, or applications crashing at random, it could be that your drive is on its final legs. You can also use S.M.A.R.T. monitoring tools to check the drive’s health and watch for warnings. If anything looks wrong, move your data from that drive as soon as possible and replace it before it fails entirely.

Conclusion

Data loss never occurs at a convenient time. Because of that, you need to take proactive steps in preparing for the worst so you can bounce back in no time. Luckily, when disaster strikes, the solutions in this article can help you get your data back.

Read also

Recover an Unallocated Partition

RAW Partition Recovery

FAQ