Re: partition table lost [and found]

[Brian Butler <kb9tkh@mailroom.com>]

William T Wilson <fluffy@snurgle.org>:
> > > Now, we need advice on the best way to get this found partition information
> > > into the table on the disk.  Is it even slightly smart to just fire up fdisk
> > > or cfdisk and go to town?

> If you know exactly what the partition information was, then Linux fdisk
> should do the trick.  If you're concerned about losing data, just mount
> the partitions read-only when you want to try and see if you got it right.
> You'll need to know not only what size the partitions were, but also what
> cylinders they began and ended on and, if any of them are extended
> partitions, you'll need the same information for the partitions contained
> within.

OK, we do have the information, out of the utility called diskpart which
came from a handy URL posted to this list in this thread.

My concern is that fdisk may be inclined to not only DEFINE the partitions
in the table on the disk, but actually MAKE them -- zero them out, sector
info, that kind of thing.

If that is not what the standard fdisk in slink will do, then it will
certainly be the best tool for the job, all things considered -- in that it
already lives on the rescue disk and all of us have used it many, many
times.

I can't really discern from the manpage what exactly happens with fdisk
behind the scenes.  I know it's great for making _new_ partitions, but what
about *re*making _old_ ones?

Thanks for all the help... have gone from a hopeless and especially painful
(the data's on the disk, and we can't get at it!) scenario to serious hope
for this box in < 24 hours thanks to debian-user!

--Brian Butler