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All my hard-disk partitions have disappeared. I was using Windows 8.1 and tried to install Ubuntu. How can I recover my data? I tried to use sudo test disk, but terminal says command not found and unable to find package. Please help me resolving this problem. I am running Ubuntu live from the USB stick now, not from the harddisk.

Byte Commander
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Shahbaz Ahmed
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  • Restore the backup you made. Otherwise you can try test disk but it is not software you need to use from Ubuntu. From another computer you download a testdisk live dvd ( http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Livecd ), burn it to a dvd. Do NOT use the machine you want to restore and then boot from the dvd and let testdisk do its thing. Mind though: if you did anything else besides installing Ubuntu (like use it) your Windows system is probably gone forever. Only other method to get Windows back would be to get the backup out that you made of your Windows systems. – Rinzwind Jan 31 '15 at 21:18
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    Why exactly did you repeat your problem description thrice? – ThiefMaster Jan 31 '15 at 21:35
  • You might find this helpful - http://askubuntu.com/questions/463076/partitions-disappeared-after-power-loss-while-installing – Elder Geek Jan 31 '15 at 22:00
  • the command is 'sudo testdisk` (no space between test and disk) if you don't have it you can install it. Covered in step 8 of the answer linked above. – Elder Geek Jan 31 '15 at 22:02

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That you are asking suggests you didn't make a backup. Next time make a backup. To the degree there is any chance your data survives on your hard disk, it is worth actually looking for the partitions, if you haven't already. It is possible all you have is a GRUB issue. To look for your partitions, from your ubuntu on thumbdrive, open "disk utility" and use it to look at the hard drive and see how many partitions there are, and what format they are in. If your windows partitions, exist they won't be in EXT4. That's Ubuntu.

I'm truly sorry if you feel Ubuntu deleted your windows partitions, but I know from experience you were given choices ("side-by-side" or "use entire drive"). You have to make a backup first, and you have to make the correct choices.

gyropyge
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