How to fix a damaged MBR/GPT and delete an invalid partition

Fixing Partitioning Scheme (MBR/GPT)

If the partition table looks OK for the disk you are recovering (you see all volumes in the Explorer Tree), but your computer still does not boot from this disk, it is possible that Master Boot Record (MBR) or GPT was damaged by a virus or overwritten. You can try to use the Fix MBR command to replace existing MBR/GPT with the one from the set of templates (create a typical one).

To fix a damaged Master Boot Record (MBR):

  1. Select the disk in you want to fix MBR on (place cursor on it)
  2. In the main window, from the Tools menu, choose Fix MBR (Create Typical MBR)
  3. In the confirmation dialog make sure that the proper disk is selected for MBR repair
  4. Click Yes to confirm the command and wait while list of disks is being refreshed

Deleting an invalid partition

If you know for sure that partition on the disk is NOT valid (damaged, or created by mistake instead of deleted one, or recovered not properly) you can delete the existing partition first and then try to search for partitions being deleted previously.

This is also the only option when you find a deleted partition using QuickScan or SuperScan, and you know for sure that it is valid, but you are unable to recover it due to overlapping with others existing partitions. You are to detect the invalid partition first, delete it and then to recover the only partition you are interested in.

To delete an invalid partition:

  1. Verify that the existing partition you want to delete is actually an invalid partition (Windows Explorer is not displaying it properly, or unable to access it and suggests to format it, or displays garbage instead of your files)
  2. Select the partition to be deleted (place cursor on it)
  3. In the main window, from the Tools menu, choose Delete Invalid Partition
  4. In the confirmation dialog make sure that the proper partition is selected for deletion
  5. Click Yes to confirm the command and wait while list of disks is being refreshed

Note You can only delete existing partitions (Primary or Extended) and you cannot delete the System partition (Active one or having Windows installed). If you need to delete an Extended partition, make sure that it is empty (no logical drives left in it). If logical drives exist in an Extended partition, you are to delete them first, then delete the Extended partition itself.

Important! Fix MBR and Delete Invalid Partition commands for the hardware device has been automatically logged to the partitioning backup file, and you can always rollback you changes later on.

Note Fix MBR and Delete Invalid Partition functions are available in commercial (purchased) version only.