I have a failing hard drive and would like to create an image file that I can use to recover the data from. However, I would like to be able to use this image file with several data recovery programs, including R-studio, Active@ Undelete, GetDataBack, UFS Explorer etc. I believe that the best type of image would be a raw data (binary) image of the whole drive ("raw disk image")?
Thus, I need to find a third party application that can create such an image and can be read by various data recovery programs. However, I am confused about the different formats for disk images (are there different formats for raw disk images??). For example:
R-Studio can read image files with file extensions: rdr, dsk, dat, bin, dfs, fss, hex and arc
Active@ Undelete can read the following image files types: Raw Data (Binary), LSoft, Virtual PC, Virtual Machine (VMWare)
GetDataBack can read image files with file extensions: img, imc, vim
UFS Explorer ???
Which of R-Studio's extension(s) refer to raw disk image files? I assume that R-studio can not create raw disk image files (only a proprietary disk image format)? Any suggestions of a third party application that can create raw disk image files to be used with R-studio (and the other data recovery programs?
Choosing Image File Format for Data Recovery
Re: Choosing Image File Format for Data Recovery
R-Studio can create raw (uncompressed) disk images. Just select the Byte to byte image option. See R-Studio's help for details: Images.
The file extension doesn't matter, you may select whatever you like, and change it if necessary. Raw file images are just data from disks, no additional information.
The file extension doesn't matter, you may select whatever you like, and change it if necessary. Raw file images are just data from disks, no additional information.
Re: Choosing Image File Format for Data Recovery
A related question - I created a set of .rdr images in an attempt to recover files from my RAID using R-Studio, but I would like to try to see if ReclaiMe's RAID detection algorithms can find the correct parameters for my volume. Unfortunately, ReclaiMe does not support the .rdr compressed images format.
But I do see that if I right-click on the drive within the R-Studio interface I can choose "create Image...", and from there I can create an image in .dsk format. Is this a byte-for-byte raw format that might be supported in ReclaiMe, and if so would this be a procedure for effectively converting or repackaging the data from within a .rdr file into an uncompressed disk image in a format that works with ReclaiMe and other applications?
But I do see that if I right-click on the drive within the R-Studio interface I can choose "create Image...", and from there I can create an image in .dsk format. Is this a byte-for-byte raw format that might be supported in ReclaiMe, and if so would this be a procedure for effectively converting or repackaging the data from within a .rdr file into an uncompressed disk image in a format that works with ReclaiMe and other applications?