Repairing ReiserFS?

[Boston]

Hi, I have a NFS that runs some flavor of embedded linux. It formats its drives as reiser.

I pulled the drive out and stuck it in a windows 2003 server machine. Windows prompted me to initialize the disc, i hit tab > space (for cancel)... the tab didn't register so now my drive is "initialized" for windows.

I used a trial verson of Quick Recovery ReiserFS and it found and listed all the files (about 120GB) on the drive. They want $80 for the full version, which I'll pay as a last resort, but...

My question: can I boot on a live cd and repair/recreate the MBR on the reiser disc? If I can do that, I think plugging it back into the NFS and accessing it remotely would work. What are the parameters to perfom this?

I've tried a few other apps that let you mount reiser fs on windows, but since the MBR is missing they don't work.

Thank you.

edit: Here's output from fdisk, if it will help...

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2c51d9e4

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

Command (m for help): v
976773167 unallocated sectors

[bigtomrodney]

You might be interested in having a look into TestDisk. Don't be fooled by costly proprietary tools for something like this...if something is open source the chances are the best tools for it are also open source.

[Boston]

Thank you for that suggestion. I downloaded and ran it, however it will only find the missing partitions if I select "none" for the partition table type. Are you familiar with this program?

Since I've selected "none" it won't let me write a new table. I've tried running reiserfsck under a livecd but since I didn't create the FS manually (the NFS device did) I don't know the particulars of the formatting.

Below is the output from testdisk, should I use fdisk under linux to re-create the partitions from this information? I don't have another drive that's large enough to image this one, so I kind of have a one-shot attempt here.

==============================
TestDisk 6.11.3, Data Recovery Utility, May 2009
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>


Disk /dev/sda - 500 GB / 465 GiB - CHS 60801 255 63
Partition Start End Size in sectors
P Linux SWAP 2 0 0 11 62 62 58 999984
P ReiserFS 3.6 62 63 14 60801 77 24 975772928
P Linux md 0.9 RAID 62 63 14 60801 79 26 975773056 [md4]

Structure: Ok.


Keys T: change type, P: list files,
Enter: to continue
ReiserFS 3.6 with standard journal, 499 GB / 465 GiB

==============================

TestDisk 6.11.3, Data Recovery Utility, May 2009
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>


Disk /dev/sda - 500 GB / 465 GiB - CHS 60801 255 63

Partition Start End Size in sectors

P Linux SWAP 2 0 0 11 62 62 58 999984
P ReiserFS 3.6 62 63 14 60801 77 24 975772928
P Linux md 0.9 RAID 62 63 14 60801 79 26 975773056 [md4]

Write isn't available because the partition table type "None" has been selected.

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