Hard disk partition and data recovery program

MRECOVER is a utility program that can recover data from hard disks damaged by the CIH virus (also known as the Chernobyl virus). In some cases you will be able to do a 100% recovery (back to the state before the damage occurred). But in most cases you might get 40% to 60% depending on the number of partitions you have in your hard disk. The program is available at this site and you can download it free of cost.

The workings of MRECOVER is relatively simple. Unlike other data recovery programs, MRECOVER will recover data not by using assumptions or complex data recovery algorithms used to guess the location of the contents of files. It reconstructs the damaged part keeping in mind the way in which the CIH virus inflicts damage. This approach is sometimes more effective in getting back your data.

• MRECOVER will be able to bring back everything if your first partition is FAT32 and greater than 1 GB. Yes, you'll see your computer boot from your hard disk with everything intact if things go well.
• If your first partition was FAT16 then you should get back all the partitions except the first one. The first partition is not recoverable by MRECOVER as the damage done to it cannot be repaired straightforward.
• MRECOVER recovers contents of hard disk partition wise, that means the partitions you get back will recovered with all its contents intact.
• You can use MRECOVER to recover partitions from other accidents too (recovery of first partition is not guaranteed in those cases).

But in order for this program to work properly, it is assumed the user has not already formatted the hard disk, or used any other technique that alters disk contents. MRECOVER will not alter the contents of the disk if it sees data is not recoverable, only when MRECOVER can retrieve data, it will write the changes. This ensures that the contents are intact and that you can use other methods if available. If you get back partial contents the other parts are left alone and are not touched. If MRECOVER does not work for you, you are advised not to format, there has to be other means out there which can help.

Remember that MRECOVER is not an antivirus software, it's a data recovery program, so inorder to remove viruses from infected files after recovery, you will have to use some antivirus software.

If you're new to the terms like partitions, FAT etc. then please see the pages given below, I've tried to give a simple but almost elaborate overview of the internal structure of data storage on hard disks, and I hope you'll find it useful.

New features of MRECOVER 1.85:

• MRECOVER should now identify and recover LINUX partitions (except the first one).
• MRECOVER will now try to identify if the first partition's file system is FAT32 automatically. This means you don't need to enter the type if you're not sure.
• A bug has been fixed which caused the computer to hang while repairing some FAT32 primary partitions.
• The messages and instructions inside the program have been made more informative.
• The message 'you have to format' has been removed. Well I didn't mean that you'll have to format if MRECOVER fails, but incase a lot of people might misunderstand, I've removed it (should've done this a long time ago).
• Last of all although it's not that important, I've optimized the code, so it's a lot smaller (50KB, compared to 80KB of MRECOVER 1.71)
• A bug (which I call a lame one) that crept into the oneday release MRECOVER 1.8 has been fixed.
• MRECOVER 1.81 bug of not rebooting and not recognising FAT32 at second stage when a single partition exists has been fixed.

Important: If you have used MRECOVER 1.8, 1.81 and 1.82 find that it does not work please use MRECOVER 1.85. All those versions had a bug hidden inside which I overlooked. I'm very much sorry for the inconvenience.

Home
Introduction to MRECOVER and features of version 1.85
Data storage in hard disks
The CIH virus and its damage
Using MRECOVER

Copyright ©1999, Monirul Islam Sharif
Last Modified Saturday, May 22, 1999.