I had (note the past tense) an ubuntu 12.04 system with separate partitions for the base and /home directories. It started acting wonky, so I decided to do a reinstall with 12.10, intending just to do a reinstall to the base partition. After several seconds, I realize that the installer was repartitioning the drive and reinstalling, so I pulled the power cord.

I'm now trying to recover as much as I can with testdisk, but it seems that testdisk is finding > 100 unique partitions when I run it - they mostly tend to be HFS+ or solaris /home (which I think is just an ext4; I've never had solaris on the machine). I've pasted an abbreviated version of the testdisk output below (first ~100 lines, and then ~100 lines from the middle of the output). Is there a way to combine or recreate the partitions and then data recovery, or some other way maximize what I can recover (ideally as much of the file system as possible)? I really only care about what was in the /home directory - I'd rather not use photorec since I don't have another 2 TB HD lying around to recover to.

Thanks, Dan

Mon Dec 10 06:03:00 2012
Command line: TestDisk

TestDisk 6.13, Data Recovery Utility, November 2011
Christophe GRENIER <[email protected]>
http://www.cgsecurity.org
OS: Linux, kernel 3.2.34-std312-amd64 (#2 SMP Sat Nov 17 08:06:32 UTC 2012) x86_64
Compiler: GCC 4.4
Compilation date: 2012-11-27T22:44:52
ext2fs lib: 1.42.6, ntfs lib: libntfs-3g, reiserfs lib: 0.3.1-rc8, ewf lib: none
/dev/sda: LBA, HPA, LBA48, DCO support
/dev/sda: size       3907029168 sectors
/dev/sda: user_max   3907029168 sectors
/dev/sda: native_max 3907029168 sectors
Warning: can't get size for Disk /dev/mapper/control - 0 B - CHS 1 1 1, sector size=512
/dev/sr0 is not an ATA disk
Hard disk list
Disk /dev/sda - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - CHS 243201 255 63, sector size=512 - WDC WD20EARS-00J2GB0, S/N:WD-WCAYY0075071, FW:80.00A80
Disk /dev/sdb - 1013 MB / 967 MiB - CHS 1014 32 61, sector size=512 - Generic Flash Disk, FW:8.07
Disk /dev/sr0 - 367 MB / 350 MiB - CHS 179470 1 1 (RO), sector size=2048 - PLDS DVD+/-RW DH-16AAS, FW:JD12

Partition table type (auto): Intel
Disk /dev/sda - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - WDC WD20EARS-00J2GB0
Partition table type: EFI GPT

Analyse Disk /dev/sda - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - CHS 243201 255 63
Current partition structure:
Bad GPT partition, invalid signature.

search_part()
Disk /dev/sda - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - CHS 243201 255 63

recover_EXT2: s_block_group_nr=0/14880, s_mnt_count=5/4294967295, s_blocks_per_group=32768, s_inodes_per_group=8192
recover_EXT2: s_blocksize=4096
recover_EXT2: s_blocks_count 487593984
recover_EXT2: part_size 3900751872
     MS Data                     2048 3900753919 3900751872
     EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock, 1997 GB / 1860 GiB
     Linux Swap            3900755968 3907028975    6273008
     SWAP2 version 1, 3211 MB / 3062 MiB

Results
   P MS Data                     2048 3900753919 3900751872
     EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock, 1997 GB / 1860 GiB
   P Linux Swap            3900755968 3907028975    6273008
     SWAP2 version 1, 3211 MB / 3062 MiB

interface_write()
 1 P MS Data                     2048 3900753919 3900751872
 2 P Linux Swap            3900755968 3907028975    6273008

search_part()
Disk /dev/sda - 2000 GB / 1863 GiB - CHS 243201 255 63

recover_EXT2: s_block_group_nr=0/14880, s_mnt_count=5/4294967295, s_blocks_per_group=32768, s_inodes_per_group=8192
recover_EXT2: s_blocksize=4096
recover_EXT2: s_blocks_count 487593984
recover_EXT2: part_size 3900751872
     MS Data                     2048 3900753919 3900751872
     EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock, 1997 GB / 1860 GiB

block_group_nr 1

recover_EXT2: "e2fsck -b 32768 -B 4096 device" may be needed
recover_EXT2: s_block_group_nr=1/14880, s_mnt_count=0/4294967295, s_blocks_per_group=32768, s_inodes_per_group=8192
recover_EXT2: s_blocksize=4096
recover_EXT2: s_blocks_count 487593984
recover_EXT2: part_size 3900751872
     MS Data                     2046 3900753917 3900751872
     EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock Backup superblock, 1997 GB / 1860 GiB

block_group_nr 1

recover_EXT2: "e2fsck -b 32768 -B 4096 device" may be needed
recover_EXT2: s_block_group_nr=1/14880, s_mnt_count=0/4294967295, s_blocks_per_group=32768, s_inodes_per_group=8192
recover_EXT2: s_blocksize=4096
recover_EXT2: s_blocks_count 487593984
recover_EXT2: part_size 3900751872
     MS Data                     2048 3900753919 3900751872
     EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock Backup superblock, 1997 GB / 1860 GiB

block_group_nr 1

recover_EXT2: "e2fsck -b 32768 -B 4096 device" may be needed
recover_EXT2: s_block_group_nr=1/14584, s_mnt_count=0/27, s_blocks_per_group=32768, s_inodes_per_group=8192
recover_EXT2: s_blocksize=4096
recover_EXT2: s_blocks_count 477915164
recover_EXT2: part_size 3823321312
     MS Data                     4094 3823325405 3823321312
     EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock Backup superblock, 1957 GB / 1823 GiB

block_group_nr 1

....snip......

MS Data                     2046 3900753917 3900751872
EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock Backup superblock, 1997 GB / 1860 GiB
MS Data                     2048 3900753919 3900751872
EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock, 1997 GB / 1860 GiB
MS Data                     4094 3823325405 3823321312
EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock Backup superblock, 1957 GB / 1823 GiB
MS Data                     4096 3823325407 3823321312
EXT4 Large file Sparse superblock Backup superblock, 1957 GB / 1823 GiB
MS Data                  7028840    7033383       4544
FAT12, 2326 KB / 2272 KiB
Mac HFS                 67856948   67862179       5232
HFS+ found using backup sector!, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 67862176   67867407       5232
HFS+, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 67862244   67867475       5232
HFS+ found using backup sector!, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 67867404   67872635       5232
HFS+, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 67867472   67872703       5232
HFS+, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 67872700   67877931       5232
HFS+, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 67937834   67948067      10234 [EasyInstall_OSX]
HFS found using backup sector!, 5239 KB / 5117 KiB
Mac HFS                 67938012   67948155      10144
HFS+ found using backup sector!, 5193 KB / 5072 KiB
Mac HFS                 67948064   67958297      10234 [EasyInstall_OSX]
HFS, 5239 KB / 5117 KiB
Mac HFS                 67948070   67958303      10234 [EasyInstall_OSX]
HFS found using backup sector!, 5239 KB / 5117 KiB
Mac HFS                 67948152   67958295      10144
HFS+, 5193 KB / 5072 KiB
Mac HFS                 67958292   67968435      10144
HFS+, 5193 KB / 5072 KiB
Mac HFS                 67958300   67968533      10234 [EasyInstall_OSX]
HFS, 5239 KB / 5117 KiB
Mac HFS                 67992596   67997827       5232
HFS+ found using backup sector!, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 67997824   68003055       5232
HFS+, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 67997892   68003123       5232
HFS+ found using backup sector!, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 68003052   68008283       5232
HFS+, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 68003120   68008351       5232
HFS+, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Mac HFS                 68008348   68013579       5232
HFS+, 2678 KB / 2616 KiB
Solaris /home           84429840  123499141   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84429952  123499253   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84493136  123562437   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84493248  123562549   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84566088  123635389   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84566200  123635501   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84571232  123640533   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84571344  123640645   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84659952  123729253   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84660064  123729365   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84690504  123759805   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84690616  123759917   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84700424  123769725   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84700536  123769837   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84797720  123867021   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84797832  123867133   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84812544  123881845   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84812656  123881957   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84824552  123893853   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84824664  123893965   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84847528  123916829   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84847640  123916941   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84886840  123956141   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84886952  123956253   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84945488  124014789   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84945600  124014901   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84957992  124027293   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84958104  124027405   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84962240  124031541   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84962352  124031653   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84977168  124046469   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
Solaris /home           84977280  124046581   39069302
UFS1, 20 GB / 18 GiB
MS Data                174395467  178483851    4088385

..... snip (it keeps going on for quite a while)