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I just refreshed my Windows 8.1 installation, and I wanted to make a system image on my external drive using the native System Image program.

It required me to backup to an NTFS drive, but the Windows partition manager grayed out all of the options to make partition changed.

So I downloaded AOMEI Partition wizard to do the job. It showed me that my external drive was storing its data in three distinct chunks, so I just clicked on the leftmost chunk (which showed itself as empty) and formatted 50 of its 80 GB for my backup.

Once I did this, it created an F: drive, and the previously-existing E: drive disappeared.

Unfortunately I reset the computer hoping it just needed to refresh, and now I have no undo option. I've since deleted the NTFS partition hoping to get my backup partition(s?) to show again, but to no avail. They all show up as a *: drive.

I tried running AOMEI's partition recovery wizard, but to no avail. It visually looks like the data is still there and recognized, but just not mounting.

I reassigned a drive letter, and when I try to access it, it says it needs formatting. Here's how the drive looks from AOMEI. Suggestions?

drive

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  • Open elevated cmd -> run diskpart -> type list disk -> make a note of your external disk number (0,1,2,3 etc.) -> type select disk x where x is the disk number -> type list volume to see any partitions on your disk. If there are no true NTFS partitions they won't be displayed. If there are no true NTFS partitions then you cannot backup Windows 8.1 and will need to format the disk FROM WITHIN WINDOWS. If Disk Manager can't do it then try diskpart -> Select disk x -> clean.
    – Kinnectus
    Commented Jun 30, 2014 at 6:38
  • Diskpart "clean" will erase your hard disk. Be warned. At present you are unable to access it from within Windows so at present you may not have any other option but to format it.
    – Kinnectus
    Commented Jun 30, 2014 at 6:39
  • The problem isn't about getting my external drive to NTFS. I already did that, which was my mistake. My problem is that I'm trying to restore the data I lost when I partitioned it
    – Rhionin
    Commented Jun 30, 2014 at 12:39
  • Can you upload a picture of your Disk Manager so we can see your existing structure?
    – Kinnectus
    Commented Jun 30, 2014 at 12:43
  • Yes. See the link in my updated post
    – Rhionin
    Commented Jun 30, 2014 at 13:26

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