I messed up my partition while trying to make space for Fedora. I reduced the size of my Mint partition using a partition manager, but it resulted in a corrupted file system. Now, the super-blocks are bad, and Mint isn't showing up in the BIOS anymore. I've attempted to run fsck, but it hasn't worked due to the super-block issues. I think Testdisk might help, but I'm not sure how to use it effectively. Also, would using a boot stick be beneficial? By the way, my Fedora and EndeavorOS partitions are still working.
3 Answers
The best approach is to stop any further modifications and create a read-only image of your disk right away—using tools like Clonezilla or dd could work well for that. After that, try resizing the partition back to its original size if possible. If you're lucky, the old data might still be recoverable. Then give fsck another shot. If all else fails, look into specialized recovery software that scans the actual data blocks directly.
First off, you should have shrunk the file system before shrinking the partition. It's a common mistake to shrink the partition without taking care of the file system first. Consider using a volume manager like LVM next time to avoid similar issues, or maybe BTRFS with subvolumes for easier management. But hey, let’s focus on fixing this now!
GParted is usually the go-to for tasks like this. Did you use it when you resized your partitions? It can handle most file system adjustments safely, but since you’re in a bit of a jam now, try to get a backup image first to prevent any more data loss!
A backup sounds smart, but I’m really hoping for a fix to get my Mint back up without losing everything!
True, but that's not going to help now. I need guidance on recovering what I've already messed up!