Top Two Ways to Recover Lost Partitions in Windows 7

Is there any way I can recover lost partition?

A hard drive is the main computer storage device and is often divided into multiple partitions on a Windows operating system. Hard disk partitions allow users to manage or arrange various files easily and conveniently. However, partitions can lose due to some unknown reasons.

In most cases, users lose hard disk partitions by an accidental deletion in Disk Management. Partition table corruption is another main factor for partition loss. Other causes like a mechanical issue, virus attacks, or repartition could need partition recovery.

If you have mistakenly deleted a partition in Disk Management or lost a partition for unknown reasons, remember that do not create new partitions on unallocated disk space, or add new files to the partition.

Why is your partition lost or missing in Windows 7?

The following common reasons often cause partition loss. Check if your scenario is being applied.

◈Mistaken partition deletion—you may delete a partition by inadvertent operation in Disk Management or disk clean.
◈Repartition hard drive—error operations or sudden interruption during disk resizing would cause partition loss.
◈Partition table loss or damage—the function of the partition table is to display the partitions. Once it corrupts or loses, the partition would get lost as well.
◈Unexpected operating system shutdown—unexpected operating system shutdown will lead to computer malfunction or disk error.
◈Virus attacks—once viruses and malware attack the hard drive, the partition will get lost easily.

Besides, operating system or file system corruption, bad sectors, and run CHKDSK after disk defragmentation can also lead to partition loss. Finding out the causes of partition loss will help you prevent partitions from losing again in the future.

The top two methods for Windows 7 partition recovery

If your Windows 7 partition is lost, all the data and folders contained in the partition will be deleted and no tracks of the hard drive partition in Windows Disk Management are visible. So how to restore lost partition on a hard drive is urgently needed.

Reliable partition recovery software, like AOMEI Partition Assistant, would be pretty handy, especially for those who don’t know computers.

Notes:✎...

It is unrecoverable once your lost data is overwritten by new data. Therefore, do hard drive partition recovery as soon as possible after the partition has been deleted or lost to increase the opportunity of recovering all your files.

Do not make any new operation to the formatted partition, or reformat it.

Do not recreate a new partition on the unallocated space.

Method 1: Recover deleted or lost partitions via AOMEI Partition Assistant

AOMEI Partition Recovery Wizard, as a specialized feature of AOMEI Partition Assistant, is created to recover lost or deleted partitions including FAT, NTFS, Ext2, Ext3, Ext4 in Windows 10, 8, 7. Using the partition recovery tool can be the most effective way to recover lost or deleted partitions completely.

AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a powerful disk management tool that helps you to manage disk partitions effortlessly. With stunning features, AOMEI Partition Assistant gained lots of good reputation from users all over the world.

❤❤AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional

Partition manager: resize/move partition, merge partitions, split partition, format partition, allocate free space, create partition, align partition, dynamic volume management, migrate OS to SSD or HHD, etc.

Converter & wizards: convert MBR to GPT, convert dynamic to basic disk, convert NTFS to FAT32, convert primary to logical partition, disk clone, APP mover, Windows To Go creator, etc.

Step 1: Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. To recover lost or deleted partitions in Windows 7, you can download the demo version first.

Step 2: Select Partition Recovery Wizard on the left panel and choose the disk including the lost or deleted partition. Click “Next”.

Step 3: Select Fast Search. There are two kinds of search modes. It is recommended to select Fast Search the first time because it saves more time than Full Search. Then, click on “Next” to proceed.

Step 4: The tool will display the list of all lost or deleted partitions. You can choose the one you want to recover.

Step 5: After the partition recovery process completes, a message “congratulations” shows, and click “Finish” to exit this window. Then you can go to File Explorer to check the lost or deleted partitions out. Your files in the partition will be back as well if the data hasn’t been covered or overwritten.

Method 2: Assign a drive letter to the lost partition via command prompt

If you see the lost partition denoted by an asterisk in Disk Management, you can try to reassign a drive letter in CMD to make your missing partition visible again in Windows File Explorer. It's also a free way to restore the lost partition. This method requires you are familiar with DiskPart Command-Line.

Step 1: Find the lost partition in Disk Management. Press “Win + R” and type “diskmgmt.msc” in the Run window to open Disk Management. (If a partition is deleted, the volume will be marked as Unallocated. Remember the partition size.)

Step 2: Press “Win + R” and type “CMD” to Run CMD as administrator.

Step 3: Type "diskpart" in the CMD window and press Enter.

Step 4: Type "list disk" and press Enter. All disks on the computer will be on the list.

Step 5: Type "select disk # " and press Enter (Replace # with the number of the hard disk that contains the lost partition).

Step 6: Type "list volume" and press Enter. You will see all volumes on the disk.

Step 7: Type "select volume #" and press Enter (replace # with the number of the lost partition).

Step 8: Type "assign letter=#" and press Enter (Replace # with an available drive letter, from C to Z).

Conclusion

Partition deletion accidentally occurs often in Disk Management. There are two best ways to recover lost or deleted partitions in Windows 7. Select the way you want to restore deleted or lost partitions. It’s recommended to try AOMEI Partition Recovery Wizard for partition recovery due to its easy-to-use interface and powerful function. It can rescue your partitions and data if you take action as soon as possible. If you don't want to lose partitions and data entirely, regular backups for crucial files are encouraged.