Background/Functional Description

Most hard disks are divided into Partitions for example into a System-Partition and a Work-Partition. Data can be accessed whilst the system knows the size and location of the partitions on the hard disk. If this information is lost, then so is all the data on the disk. However, the data can be accessed again as soon as the system is informed of the size and location of partitions.

When the system is intact, this Partition Data is usually stored in the first few blocks of the hard disk. It would be very difficult to recover any data from the hard disk, without an appropriate tool, if these blocks are destroyed through an operational error, a buggy program or even a virus.

The first 16 blocks of a hard disk contain the RDB (aka RDSK ), which contains a few global values, as well as pointers to partition blocks and other management blocks. The partition blocks are especially important as they contain all the data defining a partition.

RDB-Salv offers several options to prevent you suffering from an "RDB-Mishap" in future:

• RDB-Salv provides means to make a backup copy of the RDB and associated blocks and to perform a subsequent restore when necessary from the backup copy. This is preferable to salvage operations, even with the aid of RDB-Salv.
• Sometimes, only parts of the RDB and management blocks are over-written. RDB-Salv can scan your disk for management blocks which are no longer recognized by your system, and salvage the lost data.
• If you haven't rebooted since the loss of the RDB i.e. all partitions are still visible, then RDB-Salv can read the data from the DeviceList from RAM and thus recover the necessary information. A reboot or power off makes this method of recovery impossible.
• Even when both of the above methods fail, you needn't despair. RDB-Salv can scan your entire hard disk and calculate parameters for all your AmigaDOS partitions. Some values, which are fortunately not critical should be restored manually as their automatic recovery is simply not possible. Amongst other values, this includes the names of the salvaged partitions (e.g. `DH0:', `HD0:', `wb_3.x:', ...).

RDB-Salv will not change the contents of your hard disk --- except when you confirm its actions in the requester which appears. You need not worry about RDB-Salv destroying something without it asking you to confirm its actions first.

When you wish to restore a partially or completely destroyed RigidDiskBlock, RDB-Salv will search for or calculate many parameters which will allow the afflicted partitions to once again be addressed. You can then either store these directly as RDB and partition block, or opt to enter them manually into a Prep program (e.g. HDToolBox). Additionally, you can store the values as a MountList or mount the devices.