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Disk Scan


In order to completely analyze data structure on an object, it must be scanned. Any object on the Drives panel can be scanned. In addition, you may create a region to scan only a part of an object. The Regions topic explains how to create and work with regions . Scan is also greatly improves estimations for chances of successful file recovery .

You may select scan area and some other scan parameters. Scan information may be saved to a file and later this file may be opened.

Attention: Scanning large areas may be a very lengthy process!

NEVER TRY TO SAVE SCAN INFORMATION ON THE OBJECT BEING SCANNED!!!

Or you may obtain unpredictable results and lose all your data.

To scan an object

1 Select an object on the R-Linux 's Drives panel
2 Click the Scan button

Click to expand/collapse Other ways to start scan

3 Specify the required parameters on the Scan dialog box and click the Scan button
Click to enlarge

Scan dialog box

Click to expand/collapse Scan options

Known File Types : While scanning, R-Linux can recognize to which particular file type the data belong. Using such information, R-Linux can obtain more information about data/file structure on the object being scanned. By default, R-Linux tries to recognize all supported file types, greatly increasing time required for the scan. You may reduce it by selecting only those file types that you need. Click the Known File Types... button and select the required file types on the File Types dialog box.

Click to enlarge

File Types dialog box

Click to expand/collapse         Known File Types

Click to expand/collapse List of known file types

> R-Linux starts scanning the object, and its panel will show information about new found objects:

Click to expand/collapse R-Linux Main panel

The Log pane will show scan progress. Scan may be stopped by clicking the Stop button on the toolbar. Later the scan process may be resumed with different scan parameters.

You may see which file object(s) is/are on a particular disk part. Click the corresponding rectangle on the Scan Information pane and view the information on the Scan Information dialog box.

Click to enlarge

Scan Information dialog box

Select the file object and click Open in Hex Viewer to view the file object in the Text/Hexadecimal Viewer .

To see the information about a newly found object, simply click it on the Drives panel. Click this link to see the information about the object Recognized0 on the partition: .

When an object is scanned, a number of Recognized partitions will appear. R-Linux shows them in different colors depending on which elements of the partition have been found.

An existing partition

An existing partition after disk scan

Both boot records and file entries are found for this partition

Only file entries are found for this partition

Only boot records are found for this partition

A deleted partition

Empty space on the object

Files that have been found using scan for known file types .

Although such recognized partitions are virtual objects, files can be searched for and recovered from recognized partitions as from real partitions using Basic File Recovery .

All scanned information may be deleted on the context menu for a scanned object.

Scan information may be saved in a file. Previously saved scan information may be loaded. This can be done on the Drive or context menu for a selected object.

Multiple scans

If the selected object has been completely scanned, you may rescan it either completely or with new scan parameters. If the selected object has been scanned partially, you may scan the rest of the object, ignore the existing scan information and scan the entire object, or specify scan parameters manually.

R-Linux accumulates the information from successive scans and keeps track of changes in this information obtained from different scans.

You may make several scans of successive or overlapping areas. Click the Advanced button, specify an offset and size for a new area to scan on the Advanced Scan dialog box and click the Add button. You may specify and add several scan areas. You may select which areas should be scanned. Selected scan areas can be merged. Right-click a necessary area and select either Merge Down , Merge Down All , and Merge Selected .

Click to enlarge

Advanced Scan dialog box

Managing scan information

Scan information may be saved to a file. Previously saved scan information may be loaded.

To save scan information

1 Select an object on the R-Linux Drives panel
2 Select Save Scan Information on the Drive or context menu and save the scan information in a file

The default file extension is *.dpl.

To load scan information

1 Select an object on the R-Linux Drives panel
2 Select Open Scan Information on the Drive or context menu and select the required file with the scan information

The default file extension is *.scn.

> The scan information will appear in the Drives panel

To delete scan information

1 Select an object on the R-Linux Drives panel
2 Select Delete Scan Information on the Drive or context menu
> The scan information will disappear from the Drives panel

NEVER TRY TO SAVE SCAN INFORMATION ON THE OBJECT BEING SCANNED!!!

Or you may obtain unpredictable results and lose all your data.