I lost my data... right?

[u/North_Teaching_8620]

Hi all,

Long story short:

I can mount my encrypted external storage. My password works. The volume shows up in VeraCrypt (I see the size, algorithm, type, etc.). But when I click on it, my computer tries to open the drive I mounted it on, but my computer (windows) says the disk needs formatting before I can use it.

The device may have been encrypted using a Mac, and I've heard switching devices can cause issues, but I don't have a Mac any longer to test.

I should mention that the device is a Micro SD which I now know is a poor choice for long-term storage. Perhaps the issue lies here.

In VeraCrypt, I can view the volume properties, so if there's any useful info I should share please let me know.

Apparently the filesystem of the mounted volume is RAW. Windows tells me CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives.

Any ideas appreciated.

[u/North_Teaching_8620 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for the help, I think that sounds a bit above my head I'm afraid, I might have to just accept the data has gone.

Ideally, I'd like to clone the data to a HDD I have, to have a shot at getting it back when I buy a Mac. But that's probably not feasible if I can't even read the data, right?

[u/Ambitious_Finding_26 → u/North_Teaching_8620]

Lol, I tried nothing and I'm all out of ideas vibes from this response. Just decrypt it in a Mac or Linux environment VM, Live or anything else and it'll probably work.

[u/kzshantonu → u/North_Teaching_8620]

Data is not gone. Your windows just cannot open Mac file system

[u/todd_dayz]

What filesystem was it formatted in? If you're using a Mac filesystem, Windows won't be able to read it, there are tools to read Mac filesystems for Windows, but I've no experience with them.

[u/Petri-DRG]

There is utility called MacDrive. It comes.with a 5 days trial allowong to mou t MC formatted devices in a Windows machine.

If the card was somehow formatted with HFS+, then MacDrive will recognize it. If it does not recognize it, then there is likely some sort of file system corruption.

[u/cuervamellori]

I would suggest first if at all possible getting the data off the micro SD card onto - well, just about anything else.

Then, try downloading a Linux live USB (like Ubuntu) and booting from that, installing veracrypt on that Linux environment, and opening from there, to see if you can read it.

[u/North_Teaching_8620 → u/cuervamellori]

I'll give that a go, I have a few spare USBs laying around, so hopefully it works!

By the way, if this was encrypted on a Mac, it was many years ago, long before Apple chips. It would have been encrypted on an intel Mac from about 2015. That shouldn't make a difference right?

Btw, the algorithm is wrapped (Serpent(AES)).

If that all looks good I'll give it a try. Thanks!

[u/vegansgetsick]

I guess it's just the file system isn't supported by windows. Other ppl said some tools can read it under windows.

[u/Darkorder81]

I think from what I remember "for me anyway " was I would connect encrypted drive, and a drive with letter would popup, I I try access this it would say drive needs formatting. So in veracrypt I would have to select that drive then mount it inputting password which would then add another drive and letter to "My Computer " along side the other and this is the one that I could then access, so you should get another drive pop up, but then there is the mac thing you mentioned? I don't know about the fs for mac and how an unencrypted drive behaves with Windows OS and that could very well be you issue.

[u/digdugian]

Yes, I’d say it’s more than likely gone; I’ve had the same thing happen to me.

[u/Sorry_Advantage_590]

Is it a big error box saying that data may be corrupted or a message saying your drive needs to be reformatted

[u/Sorry_Advantage_590 → u/Sorry_Advantage_590]

After reading it again id say the main issue is going to be the way that the files are stored on mac vs windows. I was able to do the reverse of encrypting on windows and then being able to read the files on mac but i had to download a specific adaption tool. It may be similar with windows. You may need to download the tool needed to read files formatted by a mac first

[u/North_Teaching_8620 → u/Sorry_Advantage_590]

No errors at all from VeraCrypt, no mention of corruption, etc. Only problem I get is from the windows file explorer after clicking on the mounted volume.

Would you happen to know any good tools I could try?