Introduction

If a partition is no longer listed in Windows, PartitionAssistant Recovery can search the disk for its remaining partition information. You can then review the matches and attempt to bring the missing partition and its contents back into use. This guide walks you through that process, from selecting the source disk to checking the recovery result.

Protect the Disk Before Searching

Leave the affected disk unchanged as far as possible. Saving new files, formatting the disk, or allocating its unused space to a new partition can replace information required for recovery. Stop these activities as soon as you discover that a partition is missing.
Partition loss can follow an incorrect deletion, partition table damage, malware, or an interrupted disk operation. Hardware problems, including bad sectors, may also affect partition detection. The outcome depends on what is still readable and has not been overwritten; a successful recovery cannot be assured in every case.

Get the Recovery Environment Ready

Use a Windows computer with PartitionAssistant Recovery installed. Attach the disk you want to examine and check that the computer detects it. Confirm that Partition Recovery is available under your current license, and complete any activation or upgrade requested by the application. Maintain reliable power and a secure disk connection.

How to Use Partition Recovery Step by Step

Step 1. Run AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery and click "Partition Recovery".
In the disk list, locate the physical disk that contained the missing partition. Check its model and total capacity against the device you intend to recover, then inspect the disk layout shown beneath the list. With the correct disk selected, click "Next".

Step 2. Decide how thoroughly to search.
The search options differ in coverage and the time they require. For an initial attempt, select "Fast Search". It provides a quicker way to look for missing partition entries. If that attempt does not return the expected partition, run another search using "Full Search", which checks the disk one sector at a time.
Choose the option that suits your attempt and click "Next". Allow more time when using Full Search, since it examines more of the disk.

Step 3. Watch the search status.
As the search runs, the progress screen shows its status and any partitions detected so far. Leave the disk attached until the search has finished. A blank list partway through the operation is not a final result.
Click "Pause" if you need to suspend the search temporarily. Click "Stop" if you want to end the search. For a complete set of results, allow the selected search method to finish before deciding whether your partition has been found.

Step 4. Restore the matching partition
When the search ends, compare the listed entries with the partition you lost. Mark the checkbox for the matching partition, then click "Proceed" to carry out the recovery. Check the details below before committing to a selection, particularly if several entries appear similar.

Read the result details:
Partition identifies an entry in the list. Its name alone may not be enough to confirm a match.
Capacity shows the partition size. Look for a value consistent with its original size.
File System: Shows the detected format, for example NTFS. Use it as another point of comparison.
Start Sector / End Sector describes the area occupied by the partition on the disk.
Flag identifies the partition category, for example, Primary or Logical.
Note: Search Complete confirms only that the search has ended. Recovery begins after you choose an entry and continue with Proceed. Once the recovery operation finishes, look for the partition in Windows and try opening the files you need.

Troubleshooting and Feature Choice

No matching partition was returned
Check the device connection and confirm that you searched the intended physical disk. If Fast Search ends with No partition found, use Back to return to the search settings. Select Full Search, click Next, and reassess the results by size, file system, and sector range.

When you only need files from the missing partition
Use Partition Lost Recovery when your goal is to extract files while leaving the original partition state unchanged.
Choose Partition Recovery when you want to restore the partition itself together with the data it holds.