Unrecognized File System - Recovering Drive

[EGUser]

Hello I have a full 2tb external drive encrypted using veracrypt. I have been using it for quite some time without any issues until the other day after accepting my password it just asks to format, and then says the file system is unrecognized. I am generally careful with dismounting so I am not sure what happened. I have scoured the forums for a few hours and haven't been able to find any help.

The drive is clearly recognizing my password but the file system seems shot.

• Under select device it does not show any partitions under the hard disk.
• In hexeditor, there's what I think is a header, large gap of 00's then a bunch of data and while I can pick up plain words like file or exe, it mostly looks like gibberish (attached example). So I am not sure if its actually decrypting or not. There are not gaps of 00's in the data once the data starts after the initial 00s it seems to be constant from then on (bad sign?!).
• I tried using Restore Header using embedded backup. That process seemed to have went fine, but I am still at square one.
• I did not format this drive.

I have a bunch of files that would cost me a lot if I cannot recover them so I am pretty desperate for any help. My only course of action right now is to make an image of the drive (I ordered another drive cause I don't have enough space for the image), and then try and use the repair file system.

Any possible ideas that would help are appreciated.

[just lower]

If you haven't figured it out by now, mount the drive and run testdisk. I hope you did not repair the file system .