Help with potential filesystem repair

Using TestDisk to repair the filesystem
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Author
dionysuspsi
Posts: 2
Joined: 29 Jun 2013, 03:11

Help with potential filesystem repair

#1 Post by dionysuspsi »

Hey all,
I am as proficient in computers as I find I really can be with only enough time and energy to dabble here and there. One of my co-workers has a laptop that no longer boots into windows and I took a look at it with a few utilities etc I have used a very little in the past.

I was curious if the problem was the hard disk partitions or file system and ran TestDisk on the NTFS Windows HDD.

The resultant data:

Disk /dev/sda - 500 GB / 465 GiB - CHS 60802 255 63
Current Partition Structure:

Warning: Incorrect number of heads/cylinder 23 (NTFS) != 255 (HD)
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 32 33 25 126 37 407552 [SYSTEM]

Bad Relative Sector.
Warning: Incorrect number of heads/cylinder 28 (NTFS) != 255 (HD)
2 P HPFS - NTFS 25 126 38 59113 50 9 949243904

Bad Relative Sector.
Warning: Incorrect number of heads/cylinder 16 (NTFS) != 255 (HD)
3 P HPFS - NTFS 59113 50 10 60801 47 46 27117568 [RECOVERY]

I am not sure at all what would of happened for sure as this is not my computer, but if I am not mistaken this is not right. The real question is what should my course of action be? Does this indeed require repair? Could I be guided though proper repair (I do not trust my very extreme basic knowledge of hard disk geometry one little bit.)
Should I just completely format the Hard Disk? Now I do not have (nor does he) a windows install disk, as you are all well aware companies just have recovery partitions and have done with it. No Disk to loose. Could the disk be formatted, leaving the recovery partition intact and then putting in new partition(s), with the recovery partition useable?

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