External HDD switched from NTFS to RAW Topic is solved

[AndyII]

I've run the chkdsk /R /V and it froze on stage 4 of 5 at 10%.

I then re-ran it using chkdsk /F and got the message on stage 3 of 3 that "The second NTFS boot sector is unwriteable."

I am re-running TestDisk and this time it is running considerably slower. I can watch the counter increment one cylinder at a time or 3 to 8 cylinders per second.

Remy, please don't be rude by hijacking my issue. I am not using Windows 7 or Linux, so anything that might help you, will only prevent me from getting the help I requested in my own thread. Please start your own thread as you have several times.

[AndyII]

I tried correcting the MBR's, but TestDisk will not write the backup boot sector. I get the attached window.

[AndyII]

Might be important to get a screen from your disk selection.
You should run TestDisk as administrator.
Please let me know your OS?
Your disk should be also listed in your disk selection as Disk.
Your screen it's a drive.
A disk is mor precise that a drive.
I would only use your drive in an emergency case, if no disk is available.
The diagnose would be different.

The screenshot with the drive was not my choice. It was the only thing there and that's what came up. The newest screenshot shows the drive. By the way, the disk has only 1 partition. I am using the entire disk for drive H: so for me the terms have been interchangeable.

[AndyII]

I've tried attaching the log file, but TXT and LOG extensions are not allowed for attachments. Also, for some reason, the text in the file is all on one line. It is not broken up like the ones I've seen posted here.

How do I get the log file to post here like everyone elses?

[Fiona]

As far as I know *.txt-extensions should be allowed.
But if you use Vista/Win7 it's not as easy, because extensions are hidden.
You can also copy past the content.

At the moment I don't recommend to use Org BS.
Please run Rebuild BS.
It's rather a try to get your files listed and you can copy your data to another intact drive or partition.
If a partition appears as RAW and the backup of the boot sector is bad, indicates often that the file system is damaged.
In case Rebuild BS is a try to list data and copy/backup them.

Fiona

[AndyII]

Thanks Fiona. You helped me get the files back earlier. I copied them to another drive. At this point, I'm trying to figure out if the hard drive is still useable. Should I just reformat the disk or should I Rebuild BS? I don't know what the BS is. Should I scrap the disk altogether?

If I can fix the file system without having to copy the files back, that would be a bonus, but not if there's the risk of file loss later. It was all data, no programs, so copying is easy.

[AndyII]

I had received an error that said something like being unable to write to the second boot sector. Is there a way to rewrite the MBR and repartition then reformat the entire disk using your TestDisk?

[AndyII]

Can someone please help me? I've tried what Fiona said. It will not rebuild the backup boot sector. I already have the data from the drive.

Is there any way to salvage this drive?

Can I rewrite the MFT and MBR?

Can I create new boot sectors without trying to write to the current ones?

Can I make the disk as if I bought it and need to start by partitioning and formatting it?

[AndyII]

I've tried rebuilding the boot sector and now I'm getting conflicting results. Before the rebuild, the sectors are not identical, but afterward, TestDisk says they are. Yet when I run it again, they are not identical. Here is my log file:

Code: Select all

Sun Apr 22 17:08:55 2012
Command line: TestDisk

TestDisk 6.14-WIP, Data Recovery Utility, April 2012
Christophe GRENIER <grenier@cgsecurity.org>
http://www.cgsecurity.org
OS: Windows Vista (6002) SP2
Compiler: GCC 4.6, Cygwin 1007.9
Compilation date: 2012-04-14T19:52:14
ext2fs lib: 1.41.8, ntfs lib: 10:0:0, reiserfs lib: 0.3.1-rc8, ewf lib: 20100226
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(/dev/sda)=163928604672
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(/dev/sdb)=500107862016
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(/dev/sdc)=200049647616
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\PhysicalDrive0)=163928604672
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\PhysicalDrive1)=500107862016
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\PhysicalDrive2)=200049647616
filewin32_getfilesize(\\.\PhysicalDrive3) GetFileSize err Incorrect function.

filewin32_setfilepointer(\\.\PhysicalDrive3) SetFilePointer err Incorrect function.

Warning: can't get size for \\.\PhysicalDrive3
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\C:)=376420336640
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\D:)=16310697984
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\E:)=163925934080
filewin32_getfilesize(\\.\F:) GetFileSize err Incorrect function.

filewin32_setfilepointer(\\.\F:) SetFilePointer err Incorrect function.

Warning: can't get size for \\.\F:
filewin32_getfilesize(\\.\G:) GetFileSize err Incorrect function.

filewin32_setfilepointer(\\.\G:) SetFilePointer err Incorrect function.

Warning: can't get size for \\.\G:
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\H:)=200055227904
disk_get_size_win32 IOCTL_DISK_GET_LENGTH_INFO(\\.\J:)=0
Warning: can't get size for \\.\J:
filewin32_getfilesize(\\.\P:) GetFileSize err Incorrect function.

filewin32_setfilepointer(\\.\P:) SetFilePointer err Incorrect function.

Warning: can't get size for \\.\P:
Hard disk list
Disk /dev/sda - 163 GB / 152 GiB - CHS 19929 255 63, sector size=512 - Maxtor 6Y160L0, S/N:3459413353514531202020202020202020202020, FW:YAR41BW0
Disk /dev/sdb - 500 GB / 465 GiB - CHS 60801 255 63, sector size=512 - WDC WD5000AAKS-22TMA0, S/N:2020202057202d44435750413257313439343731, FW:12.01C01
Disk /dev/sdc - 200 GB / 186 GiB - CHS 24321 255 63, sector size=512 - WDC WD20 CALL1059642, FW:2D08

Partition table type (auto): Intel
Disk /dev/sdc - 200 GB / 186 GiB - WDC WD20 CALL1059642
Partition table type: Intel

Interface Advanced
Geometry from i386 MBR: head=255 sector=63
NTFS at 0/1/1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=255 nbr=2
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=8 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=16 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=32 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=64 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=128 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=240 nbr=1
get_geometry_from_list_part_aux head=255 nbr=2
 1 * HPFS - NTFS              0   1  1 24321 254 63  390732867 [HARDDISK_H]
     NTFS, 200 GB / 186 GiB

ntfs_boot_sector
 1 * HPFS - NTFS              0   1  1 24321 254 63  390732867 [HARDDISK_H]
     NTFS, 200 GB / 186 GiB
NTFS at 0/1/1
file_pread(6,1,buffer,390732929(24321/254/63)) lseek err Invalid argument
filesystem size           390732867 1
sectors_per_cluster       8 0
mft_lcn                   786432 0
mftmirr_lcn               6305508 0
clusters_per_mft_record   -10 0
clusters_per_index_record 1 0
Boot sector
Status: OK

Backup boot sector
ntfs_boot_sector: Can't read backup boot sector.
Status: Bad

Sectors are not identical.

A valid NTFS Boot sector must be present in order to access
any data; even if the partition is not bootable.
rebuild_NTFS_BS
mft at 6291456, seq=1, main=0 res=1
ntfs_find_mft: mft_lcn             786432
ntfs_find_mft: mftmirr_lcn         6305508
ntfs_find_mft: sectors_per_cluster 8
ntfs_find_mft: mft_lcn             786432
ntfs_find_mft: mftmirr_lcn         6305508
ntfs_find_mft: mft_record_size     1024
ntfs_find_mft: index_block_size    4096
Extrapolated boot sector and current boot sector are identical.
filesystem size           390732867
sectors_per_cluster       8
mft_lcn                   786432
mftmirr_lcn               6305508
clusters_per_mft_record   -10
clusters_per_index_record 1
NTFS filesystem need to be repaired.

Directory /
       5 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0 22-Apr-2012 17:07 .
       5 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0 22-Apr-2012 17:07 ..
    4642 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0  4-Sep-2010 07:16 $RECYCLE.BIN
     784 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0  2-May-2010 12:13 Adobe Downloads
      27 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0  2-May-2010 11:29 ANDYSMAIN
    1434 -r--r--r--     0      0       151 25-Dec-2011 13:45 AutoRun.inf
     445 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0  2-May-2010 12:02 CS3 Torrents
     794 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0 25-Mar-2012 22:51 Movies
     990 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0 25-Dec-2011 13:46 My RoboForm Data
     482 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0  2-May-2010 12:12 OLD STUFF
    1005 -r--r--r--     0      0   3146232 25-Dec-2011 13:45 PortableRoboForm.exe
    1002 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0 25-Dec-2011 13:45 RoboForm
     795 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0 22-Apr-2012 14:49 System Volume Information
     792 dr-xr-xr-x     0      0         0  9-Apr-2011 17:05 WordPerfect Office X4
filesystem size           390732867
sectors_per_cluster       8
mft_lcn                   786432
mftmirr_lcn               6305508
clusters_per_mft_record   -10
clusters_per_index_record 1

ntfs_boot_sector
 1 * HPFS - NTFS              0   1  1 24321 254 63  390732867 [HARDDISK_H]
     NTFS, 200 GB / 186 GiB
NTFS at 0/1/1
file_pread(6,1,buffer,390732929(24321/254/63)) lseek err Invalid argument
filesystem size           390732867 1
sectors_per_cluster       8 0
mft_lcn                   786432 0
mftmirr_lcn               6305508 0
clusters_per_mft_record   -10 0
clusters_per_index_record 1 0
Boot sector
Status: OK

Backup boot sector
ntfs_boot_sector: Can't read backup boot sector.
Status: Bad

Sectors are not identical.

A valid NTFS Boot sector must be present in order to access
any data; even if the partition is not bootable.

ntfs_boot_sector
 1 * HPFS - NTFS              0   1  1 24321 254 63  390732867 [HARDDISK_H]
     NTFS, 200 GB / 186 GiB
NTFS at 0/1/1
filesystem size           390732867 1
sectors_per_cluster       8 0
mft_lcn                   786432 0
mftmirr_lcn               6305508 0
clusters_per_mft_record   -10 0
clusters_per_index_record 1 0
Boot sector
Status: OK

Backup boot sector
ntfs_boot_sector: Can't read backup boot sector.
Status: Bad

Sectors are not identical.

A valid NTFS Boot sector must be present in order to access
any data; even if the partition is not bootable.
rebuild_NTFS_BS
mft at 6291456, seq=1, main=0 res=1
ntfs_find_mft: mft_lcn             786432
ntfs_find_mft: mftmirr_lcn         6305508
ntfs_find_mft: sectors_per_cluster 8
ntfs_find_mft: mft_lcn             786432
ntfs_find_mft: mftmirr_lcn         6305508
ntfs_find_mft: mft_record_size     1024
ntfs_find_mft: index_block_size    4096
Extrapolated boot sector and current boot sector are identical.
filesystem size           390732867
sectors_per_cluster       8
mft_lcn                   786432
mftmirr_lcn               6305508
clusters_per_mft_record   -10
clusters_per_index_record 1

ntfs_boot_sector
 1 * HPFS - NTFS              0   1  1 24321 254 63  390732867 [HARDDISK_H]
     NTFS, 200 GB / 186 GiB
NTFS at 0/1/1
file_pread(6,1,buffer,390732929(24321/254/63)) lseek err Invalid argument
filesystem size           390732867 1
sectors_per_cluster       8 0
mft_lcn                   786432 0
mftmirr_lcn               6305508 0
clusters_per_mft_record   -10 0
clusters_per_index_record 1 0
Boot sector
Status: OK

Backup boot sector
ntfs_boot_sector: Can't read backup boot sector.
Status: Bad

Sectors are not identical.

A valid NTFS Boot sector must be present in order to access
any data; even if the partition is not bootable.

TestDisk exited normally.

I've attached screenshots of before and after the rebuild. I would attach a third image showing what happens when I re-run the software, but it is the same as the "Advanced_Boot.jpg" image.

[remy]

Hi, else if it's only for knowledge purpose that you continue trying repairing this disk, ir will be quickest and safest to format it with a low-level tool (look on the disk's brand site) and verify for it's health.

Then, a quick format to create a filesystem and it will be usable again.