Can testdisk generate a new ntfs boot sector and backup?"

[barryjo]

I just ran test disk on my HD. The analysis says that my ntfs boot sector is bad along with the backup sector being bad. Is there a way to regenerate a new boot sector and recover the data on the disk?

[cgrenier]

Yes, it's possible, run TestDisk, Advanced, select the NTFS partition, choose Boot, RebuildBS, List. If you can see your files, choose Write, confirm, Quit.

If RebuildBS failed, it may be because both MFT are bad or because the partition location is incorrect.

[barryjo]

I seem to be going in circles. I have tried the rebuild BS (I think), I did the option to rebuild the MFT (I think). and nothing seems to work. The rebuild MFT took about 12 hours on my 2TB disk and then ended with another error msg.
I am willing to donate to this project if I can get some help doing the correct process. I will be here all day if someone can help and ghuide me.

[barryjo]

Cgrenier: I basically did what you have suggested.
I went to ADVANCED, I selected BOOT,I selected REBUILD BS
I got a message "search mft" and the search started.
I did this yesterday. It took 12 hours. At the end, there didn't seem to be any resolution?????

So now what??

[danlwasson07]

I too am trying to search MFT... but it is very slow so far.


First I got an error in win 8 saying my drive was inaccessible. Windows tried to repair it but no luck. I searched for help and came across an article about TestDisk so now I'm trying it... not exactly an expert on this, but it'd be great to recover my drive.

About 4 hrs and I'm 1/6th done - not sure what to expect but I hope it works!

[barryjo]

It took me about 14 hours to do the MFT search and then there was no indication as to what to do. This was a month ago. Please keep posting as to your progress. I still have no solution but still hopefull.

[danlwasson07]

Ha well I just woke up and its been another 12 hrs since I posted, but 116785152/302664600. so I am nowhere close to finished.

I will assume another 24 hrs and see where it is then... may be doomed however, hard drives do "die" and this was an older one.

[barryjo]

These numbers look familiar. I tried this on a 2 TB disk. I do not know what is going on during this scan and what the purpose is but when I tried it, nothing was found. I am pretty sure my HD is OK and just has some glitch. As you can see, I have posted many questions but received little help. I am not sure what the correct process to solve the problem is. I would have thought that getting a new boot record would be the first step, then a search for the files. I have never got past step 1 as far as I know. Like you, Windows sees the disk but there is no Letter. In fact, there is no indication that the disk is bad, just no drive letter.

[danlwasson07]

I dont want to stop it now but just 188m of 302m... and over 24 hrs of working. i think the point of all this is if the boot and the boot backup are identical, and corrupt, the disk wont get recognized by windows. mine shows up in the window but is inaccessible. so i am hoping this mft search would find some way to recover the disk so its bootable again, then i can take files off it. but i am not sure that is accurate

[barryjo]

I hope you are successful. I sort of put my effort on the back burner until I get some more help. Please post your results.