is NTFS forgiving?

[Lee Bowman]

Just had a problem with an XP installation (C drive 10 gb, D drive 20
gb), where XP would not boot. When drive accessed using a dos boot
disk, C:\DIR command produced random ascii characters over the screen.

Jumpered drive as slave and poped it into another XP computer. XP
found the C: drive (now as the D: drive), and listed everything
correctly, and the second partition produced a drive letter but no
file access. When checked under 'disk management', it said 'no
recognizable operating system installed', but graphically showed drive
as full (blue, not pink).

I assume the allocation table is damaged or written over, but don't
know the reason. Also, if the second partition is damaged, but the
first drive does list its folders and files normally, could there be
damage there also (since it didn't boot Windows). If so, could the
drive be defective? I also considered a virus, or other system
problem.

I've heard that XP writes a backup allocation table. Is that true?

Is it likely (or even possible) that any of the files are recoverable?
If so, what's a good tool to use for that purpose?

I know - should have backed up important files! No excuses ... but
any advice is appreciated.

Regards, Lee

[Rick Merrill]

Lee Bowman wrote:
> Just had a problem with an XP installation (C drive 10 gb, D drive 20
> gb), where XP would not boot. When drive accessed using a dos boot
> disk, C:\DIR command produced random ascii characters over the screen.

I have heard that "dos boot disks" cannot READ NTFS - that would
certainly account for what you saw! - RM


> Jumpered drive as slave and poped it into another XP computer. XP
> found the C: drive (now as the D: drive), and listed everything
> correctly, and the second partition produced a drive letter but no
> file access. When checked under 'disk management', it said 'no
> recognizable operating system installed', but graphically showed drive
> as full (blue, not pink).
>
> I assume the allocation table is damaged or written over, but don't
> know the reason. Also, if the second partition is damaged, but the
> first drive does list its folders and files normally, could there be
> damage there also (since it didn't boot Windows). If so, could the
> drive be defective? I also considered a virus, or other system
> problem.
>
> I've heard that XP writes a backup allocation table. Is that true?
>
> Is it likely (or even possible) that any of the files are recoverable?
> If so, what's a good tool to use for that purpose?
>
> I know - should have backed up important files! No excuses ... but
> any advice is appreciated.
>
> Regards, Lee

[Mike Brearley]

You could try data recovery programs like Ontrack EasyRecovery. I've used
the pro version at work and it worked great for a drive that was formatted
and two others that simply 'died'. In all three cases I was able to restore
all of the data to another drive.

I'm not sure what other programs are out there, but I'm sure there are quite
a few. Try a search for 'data recovery' on tucows (www.tucows.com) or a
google search.

--
Posted 'as is'. If there are any spelling and/or grammar mistakes, they
were a direct result of my fingers and brain not being synchronized or my
lack of caffeine.

Mike


"Lee Bowman" > wrote in message
...
> Just had a problem with an XP installation (C drive 10 gb, D drive 20
> gb), where XP would not boot. When drive accessed using a dos boot
> disk, C:\DIR command produced random ascii characters over the screen.
>
> Jumpered drive as slave and poped it into another XP computer. XP
> found the C: drive (now as the D: drive), and listed everything
> correctly, and the second partition produced a drive letter but no
> file access. When checked under 'disk management', it said 'no
> recognizable operating system installed', but graphically showed drive
> as full (blue, not pink).
>
> I assume the allocation table is damaged or written over, but don't
> know the reason. Also, if the second partition is damaged, but the
> first drive does list its folders and files normally, could there be
> damage there also (since it didn't boot Windows). If so, could the
> drive be defective? I also considered a virus, or other system
> problem.
>
> I've heard that XP writes a backup allocation table. Is that true?
>
> Is it likely (or even possible) that any of the files are recoverable?
> If so, what's a good tool to use for that purpose?
>
> I know - should have backed up important files! No excuses ... but
> any advice is appreciated.
>
> Regards, Lee

[bobbyjak]

Boot using the XP cd and do a REPAIR..Should fix your problem..You will have to re-do any updates or SP1 for XP..Should not harm
your data files..

"Lee Bowman" > wrote in message ...
> Just had a problem with an XP installation (C drive 10 gb, D drive 20
> gb), where XP would not boot. When drive accessed using a dos boot
> disk, C:\DIR command produced random ascii characters over the screen.
>
> Jumpered drive as slave and poped it into another XP computer. XP
> found the C: drive (now as the D: drive), and listed everything
> correctly, and the second partition produced a drive letter but no
> file access. When checked under 'disk management', it said 'no
> recognizable operating system installed', but graphically showed drive
> as full (blue, not pink).
>
> I assume the allocation table is damaged or written over, but don't
> know the reason. Also, if the second partition is damaged, but the
> first drive does list its folders and files normally, could there be
> damage there also (since it didn't boot Windows). If so, could the
> drive be defective? I also considered a virus, or other system
> problem.
>
> I've heard that XP writes a backup allocation table. Is that true?
>
> Is it likely (or even possible) that any of the files are recoverable?
> If so, what's a good tool to use for that purpose?
>
> I know - should have backed up important files! No excuses ... but
> any advice is appreciated.
>
> Regards, Lee

[Ken Blake]

In , Lee Bowman wrote:

> Just had a problem with an XP installation (C drive 10 gb, D
drive 20
> gb), where XP would not boot. When drive accessed using a dos
boot
> disk, C:\DIR command produced random ascii characters over the
screen.


This is an NTFS drive? You can't access NTFS drives from a DOS
diskette.

--
Ken Blake
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