NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM Error, tried nearly everything

OnyxTheMineral · May 14, 2016

I have a PC tower with a Western Digital hard drive that I think has gone belly up. It first started off with an error where it could not find the boot drive, a simple reset fixed this instantly. Now it's grown into NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM Error along with a blue screen on startup, it then restarts trying to repair but just sits there doing nothing. I downloaded a Windows repair thing onto a DVD then booted off of it, the repair in that didn't work as expected so I tried a reset so I can keep at least some of my files and get it to work, but it said that the drive was locked. I tried Bootrec and Chkdsk but I just got the same error. I would prefer not having to wipe my drive as there is 3 years worth of data. Sorry if this doesn't make much sense as I'm restricted to my phone and stuck with the mobile website.

Phillip Corcoran · May 14, 2016

If the drive has indeed failed it you won't be able to do a wipe or anything else to it anyway, and it goes without saying that you should have backed it up while it was working okay - - all drives fail sooner or later, it's just a fact.

All I can suggest is you test it by booting off a USB pen-drive containing the WD testing software, the link is in this PDF document: http://support.wdc.com/download/notes/DLGDiagUSBInstructionsv3.pdf

Then you'll know if it's worth persevering with or if it's fit only for the bin.

If the data is mega-important, contact a data recovery service if you can afford the cost of having it done.

Shaun o · May 14, 2016

Not seen that error message in ages.

If it exactly said drive is locked.

Hard drives as a matter of coarse when they are told to shut down do a few things.

They park the read and write heads of the drive in a safe zone, or landing zone.

The read and write heads are removed from hovering just over the magnetic disk platter.
Away from it and parked at the landing zone then the actuator arm of the read and write heads is locked to prevent them from straying back onto or over the disk platter surface.

This is done just before all power to the drive is cut.
It is done if the drive for example is moved from the system to be placed in another and has to be transported.

Protecting the Disk platter and the read and write heads of the drive in such a case.

Or when a reset of the system is performed.
It performs the same procedure to re initialize the drive.

If you did get a message of a locked drive It meant that the read and write heads were still in the locked position.
The cause of this is often the actuator arm where the read and write heads are is sticking slightly.

It can be due to age of the drive, or because the drive has been subjected to high heat levels while in operation for long periods of time.

I don`t normally advise this, but there is something you can try.
The warning first is hard drives don`t like to be subjected to shock.

But in some cases it can unlock a locked drive if relating to the actuator arm sticking.

Basically you take the drive out.
Turn it on it`s side.
And give it a very light tap on the edge.

If it frees the actuator arm enough. it may allow you to read some of the contents of the drive.
At that point if your in luck back as much as the data that is on the drive as quick as possible.

And replace the drive with a new one.

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NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM Error, tried nearly everything

OnyxTheMineral

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Phillip Corcoran

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Shaun o

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