file system changed from NTFS to RAW?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I don't know how this happened. But when I went to my D drive which is My
Documents, the drive was empty. Though when I check the drive properties it
shows that 18G is being used, plus it's showing that the file system is RAW.
Not sure how it got that way because it should be NTFS.

I am able to view My Pictures and My Music by viewing from the start menu
and going to My Pictures or My Music, but when I go to My Documents it's
empty.

Now my question is how do I recover those missing files? I'm assuming that
they are around because My Pictures and My Music are two of the files that
are in my documents folder. This just leaves 25% of the drive I can't view.

I can't do system restore because I don't have the D drive being monitored,
so I can't do that. I did a virus scan and a spyware scan and the system is
clean. Another thing I noticed is if I try to save something to the D drive
it will appear to be the only item on the drive, but when I click refresh it
will vanish.

I'm really desperate to get those files back, any suggestions?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Does D: drive show in my computer,if so R.click on it,properties,see what info
it gives.To restore windows system files,install xp cd,exit the page,go to
run,
type:cmd In cmd type:Sfc /Scannow

"Brenz" wrote:

> I don't know how this happened. But when I went to my D drive which is My
> Documents, the drive was empty. Though when I check the drive properties it
> shows that 18G is being used, plus it's showing that the file system is RAW.
> Not sure how it got that way because it should be NTFS.
>
> I am able to view My Pictures and My Music by viewing from the start menu
> and going to My Pictures or My Music, but when I go to My Documents it's
> empty.
>
> Now my question is how do I recover those missing files? I'm assuming that
> they are around because My Pictures and My Music are two of the files that
> are in my documents folder. This just leaves 25% of the drive I can't view.
>
> I can't do system restore because I don't have the D drive being monitored,
> so I can't do that. I did a virus scan and a spyware scan and the system is
> clean. Another thing I noticed is if I try to save something to the D drive
> it will appear to be the only item on the drive, but when I click refresh it
> will vanish.
>
> I'm really desperate to get those files back, any suggestions?
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

The drive has lost it's partition structure.

This happens occasionally. To my knowledge no one has ever figured out "why"
it happens!

The fix is not for the faint of heart and there is one thing that you
absolutely need to know before you begin. What TYPE of FILE SYSTEM was being
used on the hard drive? If you are 100% certain that you know there is (may
be) a way to recover.

There is a little DOS program included with Partition Magic 8.01. It is
called ptedit. This program can only be used from within "pure DOS". When
you use Partition Magic 8.01 to create the 2 disk floppy set (the DOS
version of Partition Magic) this little program is placed in the set.

You have to boot the computer from disk 1 of the floppy set. Then insert
disk 2 when asked to. After you are in Partition Magic, EXIT from the
program. You will be back at the A: prompt. Re-insert floppy disk 1.

Now, type in ptedit and press enter. The program will start. This program
allows you to change the drive "type". It is imperative that you are certain
that you are working on the correct drive. You can choose drives at the top
of the program window. One you have chosen the correct drive you can click
the mouse on the "type" box at the bottom. Look for the file system that you
KNOW was being used. There are many choices. Choose the correct file system
and follow the instructions from there.

NOTE: If you choose the wrong file system, and commit the change, you WILL
corrupt any information that is on the drive. This is absolute and
irrevocable!

I have successfully recovered about a dozen drives that have gone RAW by
using this great little DOS program.

NOTE: The program CAN NOT be used from within Windows.

And "shame" on the computer manufacturers who deliver new computers without
a floppy drive installed!


There is also a Windows version of ptedit called ptedit32. Search Google to
find a source for this utility.

There are 2 good utilities that can be used to solve this problem. They are
ptedit (needs pure DOS to run) and ptedit32 (can be run from within Windows.
Search for them using Google.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!


"Brenz" <Brenz@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AE23E4FC-BB4C-4163-A02E-4F784F2319B8@microsoft.com...
>I don't know how this happened. But when I went to my D drive which is My
> Documents, the drive was empty. Though when I check the drive properties
> it
> shows that 18G is being used, plus it's showing that the file system is
> RAW.
> Not sure how it got that way because it should be NTFS.
>
> I am able to view My Pictures and My Music by viewing from the start menu
> and going to My Pictures or My Music, but when I go to My Documents it's
> empty.
>
> Now my question is how do I recover those missing files? I'm assuming that
> they are around because My Pictures and My Music are two of the files that
> are in my documents folder. This just leaves 25% of the drive I can't
> view.
>
> I can't do system restore because I don't have the D drive being
> monitored,
> so I can't do that. I did a virus scan and a spyware scan and the system
> is
> clean. Another thing I noticed is if I try to save something to the D
> drive
> it will appear to be the only item on the drive, but when I click refresh
> it
> will vanish.
>
> I'm really desperate to get those files back, any suggestions?
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Thank you for your reply.

The file system before it changed to RAW was NTFS because when I go to Disk
Management it shows the Disk still being NTFS. It's only when I view the
drive by properties that it shows the file system as RAW. Also the disk
management is showing that the disk is healthy.

I don't have the program Partition Magic, is there anything else I can use?
Any free utilities maybe?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I was able to find a free version of ptedit here:

http://www.computerworkscentral.com/Boot%20Repair.html

But it didn't come with any instructions. So I was wondering how I would set
up the floppy's without partition magic?

>"Richard Urban" wrote:

There is a little DOS program included with Partition Magic 8.01. It is
called ptedit. This program can only be used from within "pure DOS". When
you use Partition Magic 8.01 to create the 2 disk floppy set (the DOS
version of Partition Magic) this little program is placed in the set.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"Richard Urban" wrote

> The drive has lost it's partition structure.
>
> This happens occasionally. To my knowledge no one has ever figured out
> "why"
> it happens!

If you do something bad, you should be punished!

Loss of partition structure is on the same level as the death penalty. Only
a qualified doctor can help.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"Ian St. John" wrote:

> If you do something bad, you should be punished!
>
> Loss of partition structure is on the same level as the death penalty. Only
> a qualified doctor can help.


But I've been good......

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"Ian St. John" wrote:

> Loss of partition structure is on the same level as the death penalty. Only
> a qualified doctor can help.


Well I guess no death penalty for me, I managed to fix the problem and it
was rather simple actually. Sometimes the simplest things can fix the biggest
problems, this is why it took me so long to figure it out, cause I thought
this was a problem that was beyond being simple.

All I did was go to tools in the drive properties and ran the scan for
errors scanner. It took a couple of hours scanning at start up and it fixed a
whole bunch of errors, but after when the computer started up, the drive was
back to normal again along with all my files... Yippee!

Now it's backup time, cause that was really scary...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ux9UC0JfFHA.3788@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> The drive has lost it's partition structure.
>
> This happens occasionally. To my knowledge no one has ever figured out
> "why"
> it happens!
>
> The fix is not for the faint of heart and there is one thing that you
> absolutely need to know before you begin. What TYPE of FILE SYSTEM was
> being
> used on the hard drive? If you are 100% certain that you know there is
> (may
> be) a way to recover.
>
> There is a little DOS program included with Partition Magic 8.01. It is
> called ptedit. This program can only be used from within "pure DOS". When
> you use Partition Magic 8.01 to create the 2 disk floppy set (the DOS
> version of Partition Magic) this little program is placed in the set.
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
>
> aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

Interesting Crusty, does ptedit also recover NTFS file systems ?

rgds
Li'l Roberto