Watts99
asked on
NTFS Partition Errors After Partition Magic Failure
I'm running Windows XP on an 80GB hard drive. I tried to use Partition Magic 8 to resize my primary partition to 48GB and to create a new partition after the primary. I set Partition Magic to do this; it rebooted the comp to partition everything outside of Windows but while it was resizing my primary partition it encountered some sort of error (I didn't catch exactly what, but it had something to do with cluster sizes) and shut down. WinXP brought up the "Something is wrong with your computer" boot screen with options for safe mode, ect. but all of the options simply wind up rebooting the computer back to the menu again. I tried using the Partition Magic recovery disks, but Partition Magic is useless because there are errors on the primary partition now (which I'll list below) and it can't do anything with it. PM is showing the primary partiton at the new size of a little more than 40GB and the rest unallocated. I think (but am not sure) that the problem may have happened because I have just over 40GB of data on the primary partition and resizing it to 48GB didn't give enough space for everything. I can boot to a command prompt off of the Partion Magic recovery disks and off of my OEM recovery CD but the partition isn't being recognized or assigned a drive letter so I can't run CHKDSK to fix the disk errors.
The Partition Magic errors are:
1516 Partiton Improperly Dismounted
1531 Too Few Clusters
1609 Lost Clusters (a whole bunch of these errors)
I would like to be able to save the data on my drive so if there is a way to repair the partition errors without using FDISK or my OEM WinXP CD to reformat and repartion my disk I would be ecstatic to know about it.
The Partition Magic errors are:
1516 Partiton Improperly Dismounted
1531 Too Few Clusters
1609 Lost Clusters (a whole bunch of these errors)
I would like to be able to save the data on my drive so if there is a way to repair the partition errors without using FDISK or my OEM WinXP CD to reformat and repartion my disk I would be ecstatic to know about it.
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chicagoan,
I did look at the PowerQuest help, however that page advises to run CHKDSK to fix the error which (as I said above) I can't do without the partition being assigned a drive letter. As for a backup, ironically I was partitioning my drive to create a backup partition. I (naively as it turns out) assumed the PartitionMagic recover disks would be able to handle any errors that came up.
This is what I'm thinking: The computer is accessing the hard drive somewhat at least. I'm judging this by the fact that the Windows XP logo is coming up at startup and also because when I try to boot in safe mode from the menu a list of filenames with the prefix "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)pa
I did look at the PowerQuest help, however that page advises to run CHKDSK to fix the error which (as I said above) I can't do without the partition being assigned a drive letter. As for a backup, ironically I was partitioning my drive to create a backup partition. I (naively as it turns out) assumed the PartitionMagic recover disks would be able to handle any errors that came up.
This is what I'm thinking: The computer is accessing the hard drive somewhat at least. I'm judging this by the fact that the Windows XP logo is coming up at startup and also because when I try to boot in safe mode from the menu a list of filenames with the prefix "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)pa
I'd submit the problem to Powerquest at this point
http://www.powerquest.com/support/primus/id4545.cfm
http://www.powerquest.com/support/primus/id4545.cfm
Did you try to boot into "last known good configuration"?
You should get this option after a couple of failed attempts to boot. If last known good config does not work, boot into DOS with networking. From another PC on a network you can try to recover your data, finally did you set up ASR?
You should get this option after a couple of failed attempts to boot. If last known good config does not work, boot into DOS with networking. From another PC on a network you can try to recover your data, finally did you set up ASR?
Well, I've asked you to draw the partition config. reported now, and if you can remember the old one.
paste the boot.ini contents too
Still waiting.....
paste the boot.ini contents too
Still waiting.....
ASKER
yolinux,
I've tried booting last know good configuration but after about 3 seconds of trying to load the comp reboots and returns me to the bad load menu. Same story booting into safe mode, safe mode with networking, and safe mode with command prompt. What's ASR?
kronostm,
Sorry about the wait on the fdisk report. Here's what it's reporting now:
Partitions on 1st hard disk (8032.4Mb, 1024 cylinders):
No Drive Start End MB Status Type
1 -- 0 1023 48547.9 A NTFS/HPFS
I don't know what the old config was but I imagine it wouldn't be much different than this one with the exception of having a drive letter and the size of the partition. While I was in fdisk I noticed an option for "Re-Write Master Boot Record" that I hadn't considered before. What exactly would this do, and would it be dangerous to my data to try it? As for boot.ini, is it possible to get at that without hard drive access? Thanks for the data recovery tools list too, btw.
I've tried booting last know good configuration but after about 3 seconds of trying to load the comp reboots and returns me to the bad load menu. Same story booting into safe mode, safe mode with networking, and safe mode with command prompt. What's ASR?
kronostm,
Sorry about the wait on the fdisk report. Here's what it's reporting now:
Partitions on 1st hard disk (8032.4Mb, 1024 cylinders):
No Drive Start End MB Status Type
1 -- 0 1023 48547.9 A NTFS/HPFS
I don't know what the old config was but I imagine it wouldn't be much different than this one with the exception of having a drive letter and the size of the partition. While I was in fdisk I noticed an option for "Re-Write Master Boot Record" that I hadn't considered before. What exactly would this do, and would it be dangerous to my data to try it? As for boot.ini, is it possible to get at that without hard drive access? Thanks for the data recovery tools list too, btw.
First, I see only one 50Gb partition, and you say you have a 80Gb hard drive. Where's the rest of space? Unallocated?
Well, I'd say to download a bootdisk from www.bootdisk.com and boot using that, try to acces your partition. See what data contains (if any left). If able to see any files there, paste here the boot.ini (it's in the root).
Boot from the XP CD, get into the Recovery Console, and type the following commands:
FIXMBR C:
FIXBOOT C:
COPY CDDrive:\I386\NTLDR C:\
COPY CDDrive:\I386\NTDETECT.COM
BOOTCFG /rebuild
Reboot
To start the Windows Recovery Console, use any of the following methods:
Start your computer by using the Windows Setup floppy disks or the Windows CD-ROM. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press F10 or press R to repair, and start the Windows Recovery Console.
tools for recovering ntfs part could be useful to retrieve lost data (I'm sure you have, since not all space allocated, never know what happened)
revert with results
Well, I'd say to download a bootdisk from www.bootdisk.com and boot using that, try to acces your partition. See what data contains (if any left). If able to see any files there, paste here the boot.ini (it's in the root).
Boot from the XP CD, get into the Recovery Console, and type the following commands:
FIXMBR C:
FIXBOOT C:
COPY CDDrive:\I386\NTLDR C:\
COPY CDDrive:\I386\NTDETECT.COM
BOOTCFG /rebuild
Reboot
To start the Windows Recovery Console, use any of the following methods:
Start your computer by using the Windows Setup floppy disks or the Windows CD-ROM. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press F10 or press R to repair, and start the Windows Recovery Console.
tools for recovering ntfs part could be useful to retrieve lost data (I'm sure you have, since not all space allocated, never know what happened)
revert with results
another paste for a procedure:
1. boot into the recovery console using win2000 cd.
2. execute 'map' command and get the device info. it'll give cm info like thses - \Device\HardDisk0\Partitio
3. now execute the fixmbr command and supply the device name as parameter - fixmbr \Device\HardDisk0.
1. boot into the recovery console using win2000 cd.
2. execute 'map' command and get the device info. it'll give cm info like thses - \Device\HardDisk0\Partitio
3. now execute the fixmbr command and supply the device name as parameter - fixmbr \Device\HardDisk0.
Good Morning Watts99,
Your situation prompted me to perform ASR on my XP pro box, what ASR does is clones your MBR, volume information, etc. Everything you need to get the XP system back up and running, in a sense similar to ghost without all the steps.
If you did not create a ASR diskette, and a volume shadow copy of your drive. You may have to re-install and re-activate, boooooo.
Your situation prompted me to perform ASR on my XP pro box, what ASR does is clones your MBR, volume information, etc. Everything you need to get the XP system back up and running, in a sense similar to ghost without all the steps.
If you did not create a ASR diskette, and a volume shadow copy of your drive. You may have to re-install and re-activate, boooooo.
ASKER
kronostm,
FIXBOOT decided to convert my file system to FAT16. Oh well, after that I gave up and formated and re-installed XP. Thanks for the help and ideas anyway.
yolinux,
I wish I had known about ASR before this whole incident. Is in included with Win or is it a 3rd party app? Where can I find it?
FIXBOOT decided to convert my file system to FAT16. Oh well, after that I gave up and formated and re-installed XP. Thanks for the help and ideas anyway.
yolinux,
I wish I had known about ASR before this whole incident. Is in included with Win or is it a 3rd party app? Where can I find it?
Here is a MS article on ASR.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/asr.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/asr.mspx
I'm having the same problem and haven't taken any steps to attempt to recover yet. I was thinking about trying to restore the NTFS boot record with the backup which it automatically stores, but I don't know if that will work. Any input would be greatly appreciated
http://www.powerquest.com/support/primus/id4528.cfm ?
Where's your backup?