Re: Corrupted NTFS needs reformat - how to preserve windows installation

John John wrote:
Martin T. wrote:

(snipped)

Martin T. wrote:

Hello.

I can access the broken partition from Linux alright.

I have not tried fixboot yet, ...
Will fixboot mess up the Grub Linux boot loader (I think that resides in the MBR, so I'd figure not) ??

Your description sounds good:
So I would:
1.) Do a recursive copy backup of NTFS-C: to my external Harddisk
2.) Reformat NTFS-C: so that it gets a clean filesystem
3.) Do a recursive copy back from my external drive to NTFS-C:
4.) Run the recovery console and do a 'fixboot'

Is this OK?

It's just one more copy, but I do not have another disk so that will have to do.


Thanks!

To dislodge the GRUB loader you would use the fixmbr command, if fixboot damages GRUB then you will have to repair it, shouldn't be too big a problem to fix if the disk is otherwise sound, search the net and you will quickly find how to do that. I don't know how your disks are arranged and where GRUB is being started, that is for you to determine.

As for the trying to salvage the Windows installation that is how I would try if nothing else works, which seems to be where you're at now. Strange that Linux can read the files on the disk but that Windows cannot see them or even chkdsk the drive, go figure! But it seems that I have read posts with similar happenings before.

I want to *emphasize* that there is no guarantee that this will work! There is no saying what kind of corruption the disk is having and if all the files are recoverable, maybe there are certain areas or sectors of the disk where system files reside that are corrupt beyond repair or recovery. After you do this copy over job you may still need to to a repair install. Before you try to copy files back to the disk it would be a good idea to run a disk diagnostic utility from the hard drive manufacturer to make sure that the disk is sound.

Also, I don't have extensive experience with Linux and I am not sure that you will be able to copy files to an NTFS disk without the Paragon driver or without another similar driver. If you cannot copy to NTFS you may be able to copy to FAT32 and convert the file system after the mess is fixed, if it is fixable to start with!

Good luck,

John


Thanks! You've been very helpful.

I'm aware that the data on the C: windows partition might be partially unaccessible, and I'll maybe end up doing a reinstall anyway.
Grub shouldn't be too much of a problem I guess.

FYI: I use the ntfs-3g driver under linux for write access. It will have to be seen if I succeed in copying really everything on the C: drive.

Thanks again!
-Martin-
.

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