A complicated problem involving Mac, Linux and Win

[zalek]

On my PC on one IDE HD I have Mac (Hackentosh) and on another SATA HD
I have WinXP, Linux Kubuntu and boot manager (GRUB).
My WinXP have drives C:, F:, G: - WinXP is installed of F: (don't as
me why, long story, but until disk crushed it worked OK). Now the SATA
disk with WinXP and Linux crushed. Before it crushed I prepared a disk
clone to be ready for a such situation, so after a crush I tried the
clone. Boot manager worked OK and could boot Mac and Linux without
problem - the problem (as usual) was WinXP. It started to boot and
after a while it stopped. I tried a Safe Mode - the same results.
Now the thing I don't understand - Mac and Linux can read WinXP files
- but somehow drive F: (the one with WinXP) is missing. Drives C: and
G: are visable. Any idea why? Is there any way to look on those files?
I have an old version of Partition Magic 8.0 - on disk with Mac
(working one) I am getting error #108, on disk with WinXP/Linux I am
getting error #100, but on this disk Linux is working OK!!! How come
Mac and Linux can see some files on the SATA drive but Partion Magic
not?
Is there any programs similar to Partition Magic, for Linux or Mac?

Thanks, dziekuje

Zalek

 

[zalek]

On my PC on one IDE HD I have Mac (Hackentosh) and on anotherSATAHD
I have WinXP, Linux Kubuntu and boot manager (GRUB).
My WinXP have drives C:, F:, G: - WinXP is installed of F: (don't as
me why, long story, but until disk crushed it worked OK). Now theSATA
disk with WinXP and Linux crushed. Before it crushed I prepared a disk
clone to be ready for a such situation, so after a crush I tried the
clone. Boot manager worked OK and could boot Mac and Linux without
problem - the problem (as usual) was WinXP. It started to boot and
after a while it stopped. I tried a Safe Mode - the same results.
Now the thing I don't understand - Mac and Linux can read WinXP files
- but somehow drive F: (the one with WinXP) is missing. Drives C: and
G: are visable. Any idea why? Is there any way to look on those files?
I have an old version of Partition Magic 8.0 - on disk with Mac
(working one) I am getting error #108, on disk with WinXP/Linux I am
getting error #100, but on this disk Linux is working OK!!! How come
Mac and Linux can see some files on theSATAdrive but Partion Magic
not?
Is there any programs similar to Partition Magic, for Linux or Mac?

Thanks, dziekuje

Zalek

I think I figured what happened. Using Windows Live CD http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
I noticed f:\ drive with WinXP is missing. It looks that f:\ partition
is broken - this is the reason WinXP is not booting.
Now the question is if this partition can be repaired. If yes - how?

Thanks,

Zalek

 

[Paul]

Try using TestDisk.

TestDisk is a program that scans the hard drive, looking for file
systems. Based on what it sees, it prepares a partition table, suitable
for writing to the MBR (sector 0). (It has some other capabilities.
It can display the partition's boot sector and backup boot sector.
It claims to be able to do something with MFT, but I haven't tested
that.) There is no guarantee it will prepare a correct specification.
I did a test once, where there was a freshly deleted partition
on the disk - testdisk detected it, and put it back in the partition
table, but strictly speaking, that isn't correct. So you have to understand
the limits of what TestDisk is doing. It relies on the human operator,
to make the decision as to whether the new partition table is
trustworthy. The program operator has to know a lot about the
disk in question, to use the program effectively.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TestDisk

To look at the partition table before TestDisk runs, you can use
"fdisk" in Linux, or PTEDIT32 in Windows.

ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/PTEDIT32.zip

(PTEDIT32 screenshot)

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c5/ghostimage/PTEditVista.jpg

Since TestDisk writes to the disk you're trying to repair, you're
taking a risk by doing so. It is best if you back up the entire
disk first, to a spare disk. I do that using "dd". Once I have
an exact copy of the original disk, then I can do as many experiments
as I want. If the broken disk has bad (unreadable) sectors, then
there is an "industrial strength" version called "ddrescue". So
scanning the disk, and making sure it is readable, is all part
of the process. If some sectors are broken, use ddrescue. if
all sectors are readable, then ordinary "dd" will do.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Damaged_Hard_Disk

So the first thing I'd do, is make the backup. Generally,
I recommend there be two spare disks. The first spare disk
holds an exact copy of the broken disk. The second
spare disk, provides space for any recovered files.

Assuming the partition table is now repaired, then the next
step would be repairing the file system. Windows has "chkdsk".
It can accept a drive letter, but my guess is, that implies
the volume in question is mountable.

chkdsk C:

This article mentions it can also check, based on a volume
specification.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457122.aspx

chkdsk \\?\Volume{2d9bd2a8-5df8-11d2-bdaa-000000000000}

The article mentions a tool called "mountvol" to get that
symbolic link. I tried that and it works. I was able to
pass a specification like that, and get chkdsk to run.

I can also get that kind of information, from the port of "dd" here.
The "dd --list" command, gives information like that volume
specification.

http://www.chrysocome.net/dd

So maybe if you could boot some other form of Windows
(bartpe / recovery console or whatever), you could
run that particular syntax of chkdsk.

Paul

 

[choro]

On my PC on one IDE HD I have Mac (Hackentosh) and on another SATA HD
I have WinXP, Linux Kubuntu and boot manager (GRUB).
My WinXP have drives C:, F:, G: - WinXP is installed of F: (don't as
me why, long story, but until disk crushed it worked OK). Now the SATA

disk always work OK until it crush. ;-)

You should have put a few more OSs on your hard discusses. Then it no crush.
Crush 'cause not enuf OSs. I like Suse. Nice sexy girl. Yet you no put her
up.