How can I check an NTFS boot drive that won't boot?

[WoofWoof]

My NTFS Win2K Pro system has decided it doesn't want to boot any more.

I ran <Repair> from the CD but this spends several minutes checking
the volume before aborting with a message that if any new hardware or
software has been recently installed (there hasn't) to remove it and
try again. Failing that to try booting into Safe Mode and remove any
recent apps. But I can't get that far into the boot to run safe mode,
that's the whole problem. It just hangs immediately after the BIOS
screens.

I ran Partition Magic (8) and had it check the partition. It says
there are a number of errors including the volume being dismounted
improperly. The website suggests I run chkdsk and gives a link
informing me of how to run it in a command window ... if I can't boot,
I don't have a command window and the Repair process on the CD won't
let me get far enough to run it from there.

I tried a Norton's (2002) CD but it won't recognise the NFTS volume.


Any ideas on how I can check/repair this partition?

(I had thought that by setting it up with NTFS instead of FAT32 I was
getting a better system. This has left me wondering ... if it was
FAT32 I'd at least have a drive letter and could run chkdsk/scandisk).

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

See if this MS Knowledge Base article can help you:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=318752

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[WoofWoof]

If afraid it didn't help, Bjorn. This is in fact what I was trying to
do when I used the repair option from the install CD .... to get to
the recovery consol so that I could run chkdsk.

When I type "R" to repair, I get a message ""Examining Startup
Environment ......" for several minutes. Then I get a bsod which says:

STOP 0x00000050 (0XE15D3000, 0X00000001, 0xBFD7B83E, 0X00000001)
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
Address BFD7B83E base at BFD19000 DateStamp 3ebc05a5 - ntfs.sys

Then it says:

- If it's the first time this screen has come up, then restart
If it comes up again check that any new hardware or software is
properly installed (no new hardware or software).


- If problems continue, disbale any new hardware or software ... use
F8 and boot to safe mode if necessary to accomplish this.

(One can only stand in awe at the programmer who wrote this advice -
about removing software or booting into safe mode - for a system that
won't even boot as far as the recovery console).

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

You should press R or F10 for repair, and then C for the Console. From
there, you should be able to run chkdsk.

I suspect that you pressed R for Repair and then R for Emergency Repair.

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[WoofWoof]

No, Bjorn ... I did *exactly* as I explained in detail. I can only say
it again: I pressed R for repair, I get a message "Examining Startup
Environment ......" for several minutes. Then I get a bsod. I never
get the subsequent screen which selects between Console (C) and
Emergency Repair Disk (R) .... I am familiar with these screens and it
never gets that far. In fact, that's the problem in a nutshell.

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

I see. In that case I would expect that the file system somehow is corrupt.
Do you have any other machine with Win2000? In that case, you could mount
the hard drive in this other system, and try to run chkdsk from there.

I have not yet seen a machine blue screen only from starting the recovery
console. It seems, though, as a 0x50 in ntfs.sys can come from a corrupt
file system. The second parameter 0x01 means that it is trying to write to
the disk. I wouldn't expect it to do this until either a manual or
emergency repair was started, that was why I suspected it to happen first
after the second R.

If there are only minor file system problems chkdsk might help, but if it
is a major corruption (unusual) I wouldn't expect you to get your data
back.

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[WoofWoof]

Thanks, Bjorn ... I suspected a corrupt file system myself and I've
had a couple of file corruption events on this system recently so I
was beginning to suspect the drive. I really wanted to run chkdsk (or
somesuch) on it just to confirm. Pity I didn't think of your
suggestion to hook it into another machine, I could easily have done
that.

In any event, after trying numerous things I've pulled that drive and
I'm in the middle of re-installing on a spare. No partition backup of
course but I do have a backup of a few crucial files so it's not too
serious. Just a lengthy process of getting all the updates and
installing all the video. printer etc drivers.

And the original drive is still under warranty.

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

Thanks for coming back and telling us.

I hope you will get back to a working system soon.

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[WoofWoof]

There's slightly more:

Independently (from /.) I found the following:

http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/nea/200212/manu_219463.html

It just so happens that this (Fujitsu)drive and I.C. are exactly the
ones described in the article. I want rid of that drive! -)

Now if I can only get Win2K install to come up with a sensible drive
lettering scheme ..... but I'll post a separate message.