G
Guest
Is it possible to reformat an NTFS formatted disk and yet still retain the
data on the disk?
Any help much appreciated.
Regards
data on the disk?
Any help much appreciated.
Regards
D
Danny Sanders
No.
hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE
hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE
G
Guest
Back up your data and emails, then format. If you don't know whatyou are
doing, get someone who does.
doing, get someone who does.
G
Guest
The problem is the disk seems corrupted in some areas and trying to backup
or move directories takes forever.
Even a CHKDSK /F after about an hour says "unspecified error" and stops with
no changes made to the disk...
or move directories takes forever.
Even a CHKDSK /F after about an hour says "unspecified error" and stops with
no changes made to the disk...
A
André Gulliksen
NoWaySpammers said:
What excactly do you want to accomplish? My guess is you're not formatting
just for the sake of it. Has your Windows XP gone haywire, and you can't get
it working? Try a repair install. Do you want to change the size of your
volume(s)? Backup your data, delete your volumes and recreate them with the
size you want, or resize your existing volumes using third party software
such as Partition Magic. Is something else bothering you? Tell us what,
maybe somebody can help.
G
gls858
Who made your hard drive? Go to their websiteNoWaySpammers said:
and download the diagnostics program and test the
drive. Eliminate the possibility of a bad drive.
gls858
G
Guest
My problem is that I have a big (170GB) HD that I use as a BACKUP location.
Somehow, it seems to have got corrupted in some way and opening a directory
takes forever and trying to move a directory over to another drive results
in File Explorer waiting for about 10 minutes and then coming up with NOT
RESPONDING message......So I cannot move my data off the HD to do the
format......
I have tried DISKEEPER - no luck - I have tried CHKDSK /F but that whirrs
away for about an hour, recorrecting indexes and then returns with an
'unspecified error' message..
I am I think screwed unless I bite the bullet and do a full reformat and
accept I will have to reburn my whole 700 CD collection and lose some music
downloads from the NET - I have all my data backed up onto other media, so
should be OK there....just rather frustrating...
Any help gratefully received..
Somehow, it seems to have got corrupted in some way and opening a directory
takes forever and trying to move a directory over to another drive results
in File Explorer waiting for about 10 minutes and then coming up with NOT
RESPONDING message......So I cannot move my data off the HD to do the
format......
I have tried DISKEEPER - no luck - I have tried CHKDSK /F but that whirrs
away for about an hour, recorrecting indexes and then returns with an
'unspecified error' message..
I am I think screwed unless I bite the bullet and do a full reformat and
accept I will have to reburn my whole 700 CD collection and lose some music
downloads from the NET - I have all my data backed up onto other media, so
should be OK there....just rather frustrating...
Any help gratefully received..
M
Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP\)
First, formatting wouldn't solve the problem. As others have suggested, you
need to check the hard drive manufacturer's website for their diagnostic
tools, download the tools making note of the instructions for creating a
diagnostic boot disk and then run it.
Second, formatting by it's very nature, whether using FAT or NTFS will
"wipe" the drive. This is not a selective function, it's all or nothing.
Chkdsk is likely finding errors in the disk itself.
To be clear, formatting is a tool to start over, not fix and continue from
where you are.
If the hard drive is indeed failing, you might be able to access the drive
once the new drive is installed by connecting the current drive as a
secondary drive. Then install XP on the new drive and attempt to access
your files from their.
See the third line of my signature, remembering this information and
following the advice will prevent you from worrying about your data over
this type of situation in the future.
need to check the hard drive manufacturer's website for their diagnostic
tools, download the tools making note of the instructions for creating a
diagnostic boot disk and then run it.
Second, formatting by it's very nature, whether using FAT or NTFS will
"wipe" the drive. This is not a selective function, it's all or nothing.
Chkdsk is likely finding errors in the disk itself.
To be clear, formatting is a tool to start over, not fix and continue from
where you are.
If the hard drive is indeed failing, you might be able to access the drive
once the new drive is installed by connecting the current drive as a
secondary drive. Then install XP on the new drive and attempt to access
your files from their.
See the third line of my signature, remembering this information and
following the advice will prevent you from worrying about your data over
this type of situation in the future.
C
Colin Barnhorst
As another respondent recommended, test the drive with the manufacturer's
software before you do anything else. If the drive is bad, reformatting
will not fix it. If the test indicates that you should replace the drive,
believe it and do so. If you do replace the drive, contact a local shop to
recover the files onto the new hard drive. Most shops have OnTrack (or
equivalent) recovery software that can get most, if not all, files off the
drive with the directory structure intact.
software before you do anything else. If the drive is bad, reformatting
will not fix it. If the test indicates that you should replace the drive,
believe it and do so. If you do replace the drive, contact a local shop to
recover the files onto the new hard drive. Most shops have OnTrack (or
equivalent) recovery software that can get most, if not all, files off the
drive with the directory structure intact.
M
Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP\)
I posted my other response before this one appeared so I apologize for my
comments with regard to backup.
It's quite possible the backup drive is not corrupted at all and is simply
not properly responding because of the problems with your primary drive.
On the other hand, it's possible you have a virus or some malware that might
be on both the primary and the backup drive and as such might be the source
of at least part of the problem though you do need to check the integrity of
the primary hard drive as per our suggestions.
Nonetheless, you should also make sure antivirus software is up to date and
run a scan on both disks as well as check for any possible malware.
Download, install and run Ad Aware: www.lavasoftusa.com.
One other point, after running a diagnostic on the primary disk, you should
also do so on the backup disk to be sure it is okay as well. Chkdsk only
runs a very basic scan, the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostic tools are
far more robust and should give you a better idea as to whether or not the
drives are failing.
comments with regard to backup.
It's quite possible the backup drive is not corrupted at all and is simply
not properly responding because of the problems with your primary drive.
On the other hand, it's possible you have a virus or some malware that might
be on both the primary and the backup drive and as such might be the source
of at least part of the problem though you do need to check the integrity of
the primary hard drive as per our suggestions.
Nonetheless, you should also make sure antivirus software is up to date and
run a scan on both disks as well as check for any possible malware.
Download, install and run Ad Aware: www.lavasoftusa.com.
One other point, after running a diagnostic on the primary disk, you should
also do so on the backup disk to be sure it is okay as well. Chkdsk only
runs a very basic scan, the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostic tools are
far more robust and should give you a better idea as to whether or not the
drives are failing.
G
Guest
I don't seem to be able to find a diagnostic tool for a LACIE 170GB USB 2
external drive..(It's one of the Porsche ones and is only 2 months old...!)
Any ideas?
Regards
external drive..(It's one of the Porsche ones and is only 2 months old...!)
Any ideas?
Regards
C
Colin Barnhorst
Determine who manufactured the drive. Simply open the case as look. The
drive was not made by Lacie but by Hitachi, Western Digital, Maxtor, etc.
and incorporated by Lacie into the enclosure.
drive was not made by Lacie but by Hitachi, Western Digital, Maxtor, etc.
and incorporated by Lacie into the enclosure.
R
Richard Urban
NOW - you mention that it is an external drive. Why don't you give all the
information at the beginning.
Take the drive out of the case and connect it to the M/B directly. The case
electronics just may be defective. I have seen this 2-3 times.
--
Regards,
Richard Urban
aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
information at the beginning.
Take the drive out of the case and connect it to the M/B directly. The case
electronics just may be defective. I have seen this 2-3 times.
--
Regards,
Richard Urban
aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
C
Colin Barnhorst
Correction: Read "as look" as "and look". Sorry about that.
--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
Colin Barnhorst said:
K
Ken Blake
By definition, formatting means deleting everything on the
disk--NTFS or not.
M
Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP\)
Start with the primary drive, it may well be the source of all the issues.
As to Lacie, check their manual, website and tech support for possible
tools. That said, your access problems with the external drive, may stem
from the problems that exist on the primary so start there.
As to Lacie, check their manual, website and tech support for possible
tools. That said, your access problems with the external drive, may stem
from the problems that exist on the primary so start there.
B
Bruce Chambers
NoWaySpammers said:
No. And the file system (NTFS, in your question) is irrelevant. By
definition, formatting removes all data from a partition.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
P
Pop
Ummm, yes, there is. But, it takes a third party program to do so. XP
cannot do it. But there are apps that can. The caveat is having enough
disk space. They work by creating a faux partition and simply moving stuff
toit while they format, the move it back.
Pop
Pop
cannot do it. But there are apps that can. The caveat is having enough
disk space. They work by creating a faux partition and simply moving stuff
toit while they format, the move it back.
Pop
Pop
P
Pop
I think that would make backing up your first task so you don't take a
chance on losing anymore data than may already be lost but not yet apparent.
Back up all of your DATA onto CD, floppies, whatever you can manage. If
you can't recreate the files you've made easily, then back them up.
Don't bother backing up any of your programs; you can put those back on
with the original CDs.
Do backup up your data, plus *.wab, *.idx and anyting else in the folder
where you find *.idx, open Internet Explorer and Export your settings to a
file you can backup (File, Import and Export, follow instructions). Just in
case, write down the email addresses that are important to you and any web
sites that you consider important and won't be able to find again easily.
NOW you can afford to try to fix the drive. Michael Solomon had some great
advice on what to do next. Or, you can go ahead and format if you wish, but
to me, it actually sounds like you might have a hardware problem.
If I couldn't prove it was a hardware problem, I'd probably reformat the
drive and then put it thru as many diagnostics as you can find, and if it
passes, go ahead and put thing back on, but keep backing up your data for a
couple of weeks until you're sure it's in good shape.
Just my two cents.
Pop
chance on losing anymore data than may already be lost but not yet apparent.
Back up all of your DATA onto CD, floppies, whatever you can manage. If
you can't recreate the files you've made easily, then back them up.
Don't bother backing up any of your programs; you can put those back on
with the original CDs.
Do backup up your data, plus *.wab, *.idx and anyting else in the folder
where you find *.idx, open Internet Explorer and Export your settings to a
file you can backup (File, Import and Export, follow instructions). Just in
case, write down the email addresses that are important to you and any web
sites that you consider important and won't be able to find again easily.
NOW you can afford to try to fix the drive. Michael Solomon had some great
advice on what to do next. Or, you can go ahead and format if you wish, but
to me, it actually sounds like you might have a hardware problem.
If I couldn't prove it was a hardware problem, I'd probably reformat the
drive and then put it thru as many diagnostics as you can find, and if it
passes, go ahead and put thing back on, but keep backing up your data for a
couple of weeks until you're sure it's in good shape.
Just my two cents.
Pop
H
Harry Ohrn
Backup what you can and see about warranty replacement.