RECOVER command

  • Thread starter Thread starter Douglas Harber
  • Start date Start date
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Douglas Harber

I'm trying to use the RECOVER command to recover a file with a data sector
error but I get "Cannot lock the drive. The volume is still in use."

In typical Microsoft fashion, this is completely useless information. Not
surprisingly, what little documentation there appears to be on the RECOVER
command is equally useless and unrevealing. Nothing I've searched for even
suggests this error as a possibility, let alone what to do about it.

So...is there anything useful that can be done with the RECOVER command?

Thanks for any help,
Doug Harber
 
Douglas Harber said:
I'm trying to use the RECOVER command to recover a file with a data sector
error but I get "Cannot lock the drive. The volume is still in use."

In typical Microsoft fashion, this is completely useless information. Not
surprisingly, what little documentation there appears to be on the RECOVER
command is equally useless and unrevealing. Nothing I've searched for even
suggests this error as a possibility, let alone what to do about it.

So...is there anything useful that can be done with the RECOVER command?

Thanks for any help,
Doug Harber
Click to expand...

Here is the Windows XP Help text on "recover":
========================
RecoverRecovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.

Syntax
recover [Drive:][Path] FileName

Parameters
[Drive:][Path] FileName
Specifies the location and name of the file you want to recover.
/?
Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks
The recover command reads a file sector by sector and recovers data from the
good sectors. Data in bad sectors is lost.
Limitation on [drive:][path]filename
You cannot use wildcards (* and ?) with the recover command. You must
specify a file.

Reentering lost data
Because all data in bad sectors is lost when you recover a file, you should
recover files one at a time. You can use this method to edit each file and
reenter missing information after you recover the file.

Recovering bad sectors
Bad sectors reported by chkdsk were marked as "bad" when your disk was first
prepared for operation. They pose no danger, and recover does not affect
them.

Examples
To recover the file Story.txt in the \Fiction directory in drive D:, type:

recover d:\fiction\story.txt
========================

It seems there is quite a bit of detail. I suggest you reboot in Safe Mode,
then try the command again.

In general, if you have bad clusters then this may be an early sign of a
failing disk. If it was my machine then I would replace the disk. They
are cheap!
 
On Tue, 26 Apr 2005 15:08:30 -0700, "Douglas Harber"
I'm trying to use the RECOVER command to recover a file with a data sector
error but I get "Cannot lock the drive. The volume is still in use."
Click to expand...

That's not what RECOVER does, if it's the old Recover tool dating from
DOS days.

Sick HDs are best approached through an OS that doesn't write to them,
or attempt to "fix" things. For FATxx and < 137G, that's DOS mode and
Odi's LFT tools (or just DOS mode if LFNs don't matter). For NTFS
you'd either use NTFSReader or an NTFS TSR,if doing DOS mode.

Alternatively, Bart's PE (CDR booted XP) or a CDR-booted Linux.

See http://cquirke.mvps.org/whatmos.htm


---------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
Click to expand...
Gone to bloggery: http://cquirke.blogspot.com
 
cquirke said:
On Tue, 26 Apr 2005 15:08:30 -0700, "Douglas Harber"




That's not what RECOVER does, if it's the old Recover tool dating from
DOS days.
Click to expand...

It is what the Recover command is supposed to do in XP, "Recovers
readable information from a bad or defective disk" according to Help and
Support.
Sick HDs are best approached through an OS that doesn't write to them,
or attempt to "fix" things. For FATxx and < 137G, that's DOS mode and
Odi's LFT tools (or just DOS mode if LFNs don't matter). For NTFS
you'd either use NTFSReader or an NTFS TSR,if doing DOS mode.

Alternatively, Bart's PE (CDR booted XP) or a CDR-booted Linux.

See http://cquirke.mvps.org/whatmos.htm
Click to expand...

Good page CQ. I've bookmarked that one.

Steve
 
It is what the Recover command is supposed to do in XP, "Recovers
readable information from a bad or defective disk" according to Help and
Support.
Click to expand...

Aha! Thanks for that heads-up. I can see this being confusing, for
those who remember the old DOS Recover command (and Norton Utilities'
tool used to "Recover from Recover").

The thought of managing disk defects from an OS that constantly writes
to the disk (as in "can't lock, in use") is as scary as a petrol
attendant smoking while hunched over your gas tank inlet.


---------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
Click to expand...
Gone to bloggery: http://cquirke.blogspot.com
 
cquirke said:
Aha! Thanks for that heads-up.
Click to expand...

You're welcome.
I can see this being confusing, for
those who remember the old DOS Recover command (and Norton Utilities'
tool used to "Recover from Recover").
Click to expand...

Yeah, I remember that, too.
The thought of managing disk defects from an OS that constantly writes
to the disk (as in "can't lock, in use") is as scary as a petrol
attendant smoking while hunched over your gas tank inlet.
Click to expand...

Yep. Kinda strange that an OS would prohibit direct hardware access even
to the point where it can't even touch the hard drive for maintenance,
but that's NT for you.

Steve
 
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