SATA disk offline - invalid magic number

[Gido]

I have a Win XP pro system with 2 IDE HD's in a RAID-0 configuration,
and a 300GB SATA disk for extra storage.

This SATA disk has disappeared in windows before when I had a BIOS
checksum error on startup, loaded default settings and doing so
disabled the SATA controller. When I changed the setting it would come
back online.

But this time I can't get it back online. In the systemlog there is an
error 6, telling me the system can't import a diskgroup.

The disk appears in windows diskmanagement as disk-1, dynamic,
off-line. I don't remember creating a dynamic volume, but I might have
when I used windows diskmanagement to format the disk when it was new.

When I try to reactivate, it does not work and I get 2 more errors in
the systemlog.

Error 1500:
Disk group LupusDg0: Errors in some configuration copies:
Disk Harddisk1, copy 1: Block 0: Invalid magic number in the
configuration copy

And error 2: no valid configuration copy (which makes sense after error
1500)

I ran diskpart info:

maxtor 6 B300S0 SCSI disk
Schijf-id: 4C343D0C
Type : SCSI
Bus : 3
Doel : 0
LUN-ID : 0

partition:
type : 42
verborgen (hidden) : Ja
Actief : Nee

dynamisch, offset 32KB

I also ran Findpart:

Findpart, version 4.67 - for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP.
Copyright Svend Olaf Mikkelsen, 1999-2005.

OS: Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2

Disk: 2 Cylinders: 36483 Heads: 255 Sectors: 63 MB: 286181

--PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB --Start CHS- ---End CHS-- BS CHS

0 - 07 63586098688286181 0 1 1 36482 244 49 B OK

Fdisk F6 sector 20143 0 1
Fdisk F6 sector 20143 1 1

No FATs found.

Partitions according to partition tables on second harddisk:

--PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB --Start CHS- ---End CHS-- BS CHS

0 1 42 63586099332286181 0 1 1 36482*254 63 OK

Desperately I tried 2 commands I found on this forum, tryin gto copy
the data from the SATA disk to an other partition:

findpart chsdir 2 0 0 1 copy
findpart chsdir 2 0 0 1 backupbootsector

Both give the same error:
Disk 2 CHS: 36483/255/63 Location: 0/0/1
Not recognized as a FAT16 or FAT32 partition.

At the moment I am running Ontrack EasyRecovery disk diagnostics (and
it's taking forever), hoping it will be able to fix whatever is wrong.

I so hope somebody can help me fix this because stupid me has no backup
of the data. I read somewhere that someone had the same problem and
that a new magic number fixed it. Any ideas on how to achieve this?

Thanks in advance, Gido

 

[Svend Olaf Mikkelsen]

I also ran Findpart:

Findpart, version 4.67 - for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP.
Copyright Svend Olaf Mikkelsen, 1999-2005.

OS: Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2

Disk: 2 Cylinders: 36483 Heads: 255 Sectors: 63 MB: 286181

--PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB --Start CHS- ---End CHS-- BS CHS
0 - 07 63586098688286181 0 1 1 36482 244 49 B OK

Partitions according to partition tables on second harddisk:

--PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB --Start CHS- ---End CHS-- BS CHS
0 1 42 63586099332286181 0 1 1 36482*254 63 OK

findpart chsdir 2 0 0 1 copy
findpart chsdir 2 0 0 1 backupbootsector

The Chsdir program works for FAT16 and FAT32 partitions, but this is
an NTFS partition, seen by the ID 07 in search output.

The command to copy the files is:


findpart findntfs 2 0 1 1 copy


Or as example to copy .doc and .jpg files:


findpart findntfs 2 0 1 1 copy *.doc *.jpg


For further examination, and repair if possible, you would have to
mail me in a case like this.

 

[Eric Gisin]

The NTFS volume is 630+ sectors smaller than the dynamic container (42). ?

The command to copy the files is:


findpart findntfs 2 0 1 1 copy


Or as example to copy .doc and .jpg files:


findpart findntfs 2 0 1 1 copy *.doc *.jpg


For further examination, and repair if possible, you would have to
mail me in a case like this.

I have always been able to revert a converted dynamic disk to basic
by changing the type 42 to 07 in the partition table. Would this work?

 

[Svend Olaf Mikkelsen]

The NTFS volume is 630+ sectors smaller than the dynamic container (42). ?

That is often seen, I do not know why.

I have always been able to revert a converted dynamic disk to basic
by changing the type 42 to 07 in the partition table. Would this work?

Yes, if the partition is a simple contiguous partition on 1 disk. By
principle I however examine the internals of the partition before I
suggest that.

 

[Gido]

Thanks a million!

I don't have a disk large enough to copy all the files to in 1 go, but
the option to copy by file extention is working great!

Now that all the important files are rescued, i am willing to take a
bit more risk in reviving the disk itself.

Thanks for the offer of help by email. I am not sure what to send you
though. Would you like to see the full findpartlog before making a
suggestion on how to revive my disk?

Thanks, Gido

 

[Gido]

If I were to try changing the type to 07, would that be reversible
should it not work?
Now that I have my data back, this looks like it's worth a shot.

Can I modify the type with findpart?

Cheers, Gido

 

[Eric Gisin]

If I were to try changing the type to 07, would that be reversible
should it not work?

Yes. The risk is when you reboot, it may "chkdsk /f" and make things worse.
You did copy files with findpart, so it cannot be very corrupt.

Now that I have my data back, this looks like it's worth a shot.

Can I modify the type with findpart?

I use mbrwiz 2 from mbr.bigr.net, /type=07.
Note that diskpart uses fdisk numbering (1+),
while mbrwiz uses Disk Manager numbering (0+).

You may need Action/Refresh in Disk Manager after that.
Then chkdsk without /f. If there a no problems you can use the disk as-is.

 

[Gido]

That worked beautifully!

I changed the partiotion type to 7, and now everything is back to
normal.

Thanks again, Gido

 

[vcpargentina]

Hi...y have the same problem but didn´t find the way to make gidos
replay. Can somebody learn mi how to fix this problem.

Thanks

msn (e-mail address removed)