Best utility for debugging disk problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter jthan
  • Start date Start date
J

jthan

Hi All,

I think I need to find a utility for debugging disk partition
problems. Partition Magic? Others? Here is my story, thanks for any
help:

I just did a clean install of Windows XP (WinXP) from Windows 98 se
(Win98se) and most things are just grand except that I expected WinXP
to recognise my secondary drive, even if I left it disconnected during
the installation. This has not been the case! WinXP can not see the
FAT32 partition (the only one) on the secondary drive. I may have to
back up to Win98 just to get the files off this drive. Note that I
upgraded the bios prior to upgrading the OS.

Some info:

The primary drive is fine. Both are attached to an ATA card on the pci
buss.

fdisk detects the primary partition of the secondary drive.

WinXP detects the secondary drive, but only offers to format it.

When booting with a DOS recovery disk I can see neither drive. (No ATA
drivers?)

I have looked at the disk using the utility from
www.diydatarecovery.com and was able to see the disk as well as verify
that the at least some of the files were there. I was using the demo
version of the utility where you can't change anything, but it appears
that everything is OK, so why doesn't XP mount the partition?

A bit of info on the computer:

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name MUSICAL-PC
System Manufacturer Dell Computer Corporation
System Model XPST600
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 8 Stepping 1 GenuineIntel ~598 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Intel Corp. A11, 10/13/2000
SMBIOS Version 2.1
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\System32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.1106
(xpsp1.020828-1920)"
User Name <...>
Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Total Physical Memory 384.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 258.40 MB
Total Virtual Memory 1.76 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.56 GB
Page File Space 1.39 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys
 
Svend Olaf Mikkelsen said:
To provide more information, you can download Findpart at my page, do:

findpart all fp.txt

and insert (not attach) the output file here.
Click to expand...

Please don't, take it to email.
 
To provide more information, you can download Findpart at my page, do:

findpart all fp.txt

and insert (not attach) the output file here.
Click to expand...

Here's what I get. Huge thanks for any help. (Next step is to take it
to work and connect it to another computer or something. Or maybe
backgrade to Win98.)

Disk: 2 Cylinders: 1023 Heads: 64 Sectors: 63 MB: 2014

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 - 0C 63 40001787 19532 0 1 1 9921 5 63 B OK?

-----FAT CHS -Size Cl --Root -Good -Rep. Maybe --Bad YYMMDD DataMB
0 1 33 9762 16 2 9762 0 0 0 020114 12494

Partitions according to partition tables on second harddisk:

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 1*04 0 4124736 2014 0 0 1 1022 63 63 NB OK
 
Here's what I get. Huge thanks for any help. (Next step is to take it
to work and connect it to another computer or something. Or maybe
backgrade to Win98.)

Disk: 2 Cylinders: 1023 Heads: 64 Sectors: 63 MB: 2014

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 - 0C 63 40001787 19532 0 1 1 9921 5 63 B OK?

-----FAT CHS -Size Cl --Root -Good -Rep. Maybe --Bad YYMMDD DataMB
0 1 33 9762 16 2 9762 0 0 0 020114 12494

Partitions according to partition tables on second harddisk:

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 1*04 0 4124736 2014 0 0 1 1022 63 63 NB OK
Click to expand...

You have to insert the entire output file as I suggested, if I should
look at it.
 
Here's what I get. Huge thanks for any help. (Next step is to take it
to work and connect it to another computer or something. Or maybe
backgrade to Win98.)
Click to expand...

Reply no. 2.
Findpart, version 4.41 - for Windows
95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP.
Copyright Svend Olaf Mikkelsen, 1999-2004.

OS: Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 All

Disk: 1 Cylinders: 3467 Heads: 255 Sectors: 63 MB: 27196

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 - 07 63 53640972 26191 0 1 1 3338 254 63 B OK
3339 1 07 63 2040192 996 3339* 1 1 3465*254 63 OK OK


-----FAT CHS ------LBA Confidence Distance Type Sig
0 1 33 95 372 32 NB

Partitions according to partition tables on first harddisk:

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 1*07 63 53640972 26191 0 1 1 3338*254 63 OK OK
0 2 0F 53641035 2040255 996 3339* 0 1 3465*254 63 OK

3339 1 07 63 2040192 996 3339* 1 1 3465*254 63 OK OK

Disk: 2 Cylinders: 1023 Heads: 64 Sectors: 63 MB: 2014

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 - 0C 63 40001787 19532 0 1 1 9921 5 63 B OK?

-----FAT CHS -Size Cl --Root -Good -Rep. Maybe --Bad YYMMDD DataMB
0 1 33 9762 16 2 9762 0 0 0 020114 12494

Partitions according to partition tables on second harddisk:

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 1*04 0 4124736 2014 0 0 1 1022 63 63 NB OK
Click to expand...

The disk size of disk 2 is listed as 2014 MB.

A 19532 MB FAT32 partition was found at cylinder/head/sector 0/1/1.
This is the normal location of a primary partition. From the Findpart
output no problems in the partition can be seen, except that it
currently ends after reported end of disk, and is not in the partition
tables. The partition contains about 12494 MB of data.

The partition table contains an invalid entry for a 2014 FAT16
partition beginning at CHS 0/0/1 (the MBR).

First the disk size problem should be solved. By reading your first
message again, the most likely explanation may be that the disk size
was set using the disk Set Max Address command, but if you have
touched the disk since it worked, it also can be a wrong jumper
setting. If you cannot solve the size problem, you can do using
Findpart for DOS from boot to a floppy:

findpart ide ext fp-a.txt

and show me the output file.



When the size problem is solved, files from the 19532 MB FAT32
partition can be copied to current directory and below using the
command:

findpart chsdir 2 0 1 1 copy

assuming there is room for the files in the destination partition.

It can be examined if the FAT32 partition is internally OK using the
command (when the size problem is solved):

findpart chsdir 2 0 1 1 summary fp-b.txt

If the number of files and number of used clusters from the FAT match
the number of files and used clusters from the directories, the
partition can be assumed to be OK.

If the partition is internally OK, it can be recovered by editing the
partition table. To do that, a new Findpart search should be run when
the disk size problem is solved.
 
You have to insert the entire output file as I suggested, if I should
look at it.
Click to expand...

Despite the controversy concerning this discussion, here is the
information. I am quite grateful for anyone who can help with this
problem. I hope that those who are not interested will forgive this
indulgence.


Findpart, version 4.41 - for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP.
Copyright Svend Olaf Mikkelsen, 1999-2004.

OS: Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 All

Disk: 1 Cylinders: 3467 Heads: 255 Sectors: 63 MB: 27196

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 - 07 63 53640972 26191 0 1 1 3338 254 63 B OK
3339 1 07 63 2040192 996 3339* 1 1 3465*254 63 OK OK


-----FAT CHS ------LBA Confidence Distance Type Sig
0 1 33 95 372 32 NB

Partitions according to partition tables on first harddisk:

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 1*07 63 53640972 26191 0 1 1 3338*254 63 OK OK
0 2 0F 53641035 2040255 996 3339* 0 1 3465*254 63 OK

3339 1 07 63 2040192 996 3339* 1 1 3465*254 63 OK OK

Disk: 2 Cylinders: 1023 Heads: 64 Sectors: 63 MB: 2014

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 - 0C 63 40001787 19532 0 1 1 9921 5 63 B OK?

-----FAT CHS -Size Cl --Root -Good -Rep. Maybe --Bad YYMMDD DataMB
0 1 33 9762 16 2 9762 0 0 0 020114 12494

Partitions according to partition tables on second harddisk:

-PCyl N ID -----Rel -----Num ---MB -Start CHS- --End CHS-- BS CHS
0 1*04 0 4124736 2014 0 0 1 1022 63 63 NB OK
 
jthan said:
Despite the controversy concerning this discussion, here is the information.
Click to expand...
I am quite grateful for anyone who can help with this problem.
Click to expand...

No one ever does except Svend, the author, who is nearly always around.
Any effort by others will go in vain since only Svend knows the specifics
on how his program works (or not works) and what the output therefor is supposed to mean. Trying to help out is competing with
Svend, which one
will loose, so no one bothers.
I hope that those who are not interested will forgive this indulgence.
Click to expand...

You don't have email?

[snip]
 
No one ever does except Svend, the author, who is nearly always
around. Any effort by others will go in vain since only Svend knows
the specifics on how his program works (or not works) and what
the output therefor is supposed to mean. Trying to help out is
competing with Svend, which one will loose, so no one bothers.
Click to expand...

Some of us are interest in reading Sven's explanations.

You get to like that or lump it.
You don't have email?
Click to expand...

You dont have anything better to do under your bridge except play net goon ?

Snapped your dick off did you ? You were warned.
 
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