Partition table of SATA Harddisk messed up

  • Thread starter Thread starter pit.grinja
  • Start date Start date
P

pit.grinja

Hello,
I cannot boot my PC (AthlonXP2200+, EPOX NVidia Mainboard, SATA HD
Seagate ST3120026AS) running under Win2K and Suse Linux 9.1. The last
thing that I did was to accidentally trying to open a 1 GB file with my
text editor. Then the PC hang and I removed the power cable. The next
day Windows didn´t boot. I examined the partition table with Ranish
partition manager v2.40 and found lots of "problematic" entries mainly
referring to the several Linux partitions which were placed at the
beginning of the harddisk. I removed all of them and created and
formatted a new empty FAT32 partition without problems. In additions,
two primary windows partitions remained. Ranish partition manager
didn´t report any problems. Of course, windows still didnt boot, but
an attempted new installation on the newly created partition also
failed (no harddisks were found!!). I next switched to a rather old
version of PartitionMagic from Powerquest (v5.0). The output from
partinfo is shown below:
Partition Information Program
Oct 08 1999 - DOS32 Version
Copyright (c) 1994-1999, PowerQuest Corporation
Permission is granted for this utility to be freely copied so long
as it is not modified in any way. All other rights are reserved.

PowerQuest, makers of PartitionMagic, can be reached at
Voice: 801-226-6834 Web site: http://support.powerquest.com
Fax: 801-226-8941 Email: (e-mail address removed)


=====================================================================

Disk 0: 14593 Cylinders, 255 Heads, 63 Sectors/Track.

The BIOS supports INT 13h extensions for this drive.

========================== Partition Tables =========================

Partition -----Begin---- ------End----- Start Num

Sector # Boot Cyl Head Sect FS Cyl Head Sect Sect Sects

--------- - ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ---- ---- ---- --------- ---------

0 0 80 0 1 1 0C 1023 254 63 63 48200040

Info: Begin C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Actual values are:

0 0 80 0 1 1 0C 3000 80 63 63 48200040

Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary.

ucEndHead expected to be 254, not 80.

0 1 00 1023 254 63 0C 1023 254 63 48200103 48195000

Info: Begin C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Actual values are:

0 1 00 3000 81 1 0C 6000 80 63 48200103 48195000

Error #105: Partition didn't begin on head boundary.

ucBeginHead expected to be 0 or 1, not 81.

Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary.

ucEndHead expected to be 254, not 80.

0 2 00 1023 254 63 0C 1023 254 63 96395103 138046545

Info: Begin C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Actual values are:

0 2 00 6000 81 1 0C14593 80 63 96395103 138046545

Error #105: Partition didn't begin on head boundary.

ucBeginHead expected to be 0 or 1, not 81.

Error #109: Partition ends after end of disk.

ucEndCylinder (14593) must be less than 14593.

Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary.

ucEndHead expected to be 254, not 80.


==============================================================================
Disk 0: 114471.0 Megabytes
============================ Partition Information
===========================
Volume Partition Partition Start
Total
Letter:Label Type Status Size MB Sector # Sector
Sectors
------------- --------------- -------- ------- --------- - ---------
---------
*:NO NAME FAT32X Pri,Boot 23535.2 0 0 63
48200040

*:NO NAME FAT32X Pri 23532.7 0 1 48200103
48195000

FAT32X Pri 67405.5 0 2 96395103
138046545

Strangely, when I use the GUI part of PartitionMagic (ptedit), I see
values that don´t make sense to me. I have three entries with the
following start and end values for the (c)ylinders, (h)eads and
(s)ectors:
entry1 Start: C0 H1 S1 End: C1023 H254 S63, Sectors before:63; actual:
48200040
entry2 Start: C1023 H254 S63 End: C1023 H254 S63 (same as entry 1!),
Sectors before:48200103; actual: 48195000
entry3 Start: C1023 H254 S63 End: C1023 H254 S63 (same as entries 1 and
2!), Sectors before:96395103; actual: 138046545
The corresponding values from ranish partition manager are as follows:
entry1 Start: C0 H1 S1 End: C3000 H80 S63
entry2 Start: C3000 H81 S1 End: C6000 H80 S63
entry3 Start: C6000 H81 S1 End: C14593 H80 S63

I tend to believe that the "real" CHS-values from my harddisk and those
reported to the software (including the OS) do not match. I checked the
BIOS of my computer, but couldn´t find an entry that I could change.
Now I am stuck. Any ideas? The drive is working, so I have a little
hope that I will be able to get access to my data again.
Any help will be much, much appreciated!
best regards
Piet
 
Some of the lines were broken, please set your auto linebreak to a higher value.

Hello,
I cannot boot my PC (AthlonXP2200+, EPOX NVidia Mainboard, SATA HD
Seagate ST3120026AS) running under Win2K and Suse Linux 9.1. The last
thing that I did was to accidentally trying to open a 1 GB file with my
text editor. Then the PC hang and I removed the power cable. The next
day Windows didn't boot. I examined the partition table with Ranish
partition manager v2.40 and found lots of "problematic" entries mainly
referring to the several Linux partitions which were placed at the
beginning of the harddisk. I removed all of them and created and
formatted a new empty FAT32 partition without problems. In additions,
two primary windows partitions remained. Ranish partition manager
didn´t report any problems. Of course, windows still didnt boot, but
an attempted new installation on the newly created partition also
failed (no harddisks were found!!). I next switched to a rather old
version of PartitionMagic from Powerquest (v5.0).
Click to expand...
The output from partinfo is shown below: [snip]

=====================================================================

Disk 0: 14593 Cylinders, 255 Heads, 63 Sectors/Track.
The BIOS supports INT 13h extensions for this drive.

========================== Partition Tables =========================

Partition -----Begin---- ------End----- Start Num
Sector # Boot Cyl Head Sect FS Cyl Head Sect Sect Sects
--------- - ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ---- ---- ---- --------- ---------
Click to expand...
0 0 80 0 1 1 0C 1023 254 63 63 48200040

Info: Begin C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.
Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders. Actual values are:
0 0 80 0 1 1 0C 3000 80 63 63 48200040
Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary. ucEndHead expected to be 254, not 80
Click to expand...
0 1 00 1023 254 63 0C 1023 254 63 48200103 48195000

Info: Begin C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.
Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders. Actual values are:
0 1 00 3000 81 1 0C 6000 80 63 48200103 48195000
Error #105: Partition didn't begin on head boundary. ucBeginHead expected to be 0 or 1, not 81.
Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary. ucEndHead expected to be 254, not 80.
Click to expand...
0 2 00 1023 254 63 0C 1023 254 63 96395103 138046545

Info: Begin C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.
Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders. Actual values are:
0 2 00 6000 81 1 0C 14593 80 63 96395103 138046545
Error #105: Partition didn't begin on head boundary. ucBeginHead expected to be 0 or 1, not 81.
Error #109: Partition ends after end of disk. ucEndCylinder (14593) must be less than 14593.
Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary. ucEndHead expected to be 254, not 80.


==============================================================================
Disk 0: 114471.0 Megabytes
============================ Partition Information ===========================
Volume Partition Partition Start Total
Letter:Label Type Status Size MB Sector # Sector Sectors
------------- --------------- -------- ------- --------- - --------- ---------
*:NO NAME FAT32X Pri,Boot 23535.2 0 0 63 48200040

*:NO NAME FAT32X Pri 23532.7 0 1 48200103 48195000

FAT32X Pri 67405.5 0 2 96395103 138046545
Click to expand...

Everything appears to be ok, except maybe for the fact that there are 3 primary partitions.
Did you perhaps use a bootmanager?

Partinfo's bickering about boundaries can be ignored. FAT32 are LBA type partitions.
Strangely, when I use the GUI part of PartitionMagic (ptedit), I see
values that don't make sense to me.
Click to expand...

Why? Didn't you even bother to read the report above?
I have three entries with the following start and end values for the (c)ylinders, (h)eads and (s)ectors:
Click to expand...
entry1 Start: C0 H1 S1 End: C1023 H254 S63, Sectors before:63; actual: 48200040
entry2 Start: C1023 H254 S63 End: C1023 H254 S63 (same as entry 1!), Sectors before:48200103; actual: 48195000
entry3 Start: C1023 H254 S63 End: C1023 H254 S63 (same as entries 1 and 2!), Sectors before:96395103; actual: 138046545
Click to expand...

Yes, C1023 H254 S63 are the large drive placeholders, as referenced above.
CHS is limited to 8GB.
The LBA values are not. Large drive place holder means that LBA is to be used.
The corresponding values from ranish partition manager are as follows:
entry1 Start: C 0 H 1 S1 End: C 3000 H80 S63
entry2 Start: C3000 H81 S1 End: C 6000 H80 S63
entry3 Start: C6000 H81 S1 End: C14593 H80 S63
Click to expand...

Ranish converted the LBA values to pseudo CHS, just as Partinfo did.
I tend to believe that the "real" CHS-values from my harddisk and those
reported to the software (including the OS) do not match.
Click to expand...

Geometry of 255 heads/63 sectors appears to be OK.
I checked the BIOS of my computer, but couldn´t find an entry that I could change.
Now I am stuck. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
The drive is working, so I have a little hope that I will be able to get access to my data again.
Click to expand...

The partitions should be visible from windows when used as a second drive.
If the extra primaries cause trouble you can set them hidden with PTEDIT for the time being.
 
Hello,
I cannot boot my PC (AthlonXP2200+, EPOX NVidia Mainboard, SATA HD
Seagate ST3120026AS) running under Win2K and Suse Linux 9.1. The last
thing that I did was to accidentally trying to open a 1 GB file with my
text editor. Then the PC hang and I removed the power cable. The next
day Windows didn´t boot. I examined the partition table with Ranish
partition manager v2.40 and found lots of "problematic" entries mainly
referring to the several Linux partitions which were placed at the
beginning of the harddisk. I removed all of them and created and
formatted a new empty FAT32 partition without problems. In additions,
two primary windows partitions remained. Ranish partition manager
didn´t report any problems. Of course, windows still didnt boot, but
an attempted new installation on the newly created partition also
failed (no harddisks were found!!). I next switched to a rather old
version of PartitionMagic from Powerquest (v5.0). The output from
partinfo is shown below:
<snip>
To install WinXP on a SATA drive usually requires yo to install the SATA
driver that came with your motherboard from a floppy disk when XP install
prompts for additional drivers.
Mike.
 
Michael Hawes said:
Hello,
I cannot boot my PC (AthlonXP2200+, EPOX NVidia Mainboard, SATA HD
Seagate ST3120026AS) running under Win2K and Suse Linux 9.1. The last
thing that I did was to accidentally trying to open a 1 GB file with my
text editor. Then the PC hang and I removed the power cable. The next
day Windows didn't boot. I examined the partition table with Ranish
partition manager v2.40 and found lots of "problematic" entries mainly
referring to the several Linux partitions which were placed at the
beginning of the harddisk. I removed all of them and created and
formatted a new empty FAT32 partition without problems. In additions,
two primary windows partitions remained. Ranish partition manager
didn't report any problems. Of course, windows still didnt boot, but
an attempted new installation on the newly created partition also failed
Click to expand...
(no harddisks were found!!).
Click to expand...
I next switched to a rather old version of PartitionMagic from Powerquest
(v5.0). The output from partinfo is shown below:
<snip>
Click to expand...
To install WinXP on a SATA drive usually requires yo to install the SATA
driver that came with your motherboard from a floppy disk when XP install
prompts for additional drivers.
Click to expand...

That has nothing to do with a SATA drive, but with every new disk controller
that came out after Win2k was introduced (PATA, SATA as well as SCSI)
and therefor the driver couldn't be included with Win2k itself.

But yes, he probably forgot to do that. Good one.
 
I suggest you use Partition Table Doctor to resolve your
problem.The software provides very useful functions:
Backup partition table, Restore partition table, Rebuild
partition table, undelete partition, Fix boot sector,
rebuild mbr,etc.

First thing I recommend you download the demo version of
Partition Table Doctor.( http://www.ptdd.com/download.htm )

Run the program and select "Rebuild Partition Table",
then choose "Interactive" mode. If you can find the partition
you need, that is Partition Table Doctor can help you. Otherwise,
Partition Table Doctor cannot help you.

See more: http://www.ptdd.com/recoverylostpartition.htm
http://www.ptdd.com/recoverdeletedpartition.htm
http://www.ptdd.com/partition-recovery.htm

Michael Hawes 写é“：
 
Try Fdisk/MBR. The ranish Partition manager doesn't have MBR code that works
above about win 95 and probably wouldn't write anything if the the master
boot record was anything other than empty (it sounds corrupted). This won't
change the partition table info.


Hello,
I cannot boot my PC (AthlonXP2200+, EPOX NVidia Mainboard, SATA HD
Seagate ST3120026AS) running under Win2K and Suse Linux 9.1. The last
thing that I did was to accidentally trying to open a 1 GB file with my
text editor. Then the PC hang and I removed the power cable. The next
day Windows didn´t boot. I examined the partition table with Ranish
partition manager v2.40 and found lots of "problematic" entries mainly
referring to the several Linux partitions which were placed at the
beginning of the harddisk. I removed all of them and created and
formatted a new empty FAT32 partition without problems. In additions,
two primary windows partitions remained. Ranish partition manager
didn´t report any problems. Of course, windows still didnt boot, but
an attempted new installation on the newly created partition also
failed (no harddisks were found!!). I next switched to a rather old
version of PartitionMagic from Powerquest (v5.0). The output from
partinfo is shown below:
Partition Information Program
Oct 08 1999 - DOS32 Version
Copyright (c) 1994-1999, PowerQuest Corporation
Permission is granted for this utility to be freely copied so long
as it is not modified in any way. All other rights are reserved.

PowerQuest, makers of PartitionMagic, can be reached at
Voice: 801-226-6834 Web site: http://support.powerquest.com
Fax: 801-226-8941 Email: (e-mail address removed)


=====================================================================

Disk 0: 14593 Cylinders, 255 Heads, 63 Sectors/Track.

The BIOS supports INT 13h extensions for this drive.

========================== Partition Tables =========================

Partition -----Begin---- ------End----- Start Num

Sector # Boot Cyl Head Sect FS Cyl Head Sect Sect Sects

--------- - ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ---- ---- ---- --------- ---------

0 0 80 0 1 1 0C 1023 254 63 63 48200040

Info: Begin C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Actual values are:

0 0 80 0 1 1 0C 3000 80 63 63 48200040

Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary.

ucEndHead expected to be 254, not 80.

0 1 00 1023 254 63 0C 1023 254 63 48200103 48195000

Info: Begin C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Actual values are:

0 1 00 3000 81 1 0C 6000 80 63 48200103 48195000

Error #105: Partition didn't begin on head boundary.

ucBeginHead expected to be 0 or 1, not 81.

Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary.

ucEndHead expected to be 254, not 80.

0 2 00 1023 254 63 0C 1023 254 63 96395103 138046545

Info: Begin C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.

Actual values are:

0 2 00 6000 81 1 0C14593 80 63 96395103 138046545

Error #105: Partition didn't begin on head boundary.

ucBeginHead expected to be 0 or 1, not 81.

Error #109: Partition ends after end of disk.

ucEndCylinder (14593) must be less than 14593.

Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary.

ucEndHead expected to be 254, not 80.


============================================================================
==
Disk 0: 114471.0 Megabytes
============================ Partition Information
===========================
Volume Partition Partition Start
Total
Letter:Label Type Status Size MB Sector # Sector
Sectors
------------- --------------- -------- ------- --------- - ---------
---------
*:NO NAME FAT32X Pri,Boot 23535.2 0 0 63
48200040

*:NO NAME FAT32X Pri 23532.7 0 1 48200103
48195000

FAT32X Pri 67405.5 0 2 96395103
138046545

Strangely, when I use the GUI part of PartitionMagic (ptedit), I see
values that don´t make sense to me. I have three entries with the
following start and end values for the (c)ylinders, (h)eads and
(s)ectors:
entry1 Start: C0 H1 S1 End: C1023 H254 S63, Sectors before:63; actual:
48200040
entry2 Start: C1023 H254 S63 End: C1023 H254 S63 (same as entry 1!),
Sectors before:48200103; actual: 48195000
entry3 Start: C1023 H254 S63 End: C1023 H254 S63 (same as entries 1 and
2!), Sectors before:96395103; actual: 138046545
The corresponding values from ranish partition manager are as follows:
entry1 Start: C0 H1 S1 End: C3000 H80 S63
entry2 Start: C3000 H81 S1 End: C6000 H80 S63
entry3 Start: C6000 H81 S1 End: C14593 H80 S63

I tend to believe that the "real" CHS-values from my harddisk and those
reported to the software (including the OS) do not match. I checked the
BIOS of my computer, but couldn´t find an entry that I could change.
Now I am stuck. Any ideas? The drive is working, so I have a little
hope that I will be able to get access to my data again.
Any help will be much, much appreciated!
best regards
Piet
 
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