Cyclic Redundancy 2

[Present]

Getting real problems with a drive, cyclic redundancy error when copying from it.

Windows / DOS disk checker reports 'file sectors unreadable' in the 1st scanning phase but doesn't fix it ie. the problem is still there on a repeated scan.

I've also tried Norton's Disk Doctor which did the same thing. Ironically, I think Norton's Optimizer caused the problem.

Any further things I can do?

 

[swimtiger]

You could try doing a low-level format of your drive if you are able to first back up all of your data.

There a few ways to do a low-level format.

1. If it is a maxtor drive, or if you have a maxtor drive in your system. You can download Maxblast and burn it to a a bootable cd or floppy at Maxtor.com

2. Some bios's allow one to do a low-level format.

 

[linney]

Try running ChkDsk /r from the Recovery Console.

811150 - Setup Repeatedly Stops and Restarts

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811150&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

HOW TO: Install and Use the Recovery Console for Windows XP (Q307654)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q307/6/54.asp

Your hard drive manufacturer will have free diagnostic software to check your hard drive fully.

 

[Present]

tried running chdsk from Recovery Console, it appeared to hang at 50% with no activity for an hour or two, just a repeated pattern on the disk 'activity' light. Wasn't sure what to do (this is the only PC I have access to)so I restarted the machine to have S.M.A.R.T. warn me to back up all data because my main HD is about to pack up!

A little worried now as this drive contains my OS + all programs etc as well as my archive.

Don't have any space to backup but am considering going out and buying a drive!

Ghost the best way to backup? (as copying files gives problems)

thanks!

Bill.

 

[linney]

If you can't copy then an image might be the only option left to try. A second opinion about a failing hard drive and recovering/saving data from it via our PC hardware forum might help.

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?spid=602&newpid=602

Try here too.

General Data Recovery discussion Forum
Forum528

Another option to try would be the self booting CD's that contain an operating system that runs just from the CD.

Have a look at Knoppix.

http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-04-21.htm#2

ultimate boot cd ??
Thread779-679737

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

These are general data recovery links.

http://www.restorer2000.com

http://www.runtime.org/hints.htm

 

[Present]

Many thanks Linney.

Have now tried Ghosting drive (won't do it because of errors, even with 'ignore bad blocks' CL.

I now have another problem too, to explain further - my HD contained my OS etc in various partitions, these have Ghosted fine onto a new drive. However, my Archive partition (J:/) is still refusing to Ghost.

My plan was to boot from the new drive that now contains a copy of my OS, but that refuses to boot (hangs on an XP logo on a blue background.) I've now tried booting onto Recovery Console (hangs), and I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to get booting from this drive to work. (Haven't tried a Windows Repair yet).

Anyway, back to the dying drive, I've tried Imaging it with Restorer2000, but that seemed to get bogged down in the errors and had only managed about 5% after 24 hours!

PLanning now to attempt a Raw Recovery with EasyRecovery, but bit of a hassle as I have to set up loads of custom file signatures.

So to summarise -

1. How can I get it to boot of my new drive?
2. Please pray for my old one.

Thankyou

 

[linney]

I can't see the point of trying to boot a copy installation of XP if the original one is booting fine as that will probably have the same problem with your J Partition. All your links and Registry locations will be oriented toward the original partition (probably C drive or whatever it was). It might be a mess. Can you explain your installation in its current state. Is the original drive still in the machine or just the new drive?

If you really want to boot to a new installation the easiest way would be to install XP via Setup to that partition and have a dual boot system setup by Windows.

Can you chisel away at J, copying files/folders out of there one at a time?

 

[Present]

Thanks Linney - wanted to use new drive to boot from as then I can get the old drive out of my system altogether once I've got stuff out.

I can *kind of* chisel at J: but every time Explorer comes across a file it can't read it hangs for 5 minutes and then gives a bunch of error messages you have to 'ok'.

Haven't found any software that will skip these errors real fast yet, so it's a very slow process so far.

My old drive is still *just about* working but hanging with 'bad_pool_caller_ on shutdown and generally behaving a bit wierd, that's why I wanted to clone it all over and work from there - I've done it b4 quite easily with Ghost but only when an entire drive is copied and swapped over. It seems if you only copy the partitions it misses the MBR or something, but as I said I've had trouble fixing this as the damn thing won't even boot into 'recovery console' from the Windows CD.

So I'm still writing from my dodgy C: drive. I had high hopes yesterday when I left it running Easyrecovery but I just got back to find the machine off so I guess it crashed.

 

[linney]

If you can't get Recovery Console loaded from CD it is also available on a 6 floppy set downloadable.

HOW TO: Install and Use the Recovery Console for Windows XP (Q307654)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q307/6/54.asp

310994 - Obtaining Windows XP Setup Boot Disks

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310994&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

You will have to download files from Microsoft to put onto Floppies to achieve this.

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm

You also have tools like like Fdisk on old 98 Start Up disks.

Might be a good idea to check your RAM just to add to your troubles.

http://www.memtest86.com/

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

315261 - The computer does not start after you change the active partition by using the Disk Management tool

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315261&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

314470 - Definition of System Partition and Boot Partition

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314470&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

new hard drive-Windows XP won't boot
thread779-523488

Transferring Windows to another hard drive
thread779-738571

 

[Present]

Cheers Linney, I'll have a go once this work is out of the way, system seems *fairly* stable now...

Tried another Raw Recovery and got back after 34 hours to find it had completed about 5% and reckoned it had another 20 days or so to go so I've given up on that one!

What I need now I think is some kind of file copier that will just skip a file if it has a bad sector, doing this by hand takes FOREVER cos explorer crashes etc. All I've found so far is bincopy, but this is only really for single files and just skips the bad blocks in the file (leaving it useless unless it's a movie or whatever). Anyone know of anything?

 

[linney]

Just thinking out aloud here. Have you looked at the inbuilt program Xcopy? From the Web -

"ignoring errors is easy enough use the /C switch

xcopy c:\folder\*.* x:\folder\*.* /c "

http://www.windows-help.net/features/copy-hd.html

You could also try using Task Manager to end the Explorer process (after launching the Cmd window) then run your copy program without interference from Explorer.


Just using the ordinary file copy from Windows will crash out on errors but any files copied up to that point should be OK. You would have to manually guide it around the bad areas starting a new copy after the bad areas.

 

[Present]

Looks good Linney.

Only problem is - I've already started restoring verious Apps from backups I had on CD - is there any way I can make this command not copy over already existing files?

Cheers

 

[linney]

Type Xcopy /? at a Cmd prompt for switches, have a look at /-Y switch for Overwrite verification.

 

[Present]

Okay, managed to recover what I could from the messed up partition, (thanks to everyone, including thos at the 'recovery' forum who helped). However, answers have been thin on the ground there to my latest questions and I thought you might have some ideas. Here's the latest news -
========================
(was recommended to scan with proprietory software)

Right I've had NO luck with Maxtor's diagnostic software. Hangs on 'scanning for disk' page. Tried removing all other HDs, no change.

Now considering copying OS partitions to another disk before a low level format, if it'll let me do that!

Any other suggestions? If not, can anyone point me to a guide to getting a copied windows partition to work from a different drive, cos I've had loads of problems in the past with this - only seems to work smoothly if the WHOLE disk is copied but obviously I don't wanna do that with this dodgy drive.

Cheers!

b

 

[linney]

Have you tried anything like this?

http://www.paragon-gmbh.com/n_fm_requir.htm

 

[Present]

Well... Partition Magic + Ghost so far, but they wouldn't touch the dodgy partition, all I could do in the end was delete it after I got what data I could off it.

Any1 got any tips on copying the OS?

 

[linney]

Do you mean a partition with an operating system on it. Just make sure drive letters match up so that all the registry and program links which point anywhere will work correctly on your new drive. Boot files will have to be correct too.

249694 - How to Move a Windows 2000 Installation to Different Hardware

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;249694&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP (Q289022)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q289/0/22.asp

A Discussion About the Bootcfg Command and Its Uses (Q291980)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q291/9/80.asp

HOW TO: Install and Use the Recovery Console for Windows XP (Q307654)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q307/6/54.asp

Changing e: drive to a c: drive
thread779-878004

 

[Present]

Okay please forgive me but I need a bit of an idiots guide to this cos I've messed it up and had to do Windows repairs on the copied OS partition a few times.

All I know so far is:

1. Copy all OS and program partitions to new drive.

When I've tried to boot from the new drive in the past it usually hangs, what other step can I take here? I presume, linney, you are inferring I install the recovery console and edit the bootcfg from there?

Also how do I match up the drive letters?

Cheers!

 

[linney]

To match up C drive (you don't want this).

Clean everything off your new drive. Install a second copy of XP on the old drive and boot to that (or have some third party software that can run free of the Windows environment and copy the folders etc). Make sure all System and Hidden files are showing. Use this new install of XP to copy the original install of XP and all the folders and files from your old drive (just from the XP partition) to the new drive and into the first partition (and only formatted partition, the rest being unallocated space)of the new clean drive (don't worry about drive letters at this point). Make sure the copied boot files are in place and the boot.ini is pointing to this install of XP on your new drive. Disconnect the old drive, make sure you can boot to the copied XP, and make sure the drive letter is now showing as C after you have booted to it. Use this install of XP to set up the extra partitions then reconnect the old drive and copy the remainder across.

Q305595 - HOW TO: Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q305/5/95.asp

HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP (Q289022)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q289/0/22.asp

Alternatively stay as you are with your new drive and just re-install the programs into the XP you have already on that drive and copy your data across. That sounds the better option to me.




Trying the above with a full drive you would never get C where you want it to be.

Your biggest headache is the drive with your loaded (running) XP, this is going to be shown as your Boot Volume. The drive with the boot loading files on it is known as your System Volume. It is possible if the boot files are on the same volume as the operating system to have a combined Boot and System Volume, which is just shown as the System Volume. The current running XP will never allow you to change either of these two (or one) drive letters while it is running.

Another problem to overcome is that working from a second install of XP used to move the partition with your first install of XP. The drive letters may vary and not be the same when running in XP1 or XP2, for example 1 may show a drive E, but 2 will show the same drive as F. This sort of oddity occurs when changing (or trying to) system drive letters. You can use this to your advantage if you are moving to an empty drive with just one partition and a lot of unallocated space that can be sorted later.


HOW TO: Change Drive Letter Assignments in Windows XP (Q307844)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q307/8/84.asp

"Changing the drive letter of the system volume or the boot volume is not inherent to Disk Management.
Many MS-DOS-based and Windows-based programs make references to a specific drive letter (for example, environment variables). If you modify the drive letter, these programs may not function correctly."

Assign, change, or remove a driver letter........Help and Support program

How can I change the System partition drive letter in Windows XP?

http://www.petri.co.il/change_system_drive_letter_in_windows_xp.htm

 

[Present]

What a palarva! Ok... well, I think my problem with booting the copied OS is probably this drive letter thing. Unfortunately, the only solution suggested by MS is to edit the registry through a network, which I don't have.

Is it possible to edit the registry through the recovery console? This may be another way in, but I seem to recall I couldn't get the recovery console to even start on the copied OS!

Is a boot disk a way around this?

Cheers!

b