RAW to NTFS
Hard drive appears to be unformatted - NTFS changed to RAW
This is quite a frequent problem, and it is often assumed that the data is lost
or will require an expensive recovery - this isn't true in most cases. Essentially,
the likely cause is a corrupted partition table, boot section or file allocation
table - an index on the hard drive that keeps track of where files are.
Cause
This issue seems to be generally caused by an improper shutdown of the computer
or external hard drive, occuring more frequently in external hard drives due to
the way Windows operating systems write to storage devices - using delayed write
caching. So infact, when Windows appears to have finished copying files or using
a device, often, it's still working in the background.
Symptoms
Should you be affected by this issue, it will be quite evident. On trying to access
a disk, after a shutdown or crash, Windows will report that the drive is unformatted
and ask you if you wish to format it - This message is probably the single biggest
cause of data loss for less experienced users. Do not click yes - this will reformat
your drive so that Windows can once again use it, but will also format over any
data on the drive, meaning you'll either loose everything, or you'll need to pay
an expert to retrive what's left.
Recovery
Despite the massive panic that has probably set in, it is, generally, relatively
easy to recover from this situation. Assuming the cause is a corrupted file table
or boot sector, all data remains on the disk in a usable form. However, the Windows
operating system is unable to read the apparently unformatted space - this can cause
Windows to react very slowly, or crash if you try to access the hard drive - once
aware of the situation, avoid trying to browse the hard drive, as this will likely
cause My Computer to crash.
Prevention
Given the causes, it is possible to minimise this problem, but not neccessarily
prevent, by:
- Scheduling regular disk checks using the Windows Check Disk program. This is accessable
in two ways: by right-clicking on the desired drive and selecting Check Disk, or
by typing chkdsk in the Windows Command prompt.
And chosing between:
- Always performing the 'Safely Remove Hardware' routine when unplugging external
storage.
Or
- Editing the Operating System's treatment of the external drive by changing the drives
Policy to Quick Removal. This will remove the need to perform the 'Safely Remove
Hardware' routine, but may result in transfers taking a bit longer.
Protection
No protection is available, but to ensure as little disruption as possible, schedule
an automatic backup once a week in the middle of the night when you won't be interupted.