These things only happen at the **worst** times, don't they? I'm up against a deadline (tomorrow morning) & really in a pickle.
So yesterday morning I decide to do the obligatory, "annual wipe & re-install" on my XP-Pro laptop as it was becoming *painfully* slow to use & this has always been the fairly quick-fix. Of course, I get a call this morning about a *really important* audition for which I must send my headshot/resume no later than tomorrow morning. Even though they were both on the laptop HDD, this would not normally be a problem..., but please read on....
I always tend to think that too much information is better than too little in support forums, but I am also aware that I get carried away, so..., if you are too busy or impatient to read all of the background "info-babble" just jump down to the boldface text for the crux of the issue & then refer back up to the other stuff as needed.
I should say at this point that I am fairly "tekno-hip" when it comes to computers/software/hardware, etc., given that my chosen profession is *not IT* by any means (I'm an actress---see Profile). What that means is that I can generally find my way around a computer (even DOS/Unix commands & RegEdit-type stuff), but I am *definitely not* a "rocket scientist", so please keep that in mind when replying. I don't speak "machine code". Thank you.
Anyway..., I ramble (get to the point, Rina!!). On to the actual issue....
I have two(2) computers. The XP-Pro laptop I mentioned and also an XP-Pro desktop machine that has a 1TB e-sata data (not system) drive in an enclosure. I have been using PowerQuest PartitionMagic (Version 8.0-Build 1242) on both machines in conjunction with performing this type of maintenance for quite some time and it has **always** served me well. Yes..., I know it's a discontinued product..., but "if it works, don't fix it"..., right? The HDD from the laptop (60GB+/-) is in fine shape & has always had five(5) NTFS partitions: one(1) Primary-Active/System ("C:") partition and an Extended partition with four Logical ("D:", "E:", "F:" & "G:") partitions. There are a number of reasons for that personal setup preference which are not really pertinent to this discussion but, what is important is, that all of my files/pictures/data, etc. live on the aforesaid four(4) Logical partitions. The 1TB external sata drive attached to the desktop machine has two(2) "visible" primary data partions ("F:" & "G:") which are traditionally used by that desktop machine.
Whew!! Now I'm getting to the good stuff....
So my usual "modus operandi" ("M.O.") when performing this laptop HDD maintenance is to:
1. Defrag, run "chkdsk /r" & then change the setting for all of the partitions to "Hidden" (there's a reason for this that is explained in #3 below).
2. Pull the HDD from the laptop putting it into a 2.5" USB enclosure that I have.
3. Hook that up to the desktop machine & copy **all** of the partitions individually as "Hidden" onto the unallocated space (there is plenty) at the end of the 1TB e-sata HDD. This is for backup purposes. The reason I keep the partitions "Hidden" is so that the desktop's OS doesn't automatically start writing its own Restore Points & Pagefiles to the laptop's HDD the moment that I hook up the USB enclosure & I keep them "Hidden" on the e-sata HDD for the same reason.
4. Delete/Re-Create/Re-Format/Error-Check (including using "chkdsk /r") the partition structure on the laptop's HDD.
5. Pop the HDD back into the laptop, set the Primary partition as "Active", do a clean re-install of the XP-Pro OS.
6. Set the Primary partition to "Hidden" again and then repeat the steps described in #'2 & #3 above, making a new second backup copy of the new "clean-installed" partitions in addition to the existing backup partitions (just because I'm paranoid & believe in "overkill").
7. Copy all of my data/files/settings from the original backup partitions to the laptop's HDD, pop it back into the laptop, and..., "Voila!"..., I'm good to go.
I have always used PowerQuest PartitionMagic v8.0 to accomplish all of the foregoing & it has always worked without the slightest hitch. That is..., until today.
I got all of the way from step #1 throught step #6 with no problems & decided to break for a late lunch. When I did, I shutdown/powered-off the desktop machine (the one with the 1TB e-sata HDD containing my backup partitions) just to save electricity & to let everything cool-off. Finished lunch, powered-up again, started PartitionMagic & prepared to start step #7. All was well in my little computer world & PartitionMagic was showing all of the backup partitions that I needed just fine. Then I got a phone call, the upshot of which, was that I needed to step-out & run down to the drugstore for about a half-hour. I started PartitionMagic once more (in my ever-present paranoia) just to check that all of my backup partitions were fine..., (they were)..., shutdown/powered-off the desktop machine again & left for about a half-hour.
Here is where things get wierd!!
Got back home ready to complete step #7, powered-up/booted the desktop (with no apparent issues), started PartitionMagic and Blammo!!!..., :
I was confronted with this error:
Here is a link to the image in case I screw-up this insert thingy:
http://spottymedia.strangled.net/PM_error.jpg
I shutdown/re-booted the machine just in case this was some bizarre fluke but, sadly, I got the exact same error upon starting PartitionMagic. If I click "OK", PartitionMagic starts-up fine, but "Disk 2" (the e-sata HDD with the backup partitions) shows up as just a big yellow blank (no partitions/drive-letters) labeled "BAD".
The really strange thing is that the (unhidden) partitions on the disk are totally visible to the XP-OS & fully accessible through Windows Explorer. Also confusing, is that the same supposedly offending disk, as well as **all** of its partitions (including the "Hidden" ones), shows-up normally & even "Healthy" in the XP "Computer Management>>Disk Management" Console".
That said..., the "Big-Scary-Error" & related behaviour that PartitionMagic is exhibiting has me too frightened to do anything.
I did run the "Partition Info" Tool in PartitionMagic (suggested in the PM Help to get more info for "major errors") & it generated a "Report", the gist of which is that there are a bunch of these:
"Error #105: Partition didn't begin on head boundary."
and these:
"Error #108: Partition didn't end on cylinder boundary."
which means *less than nothing* to me.
It would probably be rude (more than I have been already) to do a "copypasta" of the report in this post due to its length, but in case someone can make any sense of it here is a link to the "report" text file:
http://spottymedia.strangled.net/PM_error.txt
Since the drive (& all of its partitions) seem to be visible & "healthy" to WinXP, in spite of the **very ominous** warnings/behaviour of PartitionMagic, I am sincerely (and desperately) hoping that there is some XP command or function (kind of like "chkdsk") that I can run to bring this crucial HDD back to normality. Perhaps there is some software tool that I could use, but it would have to be a "free" one (I'm a struggling actress..., remember?).
Until I get some feedback from a real "HDD Guru" I'm just afraid to do anything...., Help!!
Thanks muchly in advance to all readers, & especially to all responders.
Ciao,
Rina
xo