[SOLVED] Xp reads hd as a Raw file format.

sens08 · 11-09-2007, 08:37 PM

Hello there, I just signed up to the boards, and have a few questions?
In my house there a 2 computers one is mine and the other is my sisters. Today when I started up my computer WinXp didn't start, I just got a black screen after the bios check. So I inserted the XP SP2 Home cd I got with my Dell 2400 PC, and tried to repair the Os, however, as a was hoping for the screen to appear to repair the existing os, I got this: a list of partitions in which I can choose where to install xp. I clicked on the c:\ one and said the partition (drive) had to reformatted, so I said the heck with that, becuase I have a lot of work in documents, html and all my music files on it. From there I decided to take my sisters computer and take the hd out of my system and place it in her system and set it as a secondary slave, bios seems to check out right but when I get into the XP on her computer a message appear, the drive is not formatted and would I like to format it. I checked the properties of the drive and it said, Raw file format 0 bytes free, wth is that! I don't know what happened, and now I'm a wreck in fearing all my files are gone for good, so I'm hoping there is some way to recover my data. (At this point, if I can recover just my own files then thats good enough for me, I don't mind reformatting the drive after and putting everything back on it).

Please help me!

**Deleted090308** · 11-10-2007, 02:48 AM

Hi, welcome to TSF.

The partition table with the information about your files is gone - the files are still there.

Try this to repair the partition table:

Download the Windows version of TestDisk.
Unzip the downloaded file to your C: drive and open C:\testdisk-6.8\win > double click " testdisk_win" (the program doesn't have to be installed).

TestDisk runs in a command window, use the keyboard “arrows” to navigate, not the mouse.

A. At the first window select “No Log” and press the <Enter> key.

B. Select what drive to analyse, choose “Proceed” and <Enter>.

C. Select partition type – Intel if it’s a PC.

D. Select “Analyse” then <Enter>.
The drive/partition will be analysed.

E. Select “Proceed” at the next screen, then <Enter>.

F. Press “Y” if the partitions were created under Vista – “N” if not.

G. TestDisk should say “Structure OK”. Choose the drive/partition to fix.
Then press <Enter>.

H. Select “Write” and press <Enter>.

I. Press “Y”.

J. Press <Enter> and close TestDisk. Reboot the computer.

sens08 · 11-14-2007, 10:25 AM

Thanks, it was a great help, I did recover my files from the HD and then I did a complete reformat of my hdd, so now I got my system up and running again and seems to be just fine.

Once Again thank you very much for your assistance and for the welcome.

Sens08

**Deleted090308** · 11-14-2007, 10:31 AM

Great. I'm glad you got it fixed.

11-09-2007, 08:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
sens08 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 21 OS: XP SP3 Home	[SOLVED] Xp reads hd as a Raw file format. Hello there, I just signed up to the boards, and have a few questions? In my house there a 2 computers one is mine and the other is my sisters. Today when I started up my computer WinXp didn't start, I just got a black screen after the bios check. So I inserted the XP SP2 Home cd I got with my Dell 2400 PC, and tried to repair the Os, however, as a was hoping for the screen to appear to repair the existing os, I got this: a list of partitions in which I can choose where to install xp. I clicked on the c:\ one and said the partition (drive) had to reformatted, so I said the heck with that, becuase I have a lot of work in documents, html and all my music files on it. From there I decided to take my sisters computer and take the hd out of my system and place it in her system and set it as a secondary slave, bios seems to check out right but when I get into the XP on her computer a message appear, the drive is not formatted and would I like to format it. I checked the properties of the drive and it said, Raw file format 0 bytes free, wth is that! I don't know what happened, and now I'm a wreck in fearing all my files are gone for good, so I'm hoping there is some way to recover my data. (At this point, if I can recover just my own files then thats good enough for me, I don't mind reformatting the drive after and putting everything back on it). Please help me!

11-10-2007, 02:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
Deleted090308 Not... Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,277 OS: Xp	Re: Xp reads hd as a Raw file format. Hi, welcome to TSF. The partition table with the information about your files is gone - the files are still there. Try this to repair the partition table: Download the Windows version of TestDisk. Unzip the downloaded file to your C: drive and open C:\testdisk-6.8\win > double click " testdisk_win" (the program doesn't have to be installed). TestDisk runs in a command window, use the keyboard “arrows” to navigate, not the mouse. A. At the first window select “No Log” and press the <Enter> key. B. Select what drive to analyse, choose “Proceed” and <Enter>. C. Select partition type – Intel if it’s a PC. D. Select “Analyse” then <Enter>. The drive/partition will be analysed. E. Select “Proceed” at the next screen, then <Enter>. F. Press “Y” if the partitions were created under Vista – “N” if not. G. TestDisk should say “Structure OK”. Choose the drive/partition to fix. Then press <Enter>. H. Select “Write” and press <Enter>. I. Press “Y”. J. Press <Enter> and close TestDisk. Reboot the computer.

11-14-2007, 10:25 AM	#3 (permalink)
sens08 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 21 OS: XP SP3 Home	Re: Xp reads hd as a Raw file format. Thanks, it was a great help, I did recover my files from the HD and then I did a complete reformat of my hdd, so now I got my system up and running again and seems to be just fine. Once Again thank you very much for your assistance and for the welcome. Sens08

11-14-2007, 10:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
Deleted090308 Not... Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,277 OS: Xp	Re: Xp reads hd as a Raw file format. Great. I'm glad you got it fixed.