Rebuilding NTFS File Table / MBR

[rashly]

Ok, I was trying to set up my dual boot system with XP and Fedora Linux (my 2 sata raid0 drives already have an ntfs partition for windows, and another drive on the ide ata will have Linux) and my NTFS master boot record got wiped out somehow. The data was not overwritten or anything, but the ntfs disk is just seen as unpartitioned space (the table formatting system was scrwed somehow). How can I rebuild the NTFS partition table and MBR on that raid array as to keep the data.

Will freeware MSDOS utilites recognize it as 2 individual disk or 1 raid partition?

Thanks.

 

[JigPu]

I believe the solution is to boot into XP's recovery console, and then type in fixmbr. From what I've read, that should fix it

JigPu

 

[rashly]

yeah, tried that (fixmbr) and fixboot. neither of them did it. it still recognizes the drives only as unpartitioned space.

 

[Xaotic]

If you have another disk that you can load OS and recover data to, try this:

http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm

It's freeware and runs within Windows, so NTFS is not an issue. As long as the OS could read the original file system and there's no mechanical damage, you should be able to get the data off.

Messing with the disk in a damaged state is always bad news. Invariably, data gets overwritten and lost. Get the data off first, then play with recovery, if you want.

 

[Kendan]

try knoppix too. It has saved my butt quite a few times

 

[redduc900]

You could try MBRWork 1.07b from the free downloads section of...

http://www.bootitng.com/utilities.html

CAUTION: I'm not 100% certain that this utility will properly recognize the NTFS partitions created by XP.

 

[Oni]

yeah, tried that (fixmbr) and fixboot. neither of them did it. it still recognizes the drives only as unpartitioned space.

I had a problem like this a few weeks ago. You don't happen to have a Recovery Disk now, do you?

It retains partition info, among other things. I just popped mine in, let Win2k do it's thing, and voila! It let me back in