Windows 10: Hard Drive Failure?

**GregH** · 22 Nov 2016

I have 2 SSD's and 1 HDD in my system. The HDD (F:\) is a 2 TB data drive that I use as a primary backup drive. A few days back the PC was very slow to boot up and flashed a message, something about repairing Drive F:

After booting into Windows 10 Pro x64, I could not access the data on the drive. I ran a chkdsk /f which took a while but afterwards the drive was fine and was working ok again. Now today, the drive is not working again but this time, when I try to run chkdsk it says" CHKDSK IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR RAW DRIVES" . So now I guess the drive has kicked the bucket? Is there anything I can do to access the data? A google search leads me to sites that want my money for recovery software that promises a fix.

Fortunately I have a backup for this drive but the backup is about 1 month old, so I will be losing some stuff if it is dead. Any advice on how I can repair this, just so I can pull the last months data off would be greatly appreciated.

**Samuria** · 22 Nov 2016

Raw means it's lost the partition table you need specific free partition recovery software Don't use file recover software all files should re spear one partition is back. Just Google free partition recovery software there are a few of one doesn't work try anothernone

**RolandJS** · 22 Nov 2016

Samuria's correct! I recommend MiniTools Partition Wizard and then MiniTools Power Data Recovery [if needed], both have free versions.

**GregH** · 22 Nov 2016

Thanks! I have installed MiniTools Partition Wizard and it is working on the partition table now. Looks like it might take quite a while. Will report back if it is able to rescue the disk. If it does fix my HDD, does this still mean that the HDD is on its way out? Never had this problem before and the disk is a good few years old.

**Samuria** · 22 Nov 2016

Errors like this are file structure errors not a faulty drive but it would be worth getting free disk test software from makers site

**RolandJS** · 23 Nov 2016

After you get your stuff back, and after you've made data backups onto external media, then by all means, download, install, and use the HD in question's manufacturer's diagnostics tools -- such cannot hurt!

**GregH** · 23 Nov 2016

Unfortunately Mini Tools Partition Wizard was unable to fix this. After trying, it shows "Bad Disk". I then tried to run Power Data Recovery but in clicking the icon, the program crashes. I have bought a new HDD today (Western Digital Black 2TB) as I can't trust this disk anymore, even if I get my data back. The shop I purchased the new disk from is going to try recover the data. Thanks for all the advice. Still perplexed at how the partition table can get lost after being ok for several years.

**Superfly** · 23 Nov 2016

You can use the quick format in Linux to create the file table and preserve data

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**GregH** · 24 Nov 2016

Update: Some good news. I tried one last time, re-downloaded MiniTools Power Data Recovery and installed it again. This time it worked. The first time I tried, it crashed every time immediately on clicking its icon, so maybe the downloaded installer was corrupt, I don't know. I just hate getting those red "x" marks in the Reliability Monitor! :-)

Anyway, the program was able to see and access all the files on the HDD and I am able to save them across to another disk. Of course the free version has a 1GB file recovery limit and I have a lot more than that on this drive. Even though most of the data was recoverable from a back up using Acronis True Image 2017 which last ran (manually) a month ago, I thought it worthwhile to recover everything to be safe.

Thus I have parted with $69 for the full version of this program. Given that I have also forked out for a new WD Black 2TB HDD to replace this one, an expensive exercise for sure but I don't trust this old HDD anymore after this anyway and I really don't mind supporting a company that can offer real solutions to otherwise very inconvenient problems.

Thanks again RolandJS for recommending this program to me. :-)

**RolandJS** · 24 Nov 2016

That was the best monies I ever spent! On data recovery programs

-- and, Samuria gets credit also, he led me to post my recommendation based on his opening comment -- I followed my friend's lead -- and we all won this battle!

Windows 10: Hard Drive Failure?

Hard Drive Failure?

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