Fixing disk errors loop, users folder missing in 2nd comp.

Templar3lf · 12 Mar 2016

This morning, I booted up my laptop, windows 10, Toshiba satellite p50-c-18q, and it booted into auto recovery. From this screen it switches to fixing disk errors, where it sits for > 7 hours. When trying to access the user files on another computer, so that I may at least recover my data, the user folder is missing, although the disk still seems to think that it has almost 300 GB of data on it.

Where do I go from here? I'm so f* fed up with Windows, and computers in general at this point, as they go from find to borked overnight more regularly than they ever should. Can I recover my data, if not my installation? Disk is a hybrid 1TB drive.

Night Hawk · 12 Mar 2016

Hello Templar3lf Welcome to the Ten Forums!

If you had the 10 media made up for a custom install you have the solution onhand. If you saw the recovery media created using the tool Toshiba provides at their support site at least you could use that as well for arriving at the same recovery options found in the F8 boot menu. Another option for live recovery and repair would be the Recovery Drive option using an 8gb or larger usb flash drive you would need to boot live from.

I saw your other thread but am replying here since you will need to repair the OS locally on the laptop itself. When not able to bring up the F8 menu you then need to boot live from removable media. You might even have to take the files from a Recovery Drive's flash drive and see them burned to a bootable dvd-r disk if not able to boot from a flash drive. A new Toshiba model released in September with 10 is unable to boot from a flash drive while able to call up the boot device menu likely due to the UEFI vs Bios Legacy type problem.

Once booted live you have a few considerations including the Reset this PC option that will bring everything back to factory fresh status when that option loads a fresh image of the OS onto the drive nuking everything you have put on it so far. That besides a cleanr install with a separate 10 dvd or usb key is a last resort type option however.

With the drive loaded with errors as mentioned the command prompt option would be a good place to start where you can get the Disk Check tool running manually from the prompt while live. You would need to type the correct drive letter along with the two repair switches added onto the end of the command. "chkdisk /r/f c:" using C as the drive letter there. The R is for Repair and the F for Fix. The tool will run for a good period of time on a 1tb drive where you can take a coffee, tea break!

Besides cleaning up the disk errors the drive may or may not actually be loaded with your next repair option would be trying to roll the System Registry back a bit before you attempted what you outlined on your first older thread as far as trying to link the desktop with the laptop. A much, much better option for remote access is the Team Viewer 11 program available free for home use! I have a second desktop as well as laptop(s) one now suspected to be DOA replaced with the Toshiba mentioned and can watch each download the latest Insider builds while the second desktop may be running a 10 VM also seeing remote access without issues like the ones you are seeing there.

First you need to get Windows up and running again however which will either be by the use of live recovery media if not seeing 10 media made up or by removing the drive from the laptop to place in an external enclosure for direct access from the desktop to attempt a few manual repairs. You can also run the Check tool option from bringing up the drive's properties while being plugged into a usb port on the desktop as well if not using the live options available.

Templar3lf · 13 Mar 2016

I've attempted multiple things. I have ran chkdisk on the whole of the drive, and it found almost 300,000 files to recover, and apparently recovered them. Even so, I cannot reset Windows and keep all personal files, as it just claims something went wrong when trying. I have attempted to use Windows Bootrec commands to fix the boot loader, but nothing has worked.

After this I have plugged the drive into my main computer, to at least try and get the files off, and my whole user directory "C:\Users\Charlie" is empty! How can this be? Has Windows just locked them? I can't view them with "view hidden files"... At this point I'll settle for re-installing the OS, as long as I can get the files off of the drive. Any ideas?

Edit: I forgot to mention, now when starting up, the computer just gets stuck on "Attempting repairs"...

Night Hawk · 13 Mar 2016

I suggest recovering files using a 3rd party app like Recusa but to a more isolated location in case of a find that some type of malware is present. It sounds more like a pooched upgrade to 10 however and this is why files are coming in and out of view since the system files are buggy! Even the November Threshold 2 Upgrade got buggy here suddenly where I had to enable the Insider builds option in order to see that replaced before contemplating a full fresh install of 10 which may be coming anyways once I prepare updated 10 media again!

You can easily slap a clean install of 10 on and any folders outside of what gets packed up into the WIndows.old folder are uneffected! The three Program Files, Program Files(x86) seen on the 64bit Windows only, and the users folders are what end up there. Those were MS created. Simply moving files when found over to temp folders outside of those is another fast option if you are able to boot up in Safe mode! That would be the next step before slaving the drive on the main build.

Templar3lf · 13 Mar 2016

I'm running through the whole disk with a full scan using zero assumption recovery. Best tool I've used so far, and it appears to have found most everything while keeping almost normal folder structure. I'll report back when recovered and close the thread.

Thanks for the suggestions. It's a bit (read very) frustrating that this sort of thing can happen in such a "leading" OS.

Night Hawk · 13 Mar 2016

Well 10 is relatively new for most as far as trying to run it as a main OS that needs some work. Back in 2009 it was 7 being the champ but still new as well that eventually lead to the one and only SP1! :) With 10 however while MS is trying something new you still have the new version once again.

Have a friend here who wants to keep everything the way it is on an 8.1 laptop and simply buy a new drive to throw 10 on there. I told him all he would need was the drive to grab the free upgrade offer and still see a clean install while he wants to wait and buy his own disk and swap drives out back and forth between the two versions.

I suspect you have the 10240 RTM build on the laptop there and why if it hasn't seen the latest updates past seeing the Threshold 2 version 1511 go on for the 10586.73 to now 10586.168 just seen you never got all of the fixes in time or the drive itself may be the problem. Either way get back in here once you find out.