Healthy disk (according to SeaTools), but CHKDSK won't work

[mikeymikec]

The computer normally runs WinXP. C drive is a bit mangled. I can't correct it either via XP's recovery console (booting off CD) with the command CHKDSK /P (error: "The volume appears to have one or more unrecoverable problems")

I also can't correct it by connecting it to my machine and running CHKDSK DRIVELETTER: /r (it says something like 'encountered an unwriteable sector').

SeaTools for DOS on a long test gives the drive a completely clean bill of health.

Ideally I'd like to be able to correct the file system problem and have things back to normal, or at least be able to run a data backup in case the most recently backup isn't up-to-date enough.

Formatting the drive and reinstalling XP obviously remains an option.

The file system is NTFS. It doesn't take either system long to throw the respective error.

Admittedly I am not sure about trusting SeaTools on this occasion. The drive has two partitions, the first one initially was readable until the drive stopped responding during a copy to a second disk and I had to switch the drive off. The drive then did the same thing with the second partition in approximately the same amount of time but the second partition is still readable.

 

[Mushkins]

All SeaTools will tell you is if the sector is healthy on a physical level. It doesn't analyze the data in that sector to see if it's corrupt, it has no way of telling what "should" be there. Chkdsk *does* know whats supposed to be there, and it's telling you whats there is no bueno.

Sounds like your partitions are messed up. I'd back up what you can if you havent already and do a full repartition/reformat/reinstall. Windows XP was notorious for getting all sorts of messed up over time just through normal use.

Of course, it's also possible the drive is on the verge of crapping out, those disk health tools arent perfect.

 

[Ketchup]

Based on the way I read your post mikeymikec, the first thing to do would be to get the data off the drive and do a format. Put some data on the disk and see how it responds for a while. Try chkdsk after the format, with data on the disk. If it gives you the same error, do not rely on this drive.

As Mushkins mentioned, seatools scans the disk, chkdsk scans file structure. If either one is giving irrecoverable errors, I would recommend not relying on that disk.

 

[C1]

Put the disk in an enclosure and back up as much data as possible. Try using chkdsk while it is in an enclosure. Anoher possibility after that is to use Spinright to attempt a repair, but you no doubt will end up with some damage/fragmented files. XP OS per se doesnt damage disks or the data, but bad hardware does.

 

[Bubbaleone]

The computer normally runs WinXP. C drive is a bit mangled. I can't correct it either via XP's recovery console (booting off CD) with the command CHKDSK /P (error: "The volume appears to have one or more unrecoverable problems").........

You're using the wrong switch; rerun chkdsk from the recovery console but use the /R switch, not the /P switch:

/P : Does an exhaustive check of the drive and corrects any errors. Does not check for bad sectors

/R : Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. Includes functions of /P

After chkdsk reallocates the bad sectors; use Macrium Reflect (or similar) to create an image of the failing drive, saving the image to a seperate drive, then copy recoverable data from the image.