“Can't overwrite NTFS boot sector” using Testdisk











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I have the following issue. A laptop (XVision SS-2505 with Windows Starter Edition) got its HDD corrupted. After checking the installation with a Windows 7 disk and seeing it was unable to even install or repair, I formatted a 4GB pendrive with Ubuntu Rescue Remix in order to access to HDD recovery tools, in this case, TestDisk.



I ran an analysis (both quick and deep) and thanks to that I can actually check the files on it. The NTFS partition is now readable from TestDisk, but now I have the following error:



Boot sector
ntfs_boot_sector: Can't read boot sector.
Status: Bad

Backup boot sector
Status: OK

Sectors are not identical.


As per the instructions I decided to use the backup boot sector, but then I get a Can't overwrite NTFS boot sector error. I tried rebuilding the bs and I got the same error. I later tried using chkdsk from the Windows 7 installation disk and it's identifying the drive as a RAW file system. I've searched in Google everywhere but I got no result, and I'm currently at a lack of ideas about what to do other than just grabbing the files and copying them into another drive.



As a note, I don't want to lose the files. If possible I need to keep the files and repair the system. If the Windows disk can get to read the partition, then I can just repair the installation to make sure everything is right, but for that I have to repair the boot sector.



Thank you beforehand.










share|improve this question






















  • IME, it sounds like you have a failed hard drive - if you can get at them, then just take the files, test the drive, replace it if it's bad; if not, format it and reinstall Windows form scratch.
    – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
    Aug 21 '14 at 21:01










  • Well I can always do a deep format and I have a feeling the disk is still usable. But can't I just recover the HDD using testdisk? Isn't that its task anyways?
    – user1231958
    Aug 21 '14 at 21:30










  • Data recovery from a corrupted file system and/or failing HDD is never guaranteed. There's no magic software to fix broken hardware or recreate corrupted (missing) data. Get what you can, while you can, and put it someplace safe. Then do your best to make sure the drive is stable, or determine if it needs to be replaced. A good way to do that is a full 0-write test, and then format and reinstall an OS onto it.
    – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
    Aug 21 '14 at 23:38










  • Alright, for the moment I will backup the important files which is what matters for now. However this won't solve me the error I described (not without formatting, and I'm having issues at doing so anyways because for some reason it's not finding the correct drivers, or so is my understanding - I haven't checked yet with the current partition table though so I might be wrong). What baffles me is the error, it's not even documented in the TestDisk website and I haven't found anything about it.
    – user1231958
    Aug 21 '14 at 23:43










  • Maybe the boot sector also happens to be a bad sector. You might want to run CrystalDiskInfo or similar S.M.A.R.T. monitoring tool to check the HDD's S.M.A.R.T. information and see if something's wrong there.
    – Vinayak
    Aug 30 '14 at 17:08

















up vote
2
down vote

favorite












I have the following issue. A laptop (XVision SS-2505 with Windows Starter Edition) got its HDD corrupted. After checking the installation with a Windows 7 disk and seeing it was unable to even install or repair, I formatted a 4GB pendrive with Ubuntu Rescue Remix in order to access to HDD recovery tools, in this case, TestDisk.



I ran an analysis (both quick and deep) and thanks to that I can actually check the files on it. The NTFS partition is now readable from TestDisk, but now I have the following error:



Boot sector
ntfs_boot_sector: Can't read boot sector.
Status: Bad

Backup boot sector
Status: OK

Sectors are not identical.


As per the instructions I decided to use the backup boot sector, but then I get a Can't overwrite NTFS boot sector error. I tried rebuilding the bs and I got the same error. I later tried using chkdsk from the Windows 7 installation disk and it's identifying the drive as a RAW file system. I've searched in Google everywhere but I got no result, and I'm currently at a lack of ideas about what to do other than just grabbing the files and copying them into another drive.



As a note, I don't want to lose the files. If possible I need to keep the files and repair the system. If the Windows disk can get to read the partition, then I can just repair the installation to make sure everything is right, but for that I have to repair the boot sector.



Thank you beforehand.










share|improve this question






















  • IME, it sounds like you have a failed hard drive - if you can get at them, then just take the files, test the drive, replace it if it's bad; if not, format it and reinstall Windows form scratch.
    – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
    Aug 21 '14 at 21:01










  • Well I can always do a deep format and I have a feeling the disk is still usable. But can't I just recover the HDD using testdisk? Isn't that its task anyways?
    – user1231958
    Aug 21 '14 at 21:30










  • Data recovery from a corrupted file system and/or failing HDD is never guaranteed. There's no magic software to fix broken hardware or recreate corrupted (missing) data. Get what you can, while you can, and put it someplace safe. Then do your best to make sure the drive is stable, or determine if it needs to be replaced. A good way to do that is a full 0-write test, and then format and reinstall an OS onto it.
    – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
    Aug 21 '14 at 23:38










  • Alright, for the moment I will backup the important files which is what matters for now. However this won't solve me the error I described (not without formatting, and I'm having issues at doing so anyways because for some reason it's not finding the correct drivers, or so is my understanding - I haven't checked yet with the current partition table though so I might be wrong). What baffles me is the error, it's not even documented in the TestDisk website and I haven't found anything about it.
    – user1231958
    Aug 21 '14 at 23:43










  • Maybe the boot sector also happens to be a bad sector. You might want to run CrystalDiskInfo or similar S.M.A.R.T. monitoring tool to check the HDD's S.M.A.R.T. information and see if something's wrong there.
    – Vinayak
    Aug 30 '14 at 17:08















up vote
2
down vote

favorite









up vote
2
down vote

favorite











I have the following issue. A laptop (XVision SS-2505 with Windows Starter Edition) got its HDD corrupted. After checking the installation with a Windows 7 disk and seeing it was unable to even install or repair, I formatted a 4GB pendrive with Ubuntu Rescue Remix in order to access to HDD recovery tools, in this case, TestDisk.



I ran an analysis (both quick and deep) and thanks to that I can actually check the files on it. The NTFS partition is now readable from TestDisk, but now I have the following error:



Boot sector
ntfs_boot_sector: Can't read boot sector.
Status: Bad

Backup boot sector
Status: OK

Sectors are not identical.


As per the instructions I decided to use the backup boot sector, but then I get a Can't overwrite NTFS boot sector error. I tried rebuilding the bs and I got the same error. I later tried using chkdsk from the Windows 7 installation disk and it's identifying the drive as a RAW file system. I've searched in Google everywhere but I got no result, and I'm currently at a lack of ideas about what to do other than just grabbing the files and copying them into another drive.



As a note, I don't want to lose the files. If possible I need to keep the files and repair the system. If the Windows disk can get to read the partition, then I can just repair the installation to make sure everything is right, but for that I have to repair the boot sector.



Thank you beforehand.










share|improve this question













I have the following issue. A laptop (XVision SS-2505 with Windows Starter Edition) got its HDD corrupted. After checking the installation with a Windows 7 disk and seeing it was unable to even install or repair, I formatted a 4GB pendrive with Ubuntu Rescue Remix in order to access to HDD recovery tools, in this case, TestDisk.



I ran an analysis (both quick and deep) and thanks to that I can actually check the files on it. The NTFS partition is now readable from TestDisk, but now I have the following error:



Boot sector
ntfs_boot_sector: Can't read boot sector.
Status: Bad

Backup boot sector
Status: OK

Sectors are not identical.


As per the instructions I decided to use the backup boot sector, but then I get a Can't overwrite NTFS boot sector error. I tried rebuilding the bs and I got the same error. I later tried using chkdsk from the Windows 7 installation disk and it's identifying the drive as a RAW file system. I've searched in Google everywhere but I got no result, and I'm currently at a lack of ideas about what to do other than just grabbing the files and copying them into another drive.



As a note, I don't want to lose the files. If possible I need to keep the files and repair the system. If the Windows disk can get to read the partition, then I can just repair the installation to make sure everything is right, but for that I have to repair the boot sector.



Thank you beforehand.







windows-7 ubuntu testdisk






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked Aug 21 '14 at 20:45









user1231958

6113




6113












  • IME, it sounds like you have a failed hard drive - if you can get at them, then just take the files, test the drive, replace it if it's bad; if not, format it and reinstall Windows form scratch.
    – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
    Aug 21 '14 at 21:01










  • Well I can always do a deep format and I have a feeling the disk is still usable. But can't I just recover the HDD using testdisk? Isn't that its task anyways?
    – user1231958
    Aug 21 '14 at 21:30










  • Data recovery from a corrupted file system and/or failing HDD is never guaranteed. There's no magic software to fix broken hardware or recreate corrupted (missing) data. Get what you can, while you can, and put it someplace safe. Then do your best to make sure the drive is stable, or determine if it needs to be replaced. A good way to do that is a full 0-write test, and then format and reinstall an OS onto it.
    – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
    Aug 21 '14 at 23:38










  • Alright, for the moment I will backup the important files which is what matters for now. However this won't solve me the error I described (not without formatting, and I'm having issues at doing so anyways because for some reason it's not finding the correct drivers, or so is my understanding - I haven't checked yet with the current partition table though so I might be wrong). What baffles me is the error, it's not even documented in the TestDisk website and I haven't found anything about it.
    – user1231958
    Aug 21 '14 at 23:43










  • Maybe the boot sector also happens to be a bad sector. You might want to run CrystalDiskInfo or similar S.M.A.R.T. monitoring tool to check the HDD's S.M.A.R.T. information and see if something's wrong there.
    – Vinayak
    Aug 30 '14 at 17:08




















  • IME, it sounds like you have a failed hard drive - if you can get at them, then just take the files, test the drive, replace it if it's bad; if not, format it and reinstall Windows form scratch.
    – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
    Aug 21 '14 at 21:01










  • Well I can always do a deep format and I have a feeling the disk is still usable. But can't I just recover the HDD using testdisk? Isn't that its task anyways?
    – user1231958
    Aug 21 '14 at 21:30










  • Data recovery from a corrupted file system and/or failing HDD is never guaranteed. There's no magic software to fix broken hardware or recreate corrupted (missing) data. Get what you can, while you can, and put it someplace safe. Then do your best to make sure the drive is stable, or determine if it needs to be replaced. A good way to do that is a full 0-write test, and then format and reinstall an OS onto it.
    – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
    Aug 21 '14 at 23:38










  • Alright, for the moment I will backup the important files which is what matters for now. However this won't solve me the error I described (not without formatting, and I'm having issues at doing so anyways because for some reason it's not finding the correct drivers, or so is my understanding - I haven't checked yet with the current partition table though so I might be wrong). What baffles me is the error, it's not even documented in the TestDisk website and I haven't found anything about it.
    – user1231958
    Aug 21 '14 at 23:43










  • Maybe the boot sector also happens to be a bad sector. You might want to run CrystalDiskInfo or similar S.M.A.R.T. monitoring tool to check the HDD's S.M.A.R.T. information and see if something's wrong there.
    – Vinayak
    Aug 30 '14 at 17:08


















IME, it sounds like you have a failed hard drive - if you can get at them, then just take the files, test the drive, replace it if it's bad; if not, format it and reinstall Windows form scratch.
– Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
Aug 21 '14 at 21:01




IME, it sounds like you have a failed hard drive - if you can get at them, then just take the files, test the drive, replace it if it's bad; if not, format it and reinstall Windows form scratch.
– Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
Aug 21 '14 at 21:01












Well I can always do a deep format and I have a feeling the disk is still usable. But can't I just recover the HDD using testdisk? Isn't that its task anyways?
– user1231958
Aug 21 '14 at 21:30




Well I can always do a deep format and I have a feeling the disk is still usable. But can't I just recover the HDD using testdisk? Isn't that its task anyways?
– user1231958
Aug 21 '14 at 21:30












Data recovery from a corrupted file system and/or failing HDD is never guaranteed. There's no magic software to fix broken hardware or recreate corrupted (missing) data. Get what you can, while you can, and put it someplace safe. Then do your best to make sure the drive is stable, or determine if it needs to be replaced. A good way to do that is a full 0-write test, and then format and reinstall an OS onto it.
– Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
Aug 21 '14 at 23:38




Data recovery from a corrupted file system and/or failing HDD is never guaranteed. There's no magic software to fix broken hardware or recreate corrupted (missing) data. Get what you can, while you can, and put it someplace safe. Then do your best to make sure the drive is stable, or determine if it needs to be replaced. A good way to do that is a full 0-write test, and then format and reinstall an OS onto it.
– Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
Aug 21 '14 at 23:38












Alright, for the moment I will backup the important files which is what matters for now. However this won't solve me the error I described (not without formatting, and I'm having issues at doing so anyways because for some reason it's not finding the correct drivers, or so is my understanding - I haven't checked yet with the current partition table though so I might be wrong). What baffles me is the error, it's not even documented in the TestDisk website and I haven't found anything about it.
– user1231958
Aug 21 '14 at 23:43




Alright, for the moment I will backup the important files which is what matters for now. However this won't solve me the error I described (not without formatting, and I'm having issues at doing so anyways because for some reason it's not finding the correct drivers, or so is my understanding - I haven't checked yet with the current partition table though so I might be wrong). What baffles me is the error, it's not even documented in the TestDisk website and I haven't found anything about it.
– user1231958
Aug 21 '14 at 23:43












Maybe the boot sector also happens to be a bad sector. You might want to run CrystalDiskInfo or similar S.M.A.R.T. monitoring tool to check the HDD's S.M.A.R.T. information and see if something's wrong there.
– Vinayak
Aug 30 '14 at 17:08






Maybe the boot sector also happens to be a bad sector. You might want to run CrystalDiskInfo or similar S.M.A.R.T. monitoring tool to check the HDD's S.M.A.R.T. information and see if something's wrong there.
– Vinayak
Aug 30 '14 at 17:08












1 Answer
1






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up vote
0
down vote













Maybe it´s too late, but just in case...
I have had the same problem: boot sector and its backup are different. But one of them is correct. The same tool you have used (TestDisk) allows you to save all the files in that disk whereever you want.
It´s a very slow process (almost 30 hours for a 750GB disk) but I did save all the contents of my ISB drive.






share|improve this answer





















  • +1 might have been too late for them but it helped me
    – Kelly Bang
    Dec 7 '17 at 7:19











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1 Answer
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active

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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

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active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes








up vote
0
down vote













Maybe it´s too late, but just in case...
I have had the same problem: boot sector and its backup are different. But one of them is correct. The same tool you have used (TestDisk) allows you to save all the files in that disk whereever you want.
It´s a very slow process (almost 30 hours for a 750GB disk) but I did save all the contents of my ISB drive.






share|improve this answer





















  • +1 might have been too late for them but it helped me
    – Kelly Bang
    Dec 7 '17 at 7:19















up vote
0
down vote













Maybe it´s too late, but just in case...
I have had the same problem: boot sector and its backup are different. But one of them is correct. The same tool you have used (TestDisk) allows you to save all the files in that disk whereever you want.
It´s a very slow process (almost 30 hours for a 750GB disk) but I did save all the contents of my ISB drive.






share|improve this answer





















  • +1 might have been too late for them but it helped me
    – Kelly Bang
    Dec 7 '17 at 7:19













up vote
0
down vote










up vote
0
down vote









Maybe it´s too late, but just in case...
I have had the same problem: boot sector and its backup are different. But one of them is correct. The same tool you have used (TestDisk) allows you to save all the files in that disk whereever you want.
It´s a very slow process (almost 30 hours for a 750GB disk) but I did save all the contents of my ISB drive.






share|improve this answer












Maybe it´s too late, but just in case...
I have had the same problem: boot sector and its backup are different. But one of them is correct. The same tool you have used (TestDisk) allows you to save all the files in that disk whereever you want.
It´s a very slow process (almost 30 hours for a 750GB disk) but I did save all the contents of my ISB drive.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Dec 9 '16 at 1:14









user3425798

11




11












  • +1 might have been too late for them but it helped me
    – Kelly Bang
    Dec 7 '17 at 7:19


















  • +1 might have been too late for them but it helped me
    – Kelly Bang
    Dec 7 '17 at 7:19
















+1 might have been too late for them but it helped me
– Kelly Bang
Dec 7 '17 at 7:19




+1 might have been too late for them but it helped me
– Kelly Bang
Dec 7 '17 at 7:19


















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