Help Me Please!!!

[Badziongenstein]

Ok, here's the deal. On sunday after installing the latest "security update" from microsoft and having to restart my computer windows xp decided to run a program to "check" my second hard drive. I was later able to determine that this was because it is fat32 file format where as my primary drive is ntfs. This wasn't a big deal at first, but now after leaving my computer run for two days and nights strait to let this program finish I can no longer access any of my over 100 gigabytes of anime that i had saved on that drive. Is there any way that I can fix it to get it backed or should i start maxing out my download bandwith?

[Kurenai]

It shouldn't give any problems.....

Check if all your cables are still connected. Can you still see your second HD when you start up your computer when he's detecting all your drives?

(Note: if you have any ill. version of windows xp don't use the security updates.... they screw up your pc... if you did..... format your C:/ and reinstall windows)

[brightdark]

I feel sorry for ya dude been in the same situation
something in windows screwed up my 300gb hard disc and I lost more than 200gb data

just how big is your disc? is it more than 137gb?
anything else you can tell?
like...can your computer regocnize the disc?(device manager)
can you see the drive letters of the disc when you open explorer?

[brightdark]

well ok
your problem is not the same as mine then

first
shutdown your computer and unplug the cable to your disc
don't to anything to your disc
don't delete anything
don't copy anything over to it

I really can't help you further than this
but you need to recover your data somehow
and I am very inexperienced with such programs
try to ask in other forums about that (computer forums of course )

[DB_Hunter]

Try accessing the hard drive over a network from another computer. If not, try taking that hard drive and stick it in another computer which has its own version of windows on it. I'm thinking that maybe something has screwed up inside your copy of windows, another copy of windows may be able to recognise the folder.

Keep us updated of what going on .

[Badziongenstein]

Well, i tried looking from another computer on my network. Unfortunatly my anime folder was still corrupted and inexcessible. Thanks for all your help everyone, but I think that I'm just going to reformat it .

[Assertn]

well....try CHKDSK d: /F /V
which will prolly make you restart and have it run automatically, but i believe thats what i used to help me find laaarge groups of files that spontaneously disappear...

although by the same token, i think that program has also been responsible for cleaning file indexes (aka. deleting random folders), and ive never figured out how to solve THAT problem

i think chkdsk can also be activated through the drive properties > tools > error-checking button

[Badziongenstein]

I think chkdsk is what ran and made my folder unrecognizable. Sorry for not putting the name in earlier, but I did not know it/realize that that was the program that mysteriously started running. Thanks for your help.

[hiroshi]

Probably too late. But still:

Basically, what i suspect has happened here, is that one of your Windows Essential files has become corrupt. I NEVER install Microsoft update patches, because sometimes they screw everything up. On top of that, they also remove stuff you want to keep without notifying you first.

(EG: Microsoft no longer use their Virtual Java machine due to the court winning it to SUN. Almost every website out there uses the Microsoft one, which means you're screwed if it's gone. But what Microsoft dosn't tell you, is that their update: SP1a, actually removes your Microsoft Virtual Java Machine. Basts >_O )

Anyway. This can easily be repaired by:
Put your WindowsXP CD into the drive.
Reboot your computer.
On startup, run from the CD.
You will now be taken to the installation screen. Carry on as normal, even tell it to Install WindowsXP to the same Drive that you already have it on.
Once you have told it to install to that drive, the CD Will detect an installation of WindowsXP already and ask you if you would like to instead repair it.
Say yes, and it will continue to re-install all microsofts Vital Files.

This normally repairs problems, such as the one you are suffering. If this fails, then you could try Norton Utilities by using their Norton WinDoctor. This is also a diagnostic program which runs and checks your systems integrity and repairs them too. This normally solves a lot of problems also, and is very useful.

mixing NTFS and Fat32 can be a pain sometimes... NTFS has various features which are useful, but if you run on a Fat32 OS, then it won't recognise a HD which is formatted into NTFS without the use of a third party program (There are some out there which achieve this for you). if you're going to use NTFS, then you may as well do the same for all your drives. Besides, you're a LOT less likely to lose information when it's on NTFS, whilst Fat32 tends to lose it if you shutdown improperly, whilst it's moving information or the such. This is because NTFS Buffers the information for backup reasons, as it moves it. Whilst Fat32, doesn't.

I can't see why you would want to keep a Fat32 Drive really, but if you use it for taking around your mates house a lot; then i suggest buying an USB to IDE Cable or something, and disconnecting the drive whenever you don't need to use it. Or perhaps a Firewire (although they're expensive), which you disconnect whenever it's not in use.

[Badziongenstein]

Thanks for your help, but I reformated it already. I really appreciate the help tho.

[DDBen]

due to the death of the data on this hard drive I'm closing this topic as nothing else can be done if the creater has further problems and would like it reopened feel free to pm me.