What to do when a partition type becomes raw under windows

See a lot of people on the Internet, in the normal use of the computer, the partition type becomes raw, double-click the prompt "drive X is not formatted, formatting", resulting in data can not read. Coping with this kind of situation, the Netizen's recovery plan is often uncompromising, each has the reason of each, everybody seems to have the theory foundation that restores the success. But in fact, all the solutions are based on the appropriate data structure theory, and can not be generalized.

Come straight to the point. Since the prompt "drive X is not formatted or formatted", the point is that the X (which is assumed by this letter) is unformatted, or does not know what format it is. What about the format? A simple explanation for partitioning a partition into a structure to make it easier to organize files. This "format" is actually a file system. Together, to translate this sentence, that is, "x partition does not know what file system, is not mandatory planning a file system?" "

Why does the system not know what a file system x is? (a bit more popular, is the partition format, such as FAT or NTFS)

FAT or NTFS (or file systems under Linux Unix) is actually a way of putting files in a single piece of disk space (sometimes logically continuous, but we think he can do it in succession). This method sounds simple, the real thing to consider is a lot of things, such as how to put it out? How to take it out very efficiently? Delete the data how to move the space out and so on. These practices we do not elaborate (interested to see I have written "FAT file system principle", address online, everywhere). Just one thing, since FAT and NTFS are different forms of organization files, the system must be read to know whether it is FAT or NTFS, and then invoke a different driver to explain it. This section is used to mark the structure of NTFS or fat, including the parameters of NTFS or fat, commonly called DBR (called Super Block in Linux/unix).

Because DBR is the structure that affirms the type of file system, the DBR of Fat/ntfs must be in the same position. After all, drivers have to go to a fixed place to read out the DBR to determine whether it is NTFS or fat. This fixed place is the front of the partition, that is, 0 sectors.

If 0 sectors are wrong, and the file system driver reads 0 sectors and finds that neither the fat rule nor the NTFS rule is met, it naturally throws an exception asking the user, "I don't know what file system it is, do you want to force a specified file system?" "is the error message in the article.

Know the problem, see How to solve it?

Since the 0 sector is wrong, would it be possible to change the structure to the original 0 sectors?

Yes, most of the way it can be done. The 6 sectors of the FAT32 system have a DBR backup that is formatted, and NTFS also leaves a DBR backup at the end of the partition. Using the disk Editing tool, locate the backup, paste it back into 0 sectors, and then identify the file system again.

Of course things are not so simple sometimes. For example, if it is fat there is no DBR backup, or if the FAT32 6 sectors are also damaged (this is very normal), or not only DBR damage, other structures also have problems (structure mismatch, even if the DBR correct, the system still do not know what file system). If misfortune really had been my word, things would have been a little more troublesome. The professional approach is based on the storage structure of the file system data area, recalculate the original file system, file system parameters, but this is difficult for ordinary users. Can you only use data recovery software?

With what software, as well as the use of software I do not elaborate, online can be found I do not need to bother to write. But sometimes you will find that the software can not solve, the reason is, in fact, most of the data recovery software to rely on DBR to scan (very silly), then it would be miserable, excluding the search for professional data recovery company recovery, I can only give such advice:

1, in the Disk Management, the first to delete the letter.

2, in any case, there is room, first to the failure of the region or a full backup. See: How do I complete a full mirrored backup of the disk? 》

3, according to the original file system structure to a useless size of equal or slightly larger partition to do format (I hope you remember right, I hope you are lucky, this is not a professional practice), and then copy the 0 sector to the fault section. or after the backup to the fault partition directly formatted, after the grid, from the mirror to restore the first 3.5G data back. (Note: It is best not to rush to add the letter after finished)

4, can be executed under the cmd chkdsk (no backup, you can never rashly do). Or use data recovery software for processing.

5, if the 4th step to deal with the unsuccessful, such as the name of the file is all right, that is, the data are all wrong, that should be formatted parameters are not correct, you can manually reformat. If you don't have a professional analysis method, you can only cluster size 512b,1kb,2kb,4kb,8kb,16kb,32kb try this.