How it was lost · RAW & corrupted
Think of the RAW volume as a book with the index (contents page) ripped out. Your chapters (files) are still printed inside, but the "indexing" that describes their location has been damaged. Now the greatest danger does not involve the corruption itself: in Exeter or anywhere else, it is the 'fixes' that everyone reaches for next.
Talk it over with an engineer
0800 6890668
| The error | What it usually means | Step one |
|---|---|---|
| You need to format the disk in drive X: before you can use it | Windows does not understand the drive's file system: the classic RAW problem | Don't format the disk |
| The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives. | CHKDSK fails too: it's not going to help you here | Take a rest (from trying fixes) |
| The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable (0x80070570) | There is damage in the file records of your MFT | Do not open anything |
| The disk structure is corrupted and unreadable (0x80070571) | You have damage either to your partition map or to your Master File Table (MFT) | Image first, then fix on the copy |
| Location is not available — X:\ is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect. | Often a broken file system that is also running on bad sectors | Suspect failing hardware as well |
| This volume does not contain a recognized file system. | All the volume's metadata is missing | But the underlying data remains intact |
| Mac users see: The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer | Apple's definition of RAW, and the button to "Initialize" beside it is the thing to avoid | Eject the volume; leave "Initialize" alone |
Your device will be logged under its own case number on the day it comes into our lab. The engineer who works on your device identifies the problem with it, clearly states what we think has a good chance of coming back and provides you with one fixed quote. There are no charges for this assessment; there is no obligation for you to do anything; and paid work does not begin until you authorise us to start.
Before making any attempt to repair a problem, the entire disk will be copied using a sector-by-sector method, with the weak sections mapped and the worst of them read last. Data corruption and failing hardware usually go hand in hand. Creating a complete copy of your data will protect you from both types of issues.
The boot sector, MFT (Master File Table) and partition table are all rebuilt on the image. Any bad turns cost nothing and roll right back.
If a file system's Master File Table (MFT) is too far gone for any good to come out of it, the data itself still remains: we cut files out of the image based upon their signatures and rebuild your folder structure using whatever evidence survives.
You have access to a complete list of every item recovered from your device, which you approve prior to any fees being applied. The files will be returned via new media (brand new) with the return postage paid by us, and the case remains open for as long as it takes to confirm that all the files open properly on your own machine.
The problem with all of the repair software: CHKDSK, First Aid, and every "free RAW fix" download out there all have one thing in common. They write to the same disk that they are attempting to repair. In other words, if your hard drive is healthy, then writing to it as part of an attempt to fix it may be successful. However, if your hard drive is failing, this attempt will likely result in recovering less than what could have been recovered had a complete copy (image) of your data been made before beginning the repairs. An image first costs you a day; a repair in place can cost you everything.
The drive was pulled out of the computer while it was being written to one night, and in the morning it would ask for formatting. We made a complete image of the entire hard drive and were able to fix the boot sector as well as the damaged MFT mirror on the copied version. Fifteen years' worth of a translator's client archives returned intact, with the folder tree in one piece.
When you format, you are creating a new, clean (empty) file structure over the old one, and along with it go the folder structures that a rebuild will need for your folders to have names again. Say no to formatting before recovery begins.
This indicates that the operating system (Windows) cannot determine what file system exists for this volume. In other words, there has typically been some damage done to the partition table, the master file table (MFT) or the boot sector. The files are usually still intact, but for now you will not have access to them.
Never. It refuses RAW volumes by definition, and on a sick drive, each time you do a pass of repairs, your drive gets closer to being finished. If repairs need to run, run them on an image; don't run them on the original.
Most commonly, it happens when a user removes a drive while writing data to it, and as a result the damage is to the filing system index and not your files. Damage like this is among the cleaner types to sort out.
Every time a failing hardware component is powered back up, there is additional lost data. First open a case with us: the inspection (look over) is always at no cost, whichever way it goes.