How to Fix a NTFS File System
Microsoft introduced the NTFS file system with the first version of Windows NT, Windows NT 3.1. The "NT" in "Windows NT" stands for "New Technology" and so "NTFS" stands for "New Technology File System." NTFS was built to be more secure and robust than its predecessor, FAT (File Allocation Table) and FAT32. NTFS is far less susceptible to errors, corruption and data loss in comparison to FAT and FAT32, but it is not flawless and sometimes repairs are required. Luckily, most file system errors are easily fixed with few commands and, in many cases, no data will be lost.
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Instructions
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If Windows is Bootable
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Reboot the computer. As soon as the POST (Power On Self Test) is complete, press the "F8" key rapidly to bring up the boot menu options. Select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt."
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When the boot process is complete, you will have a command prompt window open on the screen. Type in "chkdsk <drive letter:> /r" (where "drive letter:> is the drive you wish to repair, in most cases it will be "C:") and press "Enter." Chkdsk will begin running a thorough scan of the hard drive, checking for any inconsistencies or errors in the file system and repairing any that it can. This can take a long time on large hard drives. When it is complete, it will display a short report of the disk capacity statistics and whether or not it found/recovered any errors.
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Reboot the computer when chkdsk is done by typing in "exit" and pressing "Enter" at the command prompt.
If Windows Cannot Boot
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Insert the Windows install CD into the CD/DVD drive and boot the computer up.
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When the boot process is completed, you will be given the option to install or upgrade Windows, run a Recovery Console or Exit.
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Press "R" to select and start the Recovery Console process. In a moment, you will be faced with a black screen with white text. You will be asked to select the Windows installation you wish to repair. Type in the appropriate number for the installation (generally "1") and press "Enter." You will then be asked to input the administrator password for that account. Type the password in and then press "Enter." You will then be presented a command prompt and access to the files on the drive.
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Type in "chkdsk /r" and press "Enter." This will run the chkdsk program in "Recover" mode. it will perform a exhaustive scan of the hard drive and its contents and recover any data it can. When it is complete, it will display a short record of the disk's capacity statistics and whether or not it encountered any errors or made any repairs to the file system.
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Type "exit" and press "Enter" when the chkdsk is complete to reboot the computer.
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References
- Photo Credit hard drive interior image by Curtis Sorrentino from Fotolia.com
