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http://radified.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl Rad Community Technical Discussion Boards (Computer Hardware + PC Software) >> PC Hardware + Software (except Cloning programs) >> external HD FAT32 with corrupted files - how to fix it ? http://radified.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1240698255 Message started by Diler on Apr 25^th, 2009 at 5:24pm

Title: external HD FAT32 with corrupted files - how to fix it ?
Post by Diler on Apr 25^th, 2009 at 5:24pm

My external multimedia HD Storex Club Mpix-252b is a FAT32 volume.
Several directories (totalling 46,6 GB) are corrupted, their names appear as weird strings of alien characters.
Windows XP is unable to delete them.
Running CHKDSK G: /F doesn't work either: it says the volume is being used by another process, and asks if I would like to dismount it (I don't understand what is this, so I abort it).
I have also tried Norton Disk Doctor, with fix errors option enabled, but it says the operational system or another process has exclusive access rights to the HD, so nothing happens.
Well, what can I do to recover those wasted 46,6 GB and put them into good use again, without endangering my other directories & files ?
My best regards.
Dilermando

Title: Re: external HD FAT32 with corrupted files - how to fix it ?
Post by MrMagoo on Apr 25^th, 2009 at 5:59pm

Sounds like the easiest, safest option is going to be to copy all the good data off the HD temporarily, then reformat the external drive. Make sure that you do a normal format on the drive, not a quick format.

One thing you may want to think about is how the data might have gotten corrupted. Is the drive getting old? Do you sometimes store it near a magnetic field? Does it get bumped around in a laptop bag? 46 GB sounds like a LOT of corrupted data to happen randomly, and you might want to get to the bottom of it before you trust that drive with new data.

Title: Re: external HD FAT32 with corrupted files - how to fix it ?
Post by Lurker on Apr 30^th, 2009 at 7:27am

First, is you're using CHKDSK /F and it asks you if you want it to Dismount the drive say "Yes".
That removes the lock that prevents you from scanning that drive.

If it's a FAT-32 partition (drive) you can also check it with "ScanDisk" in DOS.
Assuming, of course, that the drive can be seen in DOS.

Whatever you do, I think I'd take the good advise or Mr Magoo and copy all your good data OFF of that drive, before you do anything more with it.
The remaining data may be recoverable and maybe not, but at least you'll have the good stuff saved.

If that external drive is developing bad sectors and data corruption, I'd replace it ASAP (as soon as possible). It won't get better. It will get worse, till it's not usable at all. Good Luck!