NTFS partition table messed up.

[Canislupus]

I've been following meierfra's solutions to several very similar problems.

My first SATA drive (1tb) is the problem. It started as Win 7 repairing after I upgraded Ubuntu to 9.04. Win 7 messed up the extended partition.

Anyway, I fixed the problem with testdisk, but I still have a problem with my partition sizes.

Meierfra, or someone similarly talented, can you see what this partition table needs?



brent@brent-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0dc30dc3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 147460623 73730280+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 147462144 147871743 204800 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 147871744 233199615 42663936 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 233215605 1953536129 860160262+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 233215668 437996159 102390246 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 438003712 1052401663 307198976 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 1052403712 1953521663 450558976 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders, total 390721968 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xdcd0dcd0

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 63 787184 393561 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 787185 31503464 15358140 83 Linux
/dev/sdb3 95249385 390716864 147733740 5 Extended
/dev/sdb4 31503465 95249384 31872960 83 Linux
/dev/sdb5 95249448 259578269 82164411 83 Linux
/dev/sdb6 387793098 390716864 1461883+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb7 259578333 307018214 23719941 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdc: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10337 cylinders, total 156301488 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xb4476f19

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 63 81920159 40960048+ 7 HPFS/NTFS


brent@brent-desktop:~$ sudo sfdisk -d
# partition table of /dev/sda
unit: sectors

/dev/sda1 : start= 63, size=147460561, Id= 7, bootable
/dev/sda2 : start=147462144, size= 409600, Id= 7
/dev/sda3 : start=147871744, size= 85327872, Id= 7
/dev/sda4 : start=233215605, size=1720320525, Id= f
/dev/sda5 : start=233215668, size=204780492, Id= 7
/dev/sda6 : start=438003712, size=614397952, Id= 7
/dev/sda7 : start=1052403712, size=901117952, Id= 7
# partition table of /dev/sdb
unit: sectors

/dev/sdb1 : start= 63, size= 787122, Id=83, bootable
/dev/sdb2 : start= 787185, size= 30716280, Id=83
/dev/sdb3 : start= 95249385, size=295467480, Id= 5
/dev/sdb4 : start= 31503465, size= 63745920, Id=83
/dev/sdb5 : start= 95249448, size=164328822, Id=83
/dev/sdb6 : start=387793098, size= 2923767, Id=82
/dev/sdb7 : start=259578333, size= 47439882, Id=83
# partition table of /dev/sdc
unit: sectors

/dev/sdc1 : start= 63, size= 81920097, Id= 7, bootable
/dev/sdc2 : start= 0, size= 0, Id= 0
/dev/sdc3 : start= 0, size= 0, Id= 0
/dev/sdc4 : start= 0, size= 0, Id= 0
# partition table of /dev/sdd
unit: sectors



sda is the drive that I'm having the problem with. It's bad enough that gparted refuses to try to read it (unallocated). But I can mount it, and all the data seems fine. I noticed that sda7 ends outside the disk. Parted just gives me a "partition cannot be outside disk" error or something to that effect.

Got another one of those handy-dandy text files? (TYIA)

[meierfra.]

You might be able to solve your problem with testdisk:


sudo testdisk /dev/sda choose

"Proceed",
"Intel",
"Analyze",
"Quick search",
Press "Y" (to search for partitions created by vista)
Press "Enter" to continue,
"Extd Part"

This should shrink your extended partition has much as possible. If this did not solve your problem, let me know and I show you how to rewrite the partition table with sfdisk.

[Canislupus]

I just tried that again. Just the way you requested this time. I wrote the discovered layout to disk, and rebooted. /sda2 is my Vista boot partition, so I made it active.

It seems it's still not working. Incidentally, when I run testdisk on this drive, it doesn't ask me if I want to search for partitions created by Vista. It does ask when I run it on /dev/sdb (all Ext3 partitions).

Parted is still giving me this error:


(parted) check sda
Error: Can't have a partition outside the disk!
(parted) select /dev/sda
Using /dev/sda
(parted) print
Error: Can't have a partition outside the disk!
(parted)

Also, I've noticed this:


brent@brent-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk /dev/sda -l

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0dc30dc3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 9179 73730280+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 * 9180 9205 204800 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 9205 14517 42663936 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 14518 121602 860160262+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 14518 27264 102390246 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 27265 65509 307198976 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 65510 121602 450558976 7 HPFS/NTFS
brent@brent-desktop:~$

Is that the problem then? It ends outside the disk, right? Or is it the fact that testdisk is set to stop on cylinder boundries? (the default behavior, I believe)

For the sake of giving you the most recent data, here are the current "fdisk -lu" and "sfdisk -d":


brent@brent-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk /dev/sda -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0dc30dc3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 63 147460623 73730280+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 * 147462144 147871743 204800 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 147871744 233199615 42663936 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 233215605 1953536129 860160262+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 233215668 437996159 102390246 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 438003712 1052401663 307198976 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 1052403712 1953521663 450558976 7 HPFS/NTFS
brent@brent-desktop:~$ sudo sfdisk /dev/sda -d
# partition table of /dev/sda
unit: sectors

/dev/sda1 : start= 63, size=147460561, Id= 7
/dev/sda2 : start=147462144, size= 409600, Id= 7, bootable
/dev/sda3 : start=147871744, size= 85327872, Id= 7
/dev/sda4 : start=233215605, size=1720320525, Id= f
/dev/sda5 : start=233215668, size=204780492, Id= 7
/dev/sda6 : start=438003712, size=614397952, Id= 7
/dev/sda7 : start=1052403712, size=901117952, Id= 7

I can't thank you enough. I'd attempt to manually edit it myself, but I don't have enough confidence in my ability to get it right.

[meierfra.]

Is that the problem then? It ends outside the disk, right? Or is it the fact that testdisk is set to stop on cylinder boundries? (the default behavior, I believe)

Yes, Yes and Yes. Your hard drive has somewhere between 121601 and 121692 cylinders. testdisk rounds that up to 12692 and extended partition ends outside the hard drive. That should not really matter, since nobody ever looks at the endpoint of an extended partition. But gparted is so picky about partition tables that it declares the partition table to be invalid and shows the whole drive as unallocated.


To fix the partition table, download the attached file "PT.txt" to your Desktop and open a terminal. Rewrite your partition table via



sudo sfdisk -f --no-reread -O ~/Desktop/OldPT.save /dev/sda < ~/Desktop/PT.txt


Post the output of that commmand.
Just as a precaution, copy the file OldPT.save to a save place outside your hard drive (Flashdrive, online storage,email account, ...)

[Canislupus]

meierfra. You rock! :guitar:

I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH!

Here's the result:


brent@brent-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk /dev/sda -l

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0dc30dc3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 9179 73730280+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 * 9180 9205 204800 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 9205 14517 42663936 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 14518 121602 860153029+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 14518 27264 102390246 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 27265 65509 307198976 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 65510 121602 450558976 7 HPFS/NTFS
brent@brent-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk /dev/sda -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0dc30dc3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 63 147460623 73730280+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 * 147462144 147871743 204800 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 147871744 233199615 42663936 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 233215605 1953521663 860153029+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 233215668 437996159 102390246 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 438003712 1052401663 307198976 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 1052403712 1953521663 450558976 7 HPFS/NTFS
brent@brent-desktop:~$ sudo sfdisk /dev/sda -d
# partition table of /dev/sda
unit: sectors

/dev/sda1 : start= 63, size=147460561, Id= 7
/dev/sda2 : start=147462144, size= 409600, Id= 7, bootable
/dev/sda3 : start=147871744, size= 85327872, Id= 7
/dev/sda4 : start=233215605, size=1720306059, Id= f
/dev/sda5 : start=233215668, size=204780492, Id= 7
/dev/sda6 : start=438003712, size=614397952, Id= 7
/dev/sda7 : start=1052403712, size=901117952, Id= 7
brent@brent-desktop:~$ sudo parted /dev/sda print
Model: ATA ST31000340AS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 75.5GB 75.5GB primary ntfs
2 75.5GB 75.7GB 210MB primary ntfs boot
3 75.7GB 119GB 43.7GB primary ntfs
4 119GB 1000GB 881GB extended lba
5 119GB 224GB 105GB logical ntfs
6 224GB 539GB 315GB logical ntfs
7 539GB 1000GB 461GB logical ntfs


That works fine. Data is readable and all. Now I wonder what Win7 will do to that when I have it replace the bootloader?

I can't seem to decide what the best way to triple boot is. I'm not too wild about Vista/Win7's bootloader. I'm thinking about installing Grub4DOS on /dev/sda1 and chainloading win7.

Guess I'll open another thread and see if I can get some input.

oh btw....

sfdisk -l 'Gives me an odd message for my /dev/sdc drive.


Disk /dev/sdc: 9729 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
Warning: The partition table looks like it was made
for C/H/S=*/240/63 (instead of 9729/255/63).
For this listing I'll assume that geometry.
Units = sectors of 512 bytes, counting from 0

Device Boot Start End #sectors Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 63 81920159 81920097 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2 0 - 0 0 Empty
/dev/sdc3 0 - 0 0 Empty
/dev/sdc4 0 - 0 0 Empty

Is that anything I should worry about?

[meierfra.]

That works fine. Data is readable and all.
Great.


sfdisk -l 'Gives me an odd message for my /dev/sdc drive.
Warning: The partition table looks like it was made
for C/H/S=*/240/63 (instead of 9729/255/63).
For this listing I'll assume that geometry.

Is that anything I should worry about?

No. The partition table looks just fine.



I can't seem to decide what the best way to triple boot is. I'm not too wild about Vista/Win7's bootloader. I'm thinking about installing Grub4DOS on /dev/sda1 and chainloading win7.


Grub4Dos is a very nice boot loader and you should be able to boot all your OS's with Grub4Dos.
But keep in mind that the actual booting of Win 7 will be done by the Win 7 boot loader. So if you are not able to boot Win 7 with the Win 7 boot loader, Grub4Dos won't be able to boot it either.



It started as Win 7 repairing after I upgraded Ubuntu to 9.04. Win 7 messed up the extended partition.

Now I wonder what Win7 will do to that when I have it replace the bootloader?


Upgrading to 9.04 should not have affected Win 7. Did you resize the Win 7 partition?
What problems did you have? Any error messages? How did you try to repair it?

I'm pretty sure one can repair the Win 7 boot loader without messing up your partitions again.