Need help recovering Windows

[Blasphemist]

I've now done a lot of looking and reading on this and I'm still not sure I've found anything that helps. Do look at this.

42 Windows 2000 dynamic extended partition marker
If a partition table entry of type 0x42 is present in the legacy partition table, then W2K ignores the legacy partition table and uses a proprietary partition table and a proprietary partitioning scheme (LDM or DDM). As the Microsoft KnowledgeBase writes: Pure dynamic disks (those not containing any hard-linked partitions) have only a single partition table entry (type 42) to define the entire disk. Dynamic disks store their volume configuration in a database located in a 1-MB private region at the end of each dynamic disk.

If I understand this right, and I'm not sure at all of that, the installation of linux may have caused the dynamic disks volume configuration to be lost or changed. It would seem this could come from using a proprietary partition table and ignoring the legacy partition table.

Do I understand correctly though that you can from ubuntu see the windows partitions and the files/directories on them? Can you see and successfully copy files from those drives for instance? Don't try to write to them. If you can, then I'd think that linux is using the normal "legacy" partition table to do that. Am I right that you have access to those files but just can't boot either windows?

[Triblaze]

I've now done a lot of looking and reading on this and I'm still not sure I've found anything that helps. Do look at this.

If I understand this right, and I'm not sure at all of that, the installation of linux may have caused the dynamic disks volume configuration to be lost or changed. It would seem this could come from using a proprietary partition table and ignoring the legacy partition table.

Do I understand correctly though that you can from ubuntu see the windows partitions and the files/directories on them? Can you see and successfully copy files from those drives for instance? Don't try to write to them. If you can, then I'd think that linux is using the normal "legacy" partition table to do that. Am I right that you have access to those files but just can't boot either windows?

I can see the files, and I can copy them into the Ubuntu partition.

And I really didn't get what you quoted much, but I believe the main windows partition is 0x42. And there is a second ntfs part called "system", which I believe is about 1MB in size, like it said.

But Partition Wizard seems to say they're not dynamic. I'm not sure what to make of it all.

*Edit: Correction/more info: There is a ntfs partition that's 198 gb, this is the main one, with all the windows stuff in it. Disk Utility says it has a bootable flag. Partition manager says it is "active". This is on sda3. It is 0x42.
The System partition is actually 209 MB, also 0x42, not marked as bootable or active, and is on sda2.
Then, there is a 1MB partition on sda1; 0x42. This doesn't seem to have any labels on it, it doesn't say its usage, it doesn't say ntfs or anything else like that, no flags, and it's called "unknown". Maybe this is the "inaccessible device" that windows refers to when it says it can't boot? I don't really know.

Hmm, this unknown partition also doesn't seem mountable, I can't find it, and disk utility doesn't display the usual "mount point" part in the information on it. I can set it to bootable. Would that help?

[oldfred]

0x42 is the dynamic partition type.

http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/partition...n_types-1.html

42 Windows 2000 dynamic extended partition marker If a partition table entry of type 0x42 is present in the legacy partition table, then W2K ignores the legacy partition table and uses a proprietary partition table and a proprietary partitioning scheme (LDM or DDM). As the Microsoft KnowledgeBase writes: Pure dynamic disks (those not containing any hard-linked partitions) have only a single partition table entry (type 42) to define the entire disk. Dynamic disks store their volume configuration in a database located in a 1-MB private region at the end of each dynamic disk.

[Blasphemist]

I can see the files, and I can copy them into the Ubuntu partition.

And I really didn't get what you quoted much, but I believe the main windows partition is 0x42. And there is a second ntfs part called "system", which I believe is about 1MB in size, like it said.

But Partition Wizard seems to say they're not dynamic. I'm not sure what to make of it all.

f
Well at least you can get to the files.

*Edit: Correction/more info: There is a ntfs partition that's 198 gb, this is the main one, with all the windows stuff in it. Disk Utility says it has a bootable flag. Partition manager says it is "active". This is on sda3. It is 0x42.

This partition doesn't show as ntfs in the boot info script. This does have at least some of the files needed to boot. The boot info script says that is the vista partition. Is that right? I don't have vista but I think you could google to find exactly what files vista needs to boot. In the end you may have to try using GParted to just change the partition to ntfs and hope nothing gets lost.

The System partition is actually 209 MB, also 0x42, not marked as bootable or active, and is on sda2.

Grubs OS prober thinks this is Win 7 for some reason but it is too small for that. There are at least some boot manager files on this partition but there may not be much to gain from salvaging this partition. But that assumes that what we see is real and with the dynamic confusion I'm not sure that it is.

Then, there is a 1MB partition on sda1; 0x42. This doesn't seem to have any labels on it, it doesn't say its usage, it doesn't say ntfs or anything else like that, no flags, and it's called "unknown". Maybe this is the "inaccessible device" that windows refers to when it says it can't boot? I don't really know.

Hmm, this unknown partition also doesn't seem mountable, I can't find it, and disk utility doesn't display the usual "mount point" part in the information on it. I can set it to bootable. Would that help?

I think this one is the least of your concerns but it is unusual. I wouldn't do anything with it.

Summary, it looks like Vista is the only thing potentially salvageable. I don't know how to tell you to salvage it as I can't explain the file system type. If I were you and the partition was win 7 I think I'd keep trying. But for vista I'm not at all sure that I would. Maybe someone else will see this that it will make sense to. I wish I could be of more help.

[Triblaze]

0x42 is the dynamic partition type.

http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/partitions/partition_types-1.html

Oooooh.

That would explain it. So I just need to change that? I can do that. But change it to what?

0x07 for Windows ntfs?

And on both partitions, even if the system one apparently might not be salvagable?


Sorry for being so slow, but seeing as a partition change got me into this mess, I don't want to make an incorrect change and drive myself into a further mess.

Oh, and I should be able to just change the partition size after it's in basic, right? Sorry, don't know too much about partitions, just want to know if I should wait until after I get it working to change the size, because I wouldn't mind getting a few more GBs in my Ubuntu partition.

[Blasphemist]

Oooooh.

That would explain it. So I just need to change that? I can do that. But change it to what?

0x07 for Windows ntfs?

And on both partitions, even if the system one apparently might not be salvagable?


Sorry for being so slow, but seeing as a partition change got me into this mess, I don't want to make an incorrect change and drive myself into a further mess.

Oh, and I should be able to just change the partition size after it's in basic, right? Sorry, don't know too much about partitions, just want to know if I should wait until after I get it working to change the size, because I wouldn't mind getting a few more GBs in my Ubuntu partition.

I can't say what will happen when you change the partition type but yes you would change it to 07. And you are also right, wait until it is and has been working before changing the size.

[Triblaze]

Ok, I tried to just do it in Disk Utility because that was quicker, and I set it to 0x07.

It chugged away at 90% CPU usage for a while, and then gave me an error saying it couldn't convert it. However, disk utility still seems to be doing something and it still has the little loading symbol. Right now it's around 15% CPU usage.

I figure I should try again on Partition Wizard, but I don't want to halt Disk Utility if it's in the middle of something. Would I be able to halt it safely? It's been like this for a while now.

[Blasphemist]

Given the situation, I'd give it as long as you can. It may be undoing what it had done.

[Triblaze]

Posting from Windows 7, just installed Steam!


I made it quit, fortunately nothing bad happened, then used partition manager, changed them to 0x07, and fired up windows. Haven't checked Vista yet, but 7 is working!

Thanks to you all for being so patient.

I've never used 7 really, my mom has vista and my school uses xp. I'd say 7 is definitely looking better than both, but I still prefer Ubuntu. I just need Windows for gaming. Got some of them working in Wine, but some just wouldn't work.


Uh, where in the edit post window do I change it to "solved"?
*Found it.

[oldfred]

Glad that worked.

I think it only works where partitions have not really been modified to be logically different than the physical partitions as suggested by some others also. If the logical overlapped a physical then just converting it back could lead to major corruption.