Question about Disaster after using Partition Magic

[jimdagys]

A friend has a laptop with just a C partition and she wanted another partition. I used Partition Magic and followed the directions. There was 16GB free on the C drive (38GB total) , so I tried to make another partition of about 14GB. Partition Magic then rebooted into the Windows diagnostic mode and the partitioning process seemed to start OK. The process continued for about 5 minutes until it was about 5% (total) finished. Then there was a error message that Partition Magic could not continue because there was a bad sector on the disk. It said that no changes could be made and it started to boot back into regular Windows. However, after Windows started for several seconds, it shut off and tried to restart. This cycle just kept continuing. I tried to boot into Safe Mode, but several seconds after starting Safe Mode, it shut off and tried to restart, same cycling manner. Does anybody have any idea what happened? The computer seemed to work OK before I tried to partition. I know I will have to call a computer expert who comes with a wallet of diagnostic disks, but I would like to learn all I can before he comes.

[jagabo]

Two possibilities:

1) Since Partition Magic was unable to complete the repartitioning the boot partition is now corrupt.

2) While repartitioning Partition Magic moved a critical system file to a bad spot on the drive. Now Windows can't access that file.

The latter can be fixed with a Windows re-install after running chkdsk to mark bad blocks.

[jimdagys]

I had no idea there were bad spots on the hard drive. In general, should one use chkdisk and repair bad sectors before partitioning? If the boot sector is corrupt, what can be done about that? Will a fresh Windows install solve that problem?
You said,

the latter can be fixed with a Windows re-install after running chkdsk to mark bad blocks.

If I run chkdsk, before I reinstall Windows, how can I run chkdsk? Can chkdsk/repair be run when there is no usable Windows?

[Bjs]

Well not exactly correct

38gig - 10% being reserve default for recycle bin is 3.8 less = 34.2
34.2 - 5% for system swap file (base line) = 32.49

Realistically you shouldn't have created another partition greater than

38 - 10% (recycle bin is first) - 24 (data) - 5% = 9.69 gig (genuine usable space)

Depending on your version of partition magic

If cd, boot system and restore back to single partition and avoid any options which do not retain files

If no

Then grab cute partition manager and run it ... it will produce an iso which can be burned as an image file using imgburn

Boot the system with this and restore the partition back to original size using the resize option only

Failing this the os may require reinstall ... but as there was notification of bad sectors I would replace the drive before doing os reinstall

====

Boot sector repair is via the recovery console ... if it was installed ... same goes for mbr fix

Bad sectors are marked by the os to prevent files being written to them ... there are utilities which can scan an attempt recovery but ultimately if they have started showing up it's time to replace the drive

[jagabo]

If I run chkdsk, before I reinstall Windows, how can I run chkdsk? Can chkdsk/repair be run when there is no usable Windows?

Use a bootable Windows install disc. It will give you the option of booting to a CLI console. You can run chkdsk from there.

Bad sectors are marked by the os to prevent files being written to them ... there are utilities which can scan an attempt recovery

Note that chkdsk attempts to recover data that's already in bad sectors and moves it to new, good sectors. It does not make any attempt to "fix" those bad sectors, it just marks them as bad so they don't get used again. The recovery may or may not succeed so the moved data may still be corrupt. But at least the bad sectors won't be used again and you can restore the corrupt file(s) from a backup, another computer, or a reinstall.

but ultimately if they have started showing up it's time to replace the drive

I agree. Sometimes I'll use the old drive as storage for unimportant data. I'll check it every now and then with a full surface scan. If no more bad blocks show up I might return it to more active status. But often, when a drive starts getting bad blocks, it will develop more and more.

[jimdagys]

Thanks for the info. I might do a clean install (after I use the above chkdisk) and make the partition when it asks in the beginning of the Windows install. Can you tell me briefly what is the Command Line statement that I need to type to check and close off bad sectors?

[jagabo]

Type "CHKDSK /?" and it will give you a list of the arguments. You want "CHDKSK X: /F /R /X"

X: = drive to check
/F = fix (otherwise the drive is only checked)
/R = scan entire partition, recover data in bad blocks, mark bad blocks
/X = dismount partition if necessary

Note that a full format performs check for bad sectors too.

[hech54]

Another reason why I keep MILES away from partitions of any kind.

[jimdagys]

Thanks. I report back what the Chinese tech does (if I can follow what he does). It seems the important thing is to make sure he first checks/closes off bad disk sectors. It seems that before making a partition, anyone should first run the Windows check/close off bad disk sectors. Maybe if I had done that, this whole problem would have been avoided.

[jagabo]

Thanks. I report back what the Chinese tech does (if I can follow what he does). It seems the important thing is to make sure he first checks/closes off bad disk sectors. It seems that before making a partition, anyone should first run the Windows check/close off bad disk sectors.

As mentioned earlier, a full format does the same thing

Maybe if I had done that, this whole problem would have been avoided.

Not necessarily. Drives do develop bad blocks sooner or later.

Also note that modern drives have "hidden" sectors that the OS doesn't see. They automatically remap bad blocks to these reserved sectors during use. But eventually all the hidden sectors are used up. You can use the manufacturers SMART utility to see now many of these reserved sectors are in use.