How to repair FAT table?

[target_locked]

Hi there,
I have a problem with my SATA HDD (only store data) which used to work normally some days before.
My PC have 2 HDD, one for booting win XP(1 partition), one HDD for data (2 partitions).
If there is only boot HDD, it work well, it can boot win XP and work normally.
But if I add the data HDD to the system, the booting time become very slow, when finish booting and open File explorer it seem the PC hang (infinite loop...), and there is no error msg. After about 5 mins it show up only one partition of data HDD, and again when I go to a folder in that, it hang or read very slowly.

I tried to use a boot CD and boot to DOS. Load Patition magic, it say error and can not see the partition table.
When use another partiton tool(arcronis partition manager) to check, it can list all partition but one have error details: "File allocation error - Overlaped" for the partition 2.
When I use a file commander (Norton...) it can see all 2 partition (on the data HDD) with all folders and files. I can copy some files to the boot HDD, however some files can not be copied with error msg: "File allocation error".

I would like to know how to repair the FAT table (from DOS) so that from Windows I can access to my data HDD normally, I don't care the corrupted files, just ignore or delete them.

Anyone experienced this, pls help me.

Thanks.

 

[Alvin.C]

Hello,

Is your second hard drive also a SATA hard drive?

Have you tried checking the partitions on the data HDD for errors using chkdsk in command prompt? Open command prompt and type CHKDSK X: /F where X: is the drive letter for the partition in question (on the data hard drive). Do this for both partitions on the data hard drive. Post back with the results.

 

[target_locked]

Thanks Alvin for the reply.
The 2nd HDD is IDE, not SATA. They used to work well together.

I tried to run the system32/CHKDSK.EXE from DOS but it say error "can not be run in DOS...", maybe it can only be run in Windows-DOS only.
Do you know where I can get the real DOS version of CHKDSK?
Thanks.

 

[Alvin.C]

Hello,

Go to Start > Run > Type cmd and press enter > In command prompt, type CHKDSK X: /F and hit enter (see the steps provided in the previous post for how to use chkdsk in your particular case).

Also ensure that you've downloaded and installed the latest chipset drivers for your motherboard.

 

[target_locked]

Hello,

Go to Start > Run > Type cmd and press enter > In command prompt, type CHKDSK X: /F and hit enter (see the steps provided in the previous post for how to use chkdsk in your particular case).

Also ensure that you've downloaded and installed the latest chipset drivers for your motherboard.

The Start-->Run method is for Windows, but as I stated earlier, in Windows It can not access to the Data HDD (or very very slow that you can not wait)
The only way is booting to pure DOS and fix the FAT table there.
I'll try to get that DOS version of CHKDSK to try.
Thanks again.

 

[Alvin.C]

The Start-->Run method is for Windows, but as I stated earlier, in Windows It can not access to the Data HDD (or very very slow that you can not wait)
The only way is booting to pure DOS and fix the FAT table there.
I'll try to get that DOS version of CHKDSK to try.
Thanks again.

Does this problem occur in safe mode?

 

[target_locked]

thanks all, after trying several ways, no luck.
CHKDSK can not run in pure DOS, it adviced to run scandisk instead. Scandisk fix all problem with FAT table... but when boot to Windows, nothing appear.

My final solution:
Buy a new HDD with enough space to copy (in PURE DOS) all data files from defective HDD.