File system equal. Raw file system how to open. CHKDSK is not valid for RAW disks, what should I do? Why are HDD formats changing? How to recover files

If only the computer could be turned off like pocket calculator, smart heads of engineers and software developers have realized this opportunity a long time ago. Perhaps this will be the case in the future, but for now it is necessary to shut down the PC using the appropriate means of the operating system, otherwise disaster will inevitably occur. Changing the file system NTFS V RAW- just one of the troubles that can result from a sudden computer shutdown.

As a rule, a partition with such a file system is detected by Windows, but no information about the data written to it is provided, as if it doesn’t exist, and the progress bar is not displayed in Explorer. When you try to open a section, you get a message thorny mistake "Can't access X:/. Reading is impossible, the disk is not formatted" or something like that.

Changing the partition letter or launching a utility to check the disk from its properties is also impossible. Only formatting is possible but do not rush to do this, otherwise all your files will be deleted.

If NTFS "turns" into RAW on the system partition, when you turn on the computer, a boot error appears, most often "Operating System not found» or “Reboot and select proper boot device”.

What is the RAW file system

No matter how strange it may sound, RAW just means the absence of a file system as such. More precise definition RAW is chaos, disorder of data on the disk. The error occurs when the Windows file system driver fails to determine its type. There may be several reasons for this, but the most likely is damage in the main file table area MFT, boot sector , as well as incorrect logical partition geometry values in the partition table. Unformatted volumes can also be of the RAW type.

Recovering RAW volumes

The success of error treatment depends on the nature and extent of damage to the data responsible for determining Windows type file system. There is no universal way to solve the problem, but in most cases restore normal reading NTFS the built-in utility, launched with the parameter, helps /f from the command line. In other cases, specialized volume recovery programs help, for example, TestDisk.

If your user data partition has become unreadable due to the appearance of RAW, you can reconstruct it from RAW to NTFS from a running operating system.

To do this, in a command prompt running as an administrator, you need to run the command chkdsk D: /f and wait until the disk is fully scanned.

If the system partition is damaged HDD it is advisable to connect it to another computer and check it, but you can also use any boot disk with Windows to check and correct errors, not forgetting, however, that the partition letters in the recovery environment will be different. For example, logical drive C will have a letter D .

If the reason for the appearance of RAW is minor damage to the file table MFT, most likely, the system can be restored even after the errors are corrected by the utility it will boot normally. If to incorrect entries MFT bootloader damage will be added, it is also worth executing the following recovery commands in the console:

bootrec.exe /FixMbr
bootrec.exe /FixBoot

Note: this method boot repair may not work for computers running in UEFI.

In some cases, it may be necessary to reinstall the operating system or restore it from a backup copy. As for user files on non-system RAW volumes, they usually remain intact and are perfectly readable after reconstruction in NTFS. However, there is a risk of accidental data corruption during reconstruction RAW utility or other programs are still available.

Therefore, if the data is of particular value, before you start fixing the main error, try to perform data recovery using specialized programs like R-Studio. Experience shows that they cope excellently with such tasks, restoring files even from severely damaged volumes. After this, you can simply format the problematic partition and transfer the recovered data to it.

One of common problems, found on Windows 7, 8 and 10, is changing the file system of a hard drive, flash drive or solid-state drive to RAW. The system automatically informs you about this problem with messages like “Format the disk to use it” and “The disk file system is not recognized.” Let's figure out how to return it file system from RAW back to NTFS or FAT32.

The RAW file system is, in fact, the complete “absence of a file system” on the media as such. This usually happens due to system failures, a sudden power outage, or a malfunction of the device itself. Any attempts to check the drive are often accompanied by the notification “CHKDSK is not valid for RAW drives.” There is no need to worry - in most cases, the data on the disk can be recovered.

How we will solve the problem:

With help standard means drive checks.
Through partition formatting.
Recuva utility.
Using the DMDE program.
Via TestDisk.

The first thing you need to do when a RAW file system is detected and problems arise with accessing the media (HDD, SDD, external drive or microSD card) – test the device. The method will not work in all cases, but it is absolutely safe and is perfect for situations when the system disk is formatted in RAW, as a result of which the OS refuses to boot.

The system starts

So, if you are lucky and the system was “lying” on another volume (continues to work), then you can perform the check directly from the OS. To do this, perform the following sequence of actions:

We use administrator rights to open the command line. To do this, press the Win + X combination on the keyboard or right-click on “Start”, and then go to the “Command Prompt (Administrator)” section.

Enter the command chkdsk n: /f into the line, where n is the symbol of the disk whose file system has changed to RAW. Click on Enter.

There are two possible options for the command line to respond to the entered command:

the check will begin and the drive will be reformatted to the original NTFS format if the problem was due to a normal failure;
the line will display the message “chkdsk is not valid for raw disks” or “The main file table is damaged, chkdsk was interrupted” if the problem is more serious than a standard failure (then chkdsk will not be able to restore the file system).

After checking the external hard drive, folders ntfsck 00000000 and ntfsck 00000001 may appear on the media, which will contain many recovered files with the name “file”.

You can also check the device with another command – “sfc /scannow”. Use it if the previous one did not help. A system scan will begin, which may take quite a long period of time (the current progress will be displayed).

If the operation does not give the desired result, then we move on to other methods of returning the file system on a hard drive, solid drive or microSD.

The system does not start

If Windows refuses to boot (this means that the system drive has become the RAW disk), you need to boot from another OS, . We will not analyze the process of its creation - this is a topic for a separate article. Next, to fix the problem with RAW, follow the instructions below:

We boot the PC using the distribution package, which is recorded on a flash drive or on an external hard drive (startup combination Boot Menu for your motherboard or laptop can be seen when the computer starts). Having selected the language, click on “System Restore” in the lower right corner, or press the combination Shift + F10.

In the command line that opens, write the following commands one by one:

diskpart;
list volume (the program will show which letter was assigned to the faulty disk partition, since it may differ from the one that was installed on the system);
exit;
chkdsk n: /f (again, n is the letter of the failed drive).

As for the possible reaction, everything is exactly the same - these operations will either help change the file system to NTFS, and the system will boot, or a message will be displayed stating that this method is not applicable.

If RAW was caused by minor damage to the MFT file table, then most likely you will be able to perform a recovery using the CHKDSK utility, after which the system will start in standard mode.

If the steps described above fail, move on to the following methods to solve the problem.

Formatting a partition

We have already noted that with RAW format, the system automatically asks you to format the hard drive to start working. This is what you should do if the device does not store important information, or if the media is simply new (for new drives the RAW file system is standard). When performing the formatting procedure, data loss cannot be avoided.

You can format a partition or the entire disk using the built-in Windows means. To do this, we either agree with the system’s request, which it displays when we try to open the disk, or we carry out the following actions:

Press the key combination Win + R and in the “Run” window that opens, write the command. Click on “OK”.

In the list of disks, select the drive that has RAW listed in the “File system” column. We right-click and format the device by clicking on the desired button.

If the “Format” item is not active (it is not available for new drives), then you must first click on “Initialize disk”. Once the device is initialized, you can format it to NTFS and begin using it.

If the formatting procedure still fails, then first right-click on the disk and click on “Delete Volume”. Then click on the unallocated area (it will be marked with shading) and select “Create a simple volume”. The wizard, which comes off automatically, will help you carry out further actions.

The formatting procedure itself will not require additional actions from the user - you will only need to indicate the future file system (NTFS or FAT32) and the desired letter for the new volume.

Recuva utility help

Recuva is a simple application that can quickly return the NTFS format to a disk with the current RAW file system without losing data (a free analogue of the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard utility).

To fix the problem using Recuva, you need to follow the instructions below:

Download the program from the official website and install it. Exists free version a utility whose functionality is quite sufficient for us. The developers have already completed the translation into Russian.

Click on the icon with a list of disks and select the one with which the problem occurred, and then click on the “Analysis” button.

Upon completion of the scan, the utility will display a list of files. We restore them in a few clicks: select the ones you need, right-click and click on “Restore selected...”.

The files will be restored, RAW will return to NTFS.

Using DMDE

It's possible that the RAW disc contained important information that needs to be returned. In this case, you cannot format the drive under any circumstances. We suggest using the free DMDE utility designed for data recovery.

The procedure for returning data from a RAW partition using DMDE can be represented as follows:

Download the utility from the official website of the developer.

The program does not need installation - just unpack the archive to any convenient location and run the dmde.exe file.

Check the “Show partitions” checkbox, select the hard drive on which the problematic RAW partition is located, and click “OK”.

After analysis, a partition without a file system and with a crossed out icon should appear in the list. Right-click on it and click on “Open Volume”. If RAW was not found, perform a “Full Scan”, and then open the section.

Let's check if there is necessary information on this disk partition. If it is there, then click on the second icon in the top toolbar.

Select the disk and click on “Recover”.

When the procedure is completed, the faulty partition will become accessible again. The NTFS file system will be returned.

When performing this procedure on a system hard drive connected to another computer, you will have to restore the bootloader in order for the drive to work on your PC.

Recovery via TestDisk

TestDisk is a fairly advanced tool that can solve most problems with the RAW file system (and convert it to NTFS in particular). You have to “pay” for such functionality - there is a possibility that something will go wrong and the data on the disk with the current system will be lost. Use this program only if none of the previous methods didn't work.

Download the utility from the official website and unpack the archive to a suitable location - the program does not need installation.

Run the testdisk_win.exe file from the unzipped folder.

In the “Select a media” item, select a disk, one of the partitions of which has received RAW status (we select the drive itself, and not a separate faulty partition). Move using arrows, select by pressing Enter.

We are waiting for the verification procedure to complete.

As a result, the utility will find partitions, including RAW. We can determine which one we need by size. You can view the contents by pressing the English letter P, and go back by pressing Q. Partitions with a “P” mark next to them will be restored and written, while those with a “D” will be ignored. Using the left and right keys on the keyboard you can change the assignment for the section. To avoid accidentally deleting the system partition marked with the symbol “D”, change it to “P”. To continue, press Enter.

We make sure that the program has compiled the correct table, and if we are sure that everything has been done correctly, then select “Write”, press Enter, and then Y to confirm the action.

When the program completes its work, close it and check the result. If this method did not help, and the file system for the flash drive or disk did not return, then perhaps the drive has mechanical damage. In such situations, it is better to entrust hard drive recovery to a professional.

In conclusion, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the list of problems that may result in changing the file system to RAW:

Power interruptions. You may have suddenly lost power, causing your file system to become corrupted.
There is a malfunction in the cable connecting the device to the motherboard.
Operation of malicious software.
Failure of the USB connector (if the problem occurs with the flash drive).
Problems with the motherboard.
Presence of bad sectors.

We hope that you were able to recover your personal information and return the disk to the NTFS file system. The presented guides apply to SSD, HDD and flash memory.

Video instruction

We have attached video instructions, thanks to which you can clearly study the process of returning from RAW to NTFS using advanced software.

Conclusion

Now you know exactly how to fix the RAW file system on a flash drive or other drive. We recommend using the methods described in the article one after another - in most cases, one of them helps solve the problem.

Hello.

This is how you work with a hard drive, you work, and then suddenly you turn on the computer - and you see a picture in oil: the disk is not formatted, the file system is RAW, no files are visible and nothing can be copied from it. What to do in this case ( By the way, there are a lot of questions of this kind, which is how the topic of this article was born)?

Well, first of all, don’t panic and don’t rush, and don’t agree with Windows suggestions (unless, of course, you know 100% what these or those operations mean). It’s better to turn off your PC altogether for now (if you have an external hard drive, disconnect it from your computer or laptop).

Reasons for the appearance of the RAW file system

The RAW file system means that the disk is not partitioned (i.e. “raw”, if translated literally), there is no file system specified on it. This can happen for many reasons, but most often it is:

a sudden power shutdown while the computer is running (for example, you turned off the lights, then turned them on - the computer rebooted, and then you see a RAW disk on the disk and a proposal to format it);
If we are talking about an external hard drive, then this often happens to them when, when copying information to them, the USB cable is disconnected (recommended: always before disconnecting the cable, in the tray (next to the clock), press the button for safe shutdown disk);
when not proper operation with programs for changing hard drive partitions, formatting them, etc.;
Also, very often, many users connect their external hard drives to the TV - it formats them in its own format, and then the PC cannot read it, showing the RAW system (to read such a disk, it is better to use special utilities that can read the file system of the disk , into which the TV/TV set-top box formatted it);
when your PC is infected with virus applications;
in the event of a “physical” malfunction of the piece of hardware (it’s unlikely that anything can be done on your own to “save” the data)…

If the reason for the appearance of the RAW file system is an incorrect disconnection of the disk (or a power outage, an incorrect shutdown of the PC), then in most cases, the data can be safely recovered. In other cases, the chances are lower, but they still exist :).

Case 1: Windows is loading, the data on the disk is not needed, just to quickly restore the drive’s functionality

The simplest and quick way getting rid of RAW is just formatting hard drive to another file system (exactly what Windows offers us).

Attention! During formatting, all information on the hard drive will be deleted. Be careful and if you have necessary files on disk - resorting to this method is not recommended.

It is best to format a disk from the system disk management(not always and not all disks are visible in “my computer”; besides, in disk management you will immediately see the entire structure of all disks).

To open it, just go to panel Windows management , then open the section ““, then in the subsection “ Administration» open link « Creating and formatting hard drive partitions"(as in Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. System and security (Windows 10).

Next, select the disk that has the RAW file system and format it (you just need to right-click on the desired partition of the disk, then select the “Format” option from the menu, see Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Formatting the disk in the exercise. disks.

After formatting, the disk will be like “new” (without files) - you can now write everything you need onto it (and don’t suddenly disconnect it from the electricity :)).

Case 2: Windows boots (RAW file system is not on the Windows drive)

If you need files on the disk, then formatting the disk is highly not recommended! First you need to try to check the disk for errors and correct them - in most cases the disk starts working as normal. Let's look at the steps step by step.

1) First go to disk management (Control Panel/System and Security/Administration/Creating and formatting hard drive partitions ), see above in the article.

2) Remember the drive letter on which you have the RAW file system.

3) Launch command line on behalf of the administrator. In Windows 10, this is done simply: right-click on the START menu, and in the pop-up menu select “ Command Line (Administrator)«.

5) After entering the command, checking and correcting errors, if any, should begin. Quite often, at the end of the scan, Windows will tell you that the errors have been fixed and no further action is required. This means you can start working with the disk; in this case, the RAW file system changes to your previous one (usually FAT 32 or NTFS).

Rice. 4. There are no errors (or they have been corrected) - everything is in order.

Case 3: Windows won't boot (RAW on Windows disc)

1) What to do if not installation disk(flash drives) with Windows...

In this case, there is a simple solution: remove the hard drive from the computer (laptop) and insert it into another computer. Next, check it for errors on another computer (see above in the article) and if they are corrected, continue to use it.

You can also resort to another option: take it from someone boot disk and produce Windows installation to another disk, and then after booting from it, check the one that is marked as RAW.

2) If you have an installation disk...

Everything is much simpler :). First, we boot from it, and instead of installing, select system recovery (this link is always in the lower left corner of the window at the beginning of the installation, see Fig. 5).

Next, among the recovery menu, find command line and launch it. In it we need to run hard check the drive on which Windows is installed. How to do this, because the letters have changed, because... Did we boot from a flash drive (installation disk)?

1. Quite simple: first launch notepad from the command line (command notepad and look in it for which drives and with which letters. Remember the drive letter on which you have Windows installed).

If you need to retrieve deleted data from a hard drive (or flash drive), I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the list of the most famous data recovery programs: ( you'll definitely pick something up).

Best wishes!

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How to recover data from a disk or partition whose file system is defined as RAW?

First, you should answer what is the RAW file system?

In fact, the RAW file system does not exist, and defining the partition file system as RAW means that none of the file system drivers installed in the operating system recognized the file system name of the disk or partition.

If the disk file system is recognized as RAW, reading data, assigning a volume label, and other operations with this partition become impossible.

Wherein operating system displays the size of the partition and, when accessed, prompts you to format it.

RAW hard drive

Rice. 1 Hard drive is displayed as RAW

If the operating system cannot recognize the file system of the hard drive, it will display it as RAW. In this case, the user will not have access to data or disk partitions.

However, its capacity, free space and used space will be displayed as “0” (zero). This means that all data from the disk is lost.

They are not available to the user for viewing or copying.

RAW hard drive partition

There are times when as a result virus attack or damage, only one of the disk partitions will appear as RAW.

When you try to open this Windows disk will report an error and the need to format it.

Formatting such a partition will make it available for further use, but will lead to the loss of all data stored on it.

Reasons why a hard drive or partition may become RAW

The reasons can be very diverse, but if we summarize them, the following can be called the main ones.

For the entire disk:

Connection or drive cable problems. Sometimes a hard drive can be detected as RAW if its connection cable is damaged or there is poor contact in the connector.
Broken sectors. Having a large number of bad sectors on a disk can damage its file system.
Damage to the file system structure. In addition to a large number of bad sectors, the file system can also be damaged for other reasons.
Partition table damage. Regardless of the reasons for the damage to the partition table, if it is damaged, the entire disk will be detected as RAW.
Reinstalling or restoring the operating system.
As a result of exposure to viruses. Malicious software can change or delete important settings or information on your hard drive.

For a disk partition:

Viruses. Virus programs can, for example, damage the part of the hard disk partition table that indicates the beginning and end of the partition.
Reinstalling Windows.
Quantity hard drives and sections. Too much a large number of disks and partitions on the computer can lead to the appearance of RAW partitions.

Methods for restoring a RAW disk

If Windows boots, and the data from the RAW disk has no value for the user.

This is the easiest and fastest way to restore the functionality of a RAW disk or partition.

In this case, it is enough to simply format it in order to be able to use it in the future.

It, of course, does not imply saving or restoring data, but the user must understand that such a possibility exists.

If Windows reports an error and the need to format it, just click the “Format disk” button.

Fig.2 Formatting the disk

If the operating system does not inform the user about the error, but after checking the properties of the disk, the absence of a file system is visible or the disk is not displayed in the “This PC” folder, then you can format it using the Disk Management menu (Fig. 3).

To do this, go to Disk Management by right-clicking on the Start menu.

In the window that opens, find a disk with the RAW file system (it will be signed as such), right-click on it and select Format.

When Windows boots, it is important not to lose data from the RAW disk.

If the data of a disk or partition that is defined as RAW is important to you, then do not rush to format it.

First, try checking such a disk for errors and fixing them. This may restore its functionality.

For this:

Go to Disk Management (see above).
Remember the drive letter of the RAW file system.

Note: if the drive does not have a letter, assign one to it. To do this, right-click on the desired drive and select “Change drive letter or drive path” (Fig. 4).

Run Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this, right-click on the Start menu and select “Command Prompt (Admin).”
Enter the command chkdsk D: /f (instead of D: - specify your drive letter) and press Enter (Fig. 5).

After running the command, the process of checking and correcting errors will begin. Often, after checking, Windows reports that all errors have been corrected. After that, try going to your disk again, the RAW file system should change to the one that was originally (FAT or NTFS).

If Windows does NOT boot and the disk on which the operating system is installed is defined as RAW.

If the user does not have the installation disk:

you need to disconnect the hard drive from the computer and connect it to another. Using another computer, this hard drive can be checked for errors using the method described above or scanned using a data recovery program.

If you have an installation disk available:

Boot your computer using the installation disc and select Repair your computer instead of installing.

In the recovery menu, find and select Command Prompt. Use it to check for errors on the disk on which Windows is installed.

For this:

Enter the Notepad command in the Command Prompt. As a result of executing this command, a Notepad window will open in a new window.
Select File/Open and look for availability and drive letters.

Run the Command Line to check and fix errors on the disk on which the operating system is located.

Rice. 8 Running check and execution and disk errors from the command line

Recovering data from a RAW disk using data recovery software

If none of the described methods restored the functionality of the hard drive or partition, then another way to recover disk data is data recovery programs.

There are many and varied programs for data and file recovery today.

But in this case, only the one that is capable of recovering information from a RAW disk or partition is suitable for the user.

That is, from a disk or partition from a missing or damaged file system.

Here you should pay attention to the so-called Raw Recovery or Partition Recovery programs.

The principle of their operation is similar, there may be differences in some functions and interface.

For clarity, let's look at the process of restoring data from a RAW partition using Hetman Partition Recovery(the program can be downloaded from the developer’s website).

After the user launches the program, he will be provided with a list of all disks and partitions on the computer. You need to select the RAW section and double-click on it.

In our case, this is Disk (E:).

A special feature of the program is that it recovers data from disks or partitions with any file system, which it detects automatically, without the need for the user to make additional settings.

That is, the user just needs to select the required type of analysis in the next window and wait for it to finish (in this case, it is recommended to carry out “Full analysis”).