Chkdsk Can't Repair FAT32 Volume. By Jacob Luis

FAT32 is supported by Windows XP, 2003, 2000 and Vista (logical drives) and holds cluster values in 32-bit field. This file system can undergo corruption and need Data Recovery. The primary repair option is to run Chkdsk. Windows includes Chkdsk so as to check file system integrity and fix logical errors and can be run through Command Prompt or Recovery Console.

In few of the cases, the Chkdsk utility may unexpectedly quit without curing corruption. Though the corruption exists and volumes are corrupt and inaccessible, but the utility may prompt the correct file system type:

"The type of the file system is FAT32.
Volume Serial Number is C408-2213"

However, if we run Chkdsk, without the use of any command-line switches, the volume is reported corrupt and running chkdsk e: command may prompt an error, but the corruption problem may still remain the same:

"The type of the file system is FAT32.
Volume Serial Number is C408-2213

Errors found. CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode.

Reason

This is a specific problem when Boot sector (Primary program to boot the system) is corrupt. The errors lies in the way Chksk handles the Boot sector and its backup copy, which is located at sector 6 of logical drive. Ideally, Chkdsk should make use of the backup copy to offer Data Recovery, but it doesn't do this because the primary boot sector is not located in a bad sector and contains invalid information and at this condition Chkdsk fails to use the backup copy of Boot sector.

Solution

In order to gain file system repair and hence Data Recovery, this is vital that the backup copy must be restored for use. We can make use of DiskProbe utility which can replace the corrupt primary Boot sector information, placed at sector 0 with that of Boot sector copy, placed at sector 6.

DiskProbe is a GUI sector editor tool and is operable when the user has local Administrator rights. This is a specialized tool which can repair many of the disk corruption errors, replace the MBR, damaged partition table information and Boot sectors as well. But, viewing the boot sectors as a FAT boot sector through View menu can make the backup copy also corrupt and hence Data Recovery Software remain the only solutions to retrieve the lost data after formatting the drive ( Formatting refreshes the file system)

Data Recovery Software are the powerful applications which can scan the drive for lost data and then recover it. These applications are safe and interactive at Data Recovery and hence are complete to extract data.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery uses the powerful scanning algorithms and offers Data Recovery through graphically rich interface. This Data Recovery Software is compatible with FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS and NTFS5 file systems. Stellar also offers different Data Recovery Software for UNIX, Novell, Macintosh and Linux operating systems.


Jacob Luis is a student of Mass Communication doing research on Data Recovery Software. He is also a freelancer for http://www.stellarinfo.com

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