[TIP] Maintain NTFS data and complience with Microsoft NTFS

[jer1956]

Linux NTFS emulators can produce NTFS which isn't considered 100% complient when attached via Slave mode to a PC.  In particuler, the NTFS journal may be so non-complient that this may prevent Windows recognising the NTFS as NTFS if you want to run chkdsk on a PC.  That Journal non-complience can then lead to more serious issues if not addressed.


So we suggest you do the following, on a regular basis, and when firmware is changed in case the NTFS code  has been modified.

1)Create a bootmed CD using your PC.
 http://www.bootmed.com/

If you want to use a USB stick follow these instructions:-
http://www.myfixlog.com/fix.php?fid=66

2)Boot PC using Bootmed.

3)Connect X2 using USB slave mode to PC.


4)If the X2 appears on the desktop it has been mounted. This is a good sign, as drives with significant problems cannot be mounted. It does prevent the later steps from working, so it has to be dismounted.
You should click on the desktop icon, this will open the file browser and display the contents. It will also show all drives in the left pane, and you should use the grey up arrow next to the X2 to dismount it.


5)Run Gparted (icon on bootmed deskstop). Identify X2 on drop list..top right..and select.  Take note of the dev name for the NTFS partition....e.g. /dev/sdb1, and exit Gparted. Don't do anything to the partitions!!

6)Run Terminal (icon on bootmed desktop). Run the following command:-
sudo ntfsfix /dev/sdb1      (replace device name with the one you noted earlier)

7)Reboot PC using Linux shutdown (top right)..remove bootmed disk when requested.  (if using raid...you should powerdown completely as some raid controller settings may be altered by linux and the drives may not be recognised as a result).

8)When the PC boots using windows..the X2 NTFS partition should now be recognised..and persmission to run chkdsk asked. In somw cases this won't happen becuase you do indeed have a problem. If no drive letter has been given to the drive, you can try going back to stage 5 and give the NTFS partition a Volume Name using Gparted. There are other reasons that make this happen...far too many to be included in this tip.  

So you should run Command Prompt with Administrator Priveledges, and type in the following command.


chkdsk drive_letter  /f /v



P.S. If you have been using an external NTFS USB drive ..similer journal compliance issues may have occurred. You should follow the above advice with the USB drive attached to the PC.

[marlboro]

Before you give it a Volume Label and run sudo... you have to unmount the device. Mine was mounted as read/write that's why I couldn't give Volume Label and run sudo ntfsfix...

Also my chkdsk didn't run on volume label. I had to run it on drive letter.

[jer1956]

Thanks for reminding me of that. Drives with really bad problems don't get mounted.

[marlboro]

Then may be make two tutorials. One for people with problems and one for people who just want to run a check on a regular basis.

[jer1956]

Then may be make two tutorials. One for people with problems and one for people who just want to run a check on a regular basis.

...or just use "if". 

[rockdg]

Thanks for your reply

Is there any other options as this procedure is way out of my league. I have very basic PC skills. Can you confirm to me that if i connect any of my other external hard drives then the same will happen again.

Thanks Again

[jer1956]

NTFS is not the native file system for Linux. File system emulators seem to be less reliable then their native versions. Later versions of the emulator have more tools built in so that can correct issues without needing bootmed. Those should be in 2.1.0 for the X2, and 1.0.3 for the X3.