Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
From: Jim Augherton
I would go into setup and make sure that the hard drive is configured properly. Already had it
happen.
From: Tim Payne
Sometimes you need to run a check on a disk but you can't get it to load NT to run it. For
example, you get an inaccessible boot device. One way to run the check is as follows:
• Take a set of Windows NT Setup Boot floppies and begin a new install.
• If you don't have a set of boot floppies, you can make a set from the Windows NT CD. Run
Winnt32/ox from the i386 directory.
• Do not upgrade but choose 'N' for a new install. When prompted for a directory name, choose
WINNT2 by simply adding a '2' to the suggested location, which is the current location of your
crashed NT. Choose
• "Leave the Current File System intact" when given the partition choices.
By installing to the same partition you will be given the chance to do a complete scan. Do the
thorough scan and when it's complete, you will see a message that indicates that changes
were made and to press 'F8' to restart your computer and begin the setup. Remove your
floppy and/or your CD-ROM. When your machine reboots you will see your familiar boot menu
and the process continuing normally. What's left is to log in to your regular installation. There
will be no WINNT2 directory or changes to your boot.ini but simply your repaired NT
installation. If this does not work, or CHKDSK cannot be run the MFT may be corrupt. Here is
the solution to that one.
1. If you have a second boot of NT on another partition you may be able to boot into this to do
the repair. Otherwise mount the disk on separate system running Windows NT, assigning it a
known drive letter.
2. Execute Dskprobe.exe from the NT4 resource kit.
3. From the Drives menu, select Logical Volume.
4. From within the 'Open Logical Volume' window, double click on the drive letter of the
corrupted volume.
5. Remove the check from 'Read Only' check box and select the 'Set Active' button. This
establishes a handle to this volume. NTFS maintains an exact copy of the first records of the
MFT in the MFT mirror. The next few steps copy
the first four records from the MFT mirror to the MFT, fixing the MFT.
6. Select 'Read' from the 'Sectors' menu.
7. In the 'Read Sectors' window, if 'Starting Sectors' does not already read "0", type in the
number "0" and select the 'Read' button.
8. Select 'NTFS BootSector' from the View menu.
9. From within the NTFS information window, select the 'Go' button next to 'Clusters to MFT'
field. The Sector "X" for 1 that is displayed in the Title Bar is the cluster number that begins
the MFT, WRITE THAT "X" NUMBER DOWN.
10. Once again repeat 6 and 7 to return to the BootSector 11. Next, from within the NTFS
information window, select the 'Go' button next to 'Clusters to MFT Mirr' field. You have just
selected the spot where the copy of the first few records of the MFT exists, you will copy and
paste from here:
