In this article, I will discuss how to fix an HDD that has changed from NTFS to RAW.
Symptoms and Causes of Disk Displaying as RAW
When a hard disk drive changes from NTFS to RAW, it can be a frustrating experience. Some common symptoms of this issue include an error message stating that the disk needs to be formatted before use, or the disk simply showing up as RAW in the file system.
This change can be caused by various factors, such as data corruption, bad sectors on the disk, improper system shutdowns, or even a virus infection. Additionally, incorrect disk management or partitioning processes can also contribute to the disk displaying as RAW.
To diagnose the problem, you can use the CHKDSK command in the command-line interface to check the disk for errors and attempt to repair them. Open Command Prompt by pressing Windows Key + R, then type cmd.exe and press Enter. In the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk /f X: (replace X with the letter of the RAW disk) and press Enter.
Another possible solution is to use a third-party tool like EaseUS Partition Master to recover and repair the RAW disk. This software can help you recover lost data, fix file system errors, and convert the disk back to NTFS.
If the issue persists after attempting these solutions, it may be necessary to seek professional help to recover the data on the disk and repair any underlying hardware issues that may be causing the problem.
Effective Methods for Resolution
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Use CMD to Convert RAW to NTFS:
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialogue box.
- Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.
- Type chkdsk /f G: (replace G: with the drive letter of the RAW HDD) and press Enter.
- Type chkdsk /r G: and press Enter.
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Use Data Recovery Software:
- Download and install a reliable data recovery software program.
- Run the software and select the RAW HDD as the target drive.
- Follow the software instructions to recover and save your data to a different storage device.
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Format RAW HDD to NTFS:
- Open Disk Management by pressing Win + X and selecting Disk Management.
- Right-click on the RAW HDD and select Format.
- Choose NTFS as the file system and follow the on-screen instructions to format the drive.
Data Recovery and Conversion Strategies
When dealing with a hard disk drive that has changed from NTFS to RAW, it is crucial to act quickly to recover your data and convert the drive back to its original state.
First, try using a data recovery tool such as EaseUS Partition Master to retrieve any valuable information from the RAW drive. This software can help you recover lost or inaccessible files and folders.
If the data recovery tool is unable to retrieve your files, you may need to convert the RAW drive back to NTFS. To do this, you can use the Command Prompt on Windows. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator and type “diskpart” to enter the Diskpart utility.
Once in Diskpart, follow these steps:
1. Type “list volume” to display all the volumes on your computer.
2. Identify the RAW drive by looking at the “Type” column.
3. Type “select volume X” (replace X with the volume number of the RAW drive).
4. Type “format fs=ntfs quick” to convert the RAW drive back to NTFS.
After the conversion process is complete, your hard disk drive should be back to its original state and you should be able to access your files again.
FAQ
Why is my hard disk showing RAW instead of NTFS?
Your hard disk is showing RAW instead of NTFS because the system does not recognize the file structure on the partition. This could be due to the drive being formatted for a different system, like Mac®, or if the partition has become corrupted.
Why is my hard drive suddenly RAW?
Your hard drive may suddenly become RAW due to various reasons such as an unsupported file system, damaged file system structure, or being part of a spanned volume or RAID.
How to restore NTFS from RAW?
To restore NTFS from RAW, you can format the RAW partition using Disk Management. Simply right-click on the RAW partition, select Format, choose to perform a quick format, and confirm the action.
How do I fix a RAW hard drive format?
To fix a RAW hard drive format, you can access Disk Management by right-clicking on “This PC” and choosing Manage. From there, select your RAW partition or disk, right-click, and choose Format. Select a file system (such as NTFS) and give it a name. Click Start to begin formatting the drive.
