Format the raw file system. RAW file system

Almost every user has encountered a RAW file system error, and wondered how to return NTFS. To begin with, I would like to dwell in more detail on the reasons for the appearance of this very RAW and give a little terminology.

So, RAW is not a file system at all. In this way, the OS identifies the unknown structure. By the way, RAW is translated from English as raw material / raw material. NTFS - New Technology File System, translated from English - the file system of the new technology.
You can name a number of signs that will help identify the problem when accessing a particular section or section. Windows may return the following dialog boxes and messages:

The following factors can contribute to resetting the disk structure to the RAW type from NTFS and the appearance of such errors:

• a sharp jump in voltage;
• incorrect disconnection of disks from power supply;
• incorrect OS update at any stage;
• bad sectors;
• unstable work motherboard;
• damaged cables;
• virus attack;
• if an error occurs on a usb screw / flash drive, the connector itself should also be checked.

There are a number of ways to return the file system to NTFS from RAW, but we will start with the one that minimizes the risks and helps preserve the data structure and the data itself. So, how do you return a RAW drive to NTFS without losing data? Consider several ways in order, starting with the simplest.

Classic restart

No matter how trite it may sound, but a simple reboot sometimes helps to return the file system from RAW to NTFS. This is due to a temporary glitch. If this method does not help, move on.

Checking connections

1. If you have a desktop PC and it is not under warranty, open the system unit and carefully check the integrity of all wires, connections and their tight fit. The check did not find anything, just try to reconnect the disk to a free slot on the motherboard.
2. If a netbook / laptop, regardless of whether it is under warranty or not, contact the SC.
3. If we are talking about removable media, reconnect it to another usb connector. If the situation repeats, check usb performance with another device - mouse, keyboard, other media, etc.

First you need to exclude a physical malfunction, and then move on to a software solution. Did the above methods not help to return the file system from RAW to NTFS? Move on.

Check Disk will help with NTFS

Checks hard drives and removable media for bugs in the file system with further correction. In some cases, this will help return the PC to a working state.
Run cmd with elevated privileges:

Can't access cmd?

The situations are completely different: if Windows does not boot, then there is no access to the command line. Naturally, there is no way to run the Check Disk utilities with SFC.

1. Use live discs on CD/DVD/flash drive.
2. Use a boot disk or flash drive to recover NTFS:

To avoid errors, use the DiskPart utility:

After the reboot, do not forget to return the boot device - install the system disk.

If you have a desktop PC, the hard drive can be disconnected and connected to another and from another operating system run check.

Antivirus will return NTFS

Check the system for viruses. The following will help:

• MALWAREBYTES - trial version works fully for 14 days, you can download it from the official site.
  https://ru.malwarebytes.com/premium
• Dr.Web CureIt! - free for use at home, you can download from the developer's website by clicking on the link.
  https://free.drweb.ru/download+cureit+free.
  Having ruled out a virus attack, and if it was not possible to return a normal file system, we proceed to further instructions.

Formatting or how to return NTFS

One of simple ways to return the normal state of the hard drive is to format the disk, but this can only be done if nothing important is stored on it. You can convert RAW to NTFS using the built-in Windows utility - diskmgmt.msc.

Third party tools to help the NTFS file system

Proven third-party tools that have proven themselves from the best side can also return the file system from RAW to NTFS.

Recuva - from the well-known developer Piriform, they also created CCleaner.

We will download the program from the official site and select the version with a free license.

Every operating system has storage devices, and they require a file system to function. With its help, a computer converts information (photos, music, videos) into a binary system, in other words, into a language understandable to itself. After that, the data is sorted and further transformed for viewing by the user.

Storage devices This is a very vulnerable piece of equipment. Damage occurs both in the logical partition and in the physical one. Most hard drive problems are fatal and require hardware replacement, but there are fixable problems. File system RAW is of this type.

Raw file system - what is it?

As mentioned earlier, the hard drive has a file system. The most popular are NTFS and FAT, which can be used for both hard drives and flash drives.

But what exactly is the RAW file system? No matter how contradictory it may sound, but this is the absence of any system at all! In other words, this is a critical error of the existing file system and Windows does not recognize it. It occurs due to the inoperability of the file system. Because of Technical information media information is not displayed and file access is violated.

Consider the features of the RAW system
1. Access to the device is denied, and if the file system on your computer or laptop is out of order, Windows will not boot and you will see an error.
2. If such an incident occurred with a removable drive, an ad will pop up, where it will be said about the need for formatting.
3. Open the "properties" of the drive and in the column of displayed information, you will see "File system type - RAW".

Why is the RAW file system on a flash drive?
For such drastic changes to the file system to occur, one reason from the “gentleman's set” is enough:

• Incorrect shutdown of the computer, power surge and disconnection of the computer from the network when the USB flash drive is connected! Such treatment can also affect the computer's file system, causing fatal problems with other components.
• Operating system crashes can also cause this problem.
• The most common cause is a viral infection. Still, not fools came up with the idea of ​​installing anti-virus programs.
• Physical damage to the drive, which can also cause loss of information.
• Processes occurring at the level of the file system structure. Problems with the boot sector, broken partition geometry values, etc.

The appearance of the RAW file system is not fatal in most cases, and recovery of user data is possible. There are exceptions, this is due to physical damage incompatible with life.
It is recommended to contact the service center, where specialists will carry out the necessary operations to restore the flash drive and the data on it. This can be done on your own, but you should be very careful not to aggravate the situation and not lose all the information.

To return the NTFS file system, you can use one of these programs:

• Hard Disk Format Tool,
• Recovery Tool,
• Acronis Disk Manager.
• Online service - RecoveryOnLine.
• Reformat the disk to NTFS using ms windows.

If the use of these programs did not help solve the problem, then in the world repository you need to find out which controller the drive has and reflash it, but this is a very difficult procedure and even experienced users may not be able to handle it. Even if such manipulations did not help, then your flash card is dead.

A person is faced with changing the format of the disk file system to RAW, as a rule, due to the fact that the computer was not shut down correctly. You will agree that there are many such cases - either the light will disappear, or you are in a hurry somewhere and you automatically pull out the power cord from the outlet. Yes, but everything happened to me not “like people”. I took a flash drive from a friend, I wanted to transfer a video to myself - but there were so many viruses on this medium that I still have to rake it. Among them, by the way, were those that change NTFS to RAW HDD format. However, I managed to deal with this problem relatively quickly. So if an unwanted format has appeared and you want to eliminate it, then read about it further.

A little theory about what kind of system it is - RAW?

If the disk has changed the format to RAW, Windows will display it among other sections of the hard drive. But when you try to open it, the computer will indicate an error and a window will appear with a suggestion to format it. What is more unpleasant is that all actions with this volume will become impossible, including checking for errors, defragmenting, and all many others.

The whole problem is that the RAW file system does not exist in nature. Basically. At all. If a message appears stating that the disk has received such formatting, this will indicate that the computer driver cannot determine the type of its file system - NTFS, FAT or FAT32. This can happen under the following circumstances:

• The file system structure has been corrupted;
• The partition was not formatted;
• There is no correct access to the contents of the volume.

It is important to note that if volume corrupted with the OS, then when the computer boots, a window will pop up - the warning “Reboot and select proper boot device” or “Operating System not found”.

Raw format of hdd disks appeared How to fix it?

How is this kind of situation resolved?

In my case, only regular Windows tools should have been used, since the failure was on a non-system drive that stored a large amount of important information. Formatting was excluded anyway. Yes, to be honest, I would like to reinstall the system in general, but only because of a few documents that I forgot to copy to the “cloud”, I had to “play” with all this.

What Windows tools should be used to resolve this issue?

First of all, to fix problems with formatting in RAW, you should use the standard chkdsk utility. Below is a clear, step-by-step algorithm:

1. Right-click on the Start menu and then Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Type: chkdsk target_disk_letter: /f.

After the check is carried out, the computer will repair bad sectors and the NTFS file system on the affected volume. Again, this technique works only if the flash drive or hard drive was in NTFS.

In addition, using the chkdsk utility will be advisable if the system drive is affected. However, in this situation, you will need a boot disk or USB flash drive. Next, you will need to follow a strict sequence of actions:

1. Starting the PC from a bootable flash drive or disk, after that you need to click on the "System Restore" item.
2. Enter - advanced options - command line -chkdsk drive_letter: /f.

In the recovery environment, partition letters are not the same as logical drive names. In order to avoid an error, it is enough to open a list of computer partitions in the command line.

In order to find out which disk is the system disk, you must enter diskpart - list volume - and the information you need will be listed.

The flash drive has become raw. How to recover?

In this case, the way out of the problem situation is carried out using third-party software.

The software used to restore the NTFS file system, previously reformatted to RAW, does not affect the user's intel located on the volume. This is the advantage this method from using the chkdsk utility.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery

This program is good for everyone, but there is only one small drawback - it costs money. It is very easy to use it.

1. You need to activate the LostPartition recovery software, click on the required Full Scan disk, a display of the files on the USB flash drive appears.
2. You must designate the files to be saved. To do this, click on the "Save" button, then point to the desired location for saving and confirm the process.
3. After copying and checking all the files you have selected is completed, you will need to format the damaged volume.

Alternative to MiniTool Power Data Recovery - TestDisk

This program has a number of significant advantages over the previous one. TestDisk is a multifunctional, and most importantly, free utility that uses a large number of options when working with hard disk partitions. Moreover, there is a portable version of TestDisk, so there is no need to install it. However, there is a drawback that crosses out all the advantages. This program does not have a Russified interface, so you'll have to use GoogleTranslite. Or hire an interpreter. You should work with TestDisk like this:

1. Activating the file testdisk_win.exe- followed by selecting "create". Then you need to press enter, select the desired disk and enter again.
2. Next, you will need to click the “Write” item in order to save the section structure.
3. In case of ineffectiveness of the measures taken, it is necessary to use the “DeeperSearch” command, and then go through everything again.

Output

The problem under consideration is not so difficult - there are many options for solving it. But still, it is better to use only trusted flash drives and scan them for viruses before use. Indeed, in addition to these, there may be a huge number of other viruses that have much more adverse effects.

Most often, the file system of the disk changes to RAW after the computer is turned off incorrectly, when the lights are turned off, or the user saves time and unplugs the power cord of the system unit from the outlet. Another reason is viruses that change NTFS to RAW HDD format. How to fix this problem, read this article.

What is a RAW file system?

If the disk has received the RAW format, Windows will display it among other partitions of the hard drive. But when you try to open the computer, it will give an error and offer to format it. In addition, any actions with this volume will not be available: checking for errors, defragmenting, etc. (It is useful to read "How to check the integrity of Windows 10 system files and restore them?").

As such, the RAW file system does not exist. If the drive receives this format, it means that the computer drivers are not able to determine the type of its file system - NTFS, FAT or FAT32. In practice, this happens in several cases:

• the file system structure is corrupted;


• the partition has not been formatted;


• there is no correct access to the contents of the volume.

If the OS volume is damaged, "Reboot and select proper boot device" or "Operating System not found" warnings will appear when the computer boots.

Recovery

If the problem occurs on a non-system drive, but it contains important information that will be lost during formatting, use regular Windows tools or third-party programs to fix the error.

Windows tools

Basically, the standard chkdsk utility helps to fix problems with formatting in RAW.

After checking, the computer will repair bad sectors and the NTFS file system on the problematic volume.

Important! This method is effective if the flash drive or hard drive has been formatted in NTFS.

Also, the chkdsk utility will help when the system disk is damaged. But for this you need a boot disk or flash drive.

1. Start your computer with bootable flash drive or disk → Select System Restore.


2. Additional options → command line → enter chkdsk target_disk_letter: /f.

In the recovery environment, partition letters are different from logical drive names. In order not to make a mistake, open the list of computer partitions in the command line.

Enter diskpart → list volume → the list will indicate which disk is the system disk.

Third Party Programs

There are third-party programs that help restore the NTFS file system if for some reason it was reformatted to RAW. They do not damage the user information stored on the volume, in contrast to the chkdsk utility, which can “hurt” them during the recovery process.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery

Important! This method is most effective if the RAW file system appeared on the flash drive.

Test Disk

This is a multifunctional free utility that works with hard disk partitions using a large number of options. The program is presented in a portable version, so it does not require installation. The main disadvantage of TestDisk is that there is no Russified interface.

An alternative way to restore NTFS formatted partition is presented in the video.

Hello friends! The RAW file system, paradoxically, means the absence of any file system. In other words, on the C: drive of our reader (who wrote the first letter), the NTFS file system is badly damaged (the MFT file table is broken, the boot sector is incorrect, or the data in the MBR partition table is incorrect).

This happens for various reasons, errors when working with partition manager programs hard drive(Acronis Disk Director, Paragon Partition Manager), malware activity or, for example, improper computer shutdown.

How to get out of the situation with dignity? Very simply, I will offer you several options for solving the problem and describe them in detail, and you choose the one that suits you.

First way. Take off HDD, connect it to another computer and check it with the Chkdsk utility to fix file system errors.

The second way. If RAW file system appeared NOT on the C: system drive, but on some other, for example, D: drive, then you just need to boot into the operating system in the normal way and run the Chkdsk utility with the / f parameter, that is, open command line on behalf of the administrator and enter the command chkdsk D: / f , this command will start checking and further fixing the RAW file system on the D: drive, in the vast majority of cases this will solve the problem and RAW file system will be converted to normal NTFS.

How does it work in practice. More recently, my friends had a similar problem, the operating system stopped loading, giving an error.

I removed the hard drive and connected it to my computer second. There were three partitions on the hard drive of my friends, the first hidden service partition without a letter (100 MB) Windows 7, the second partition (F :) with an undefined RAW file system,

It was on this partition that the operating system files were located, when I tried to open it, I got the error "No access to F:: \. The file or folder is damaged. Reading is not possible."

With the partition (G:) everything was fine.

I opened a command prompt as an administrator and entered the command chkdsk F: /f/

Checking partition F: for file system errors has begun

And it ended successfully. Windows has made corrections to the file system. No further action is required.

As a result, the RAW file system was reconstructed into the NTFS file system and the F: drive appeared with the missing files.

You want to get rid of the RAW file system, but you don't have another computer handy.

Or you do not want to remove your hard drive from the system unit, you can do it differently - boot the computer from a Live CD or disk Windows recovery 7, or finally from the installation disk of the "seven", enter the recovery environment and run the same Chkdsk utility from the command line.

At the very beginning of the boot, the message “Press any key to boot from CD…” will appear, immediately press any key on the keyboard and the disk will be loaded.

System Restore.

Command line.

Before work, we will determine the correct letters of all drives, since they will differ in the recovery environment.