[AccessD] Horror of horrors

Tue Jan 10 19:43:20 CST 2023

I mean, I may be biased as I type on my X1 Carbon. lol

On Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 7:39 PM Bill Benson <bensonforums at gmail.com> wrote:

> Probably a narrowed view on my part. I appreciate your perspective Ryan and
> I retract the sample size of 1 overreaching pan.
>
> On Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 8:36 PM Ryan W <wrwehler at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > LOL. All I recommend are Lenovo. But mostly their business class laptops,
> > not the crud you find at Best Buy.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 7:34 PM Bill Benson <bensonforums at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > “Prevent this going forward”
> > >
> > > How I accomplished that goal was taking my Lenovo back to Best Buy and
> > > never buying that brand again.
> > >
> > > On Mon, Jan 9, 2023 at 6:50 PM John Colby <jwcolby at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > OK I have file history set up on drive E:  Sadly only for the last
> few
> > > > weeks.  I have no idea what is in there though.
> > > >
> > > > Once I get this all figured out I will be looking at how to prevent
> > this
> > > > kinda stuff going forwards.
> > > >
> > > > The bottom line is that I can get at a command prompt via this
> > X:Windows
> > > > thing that is kinda booting.  I have a usb doodad for holding a drive
> > > and I
> > > > am going to do a real drive image recovery disk on that.  And
> actually
> > > try
> > > > a recovery immediately afterwards so it works.
> > > >
> > > > On Mon, Jan 9, 2023 at 6:15 PM James Button via AccessD <
> > > > accessd at databaseadvisors.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Also  - if the drive is a hard drive then the sectors with the
> data -
> > > > NTFS
> > > > > $MFT
> > > > > etc. may well still be where they were
> > > > > And simply restating the partition table entry could  make the
> > > partition
> > > > > accessible
> > > > > - many data recovery facilities can recover 'deleted' partitions
> or
> > > > > reset the
> > > > > partition format type entry
> > > > > Also - MBR mode will - hopefully have a simple 4 partition block
> > > > > GDP has a more complicated setup with a copy of the partition
> > > definitions
> > > > > towards the end of the drive, as well as a possibility of a BIOS
> type
> > > MBR
> > > > > partition specification.
> > > > >
> > > > > SSD devices are far more likely to be unrecoverable as the LBA
> Block
> > id
> > > > > that
> > > > > windows will expect to be fixed will be linked to an actual memory
> > > block
> > > > > entry
> > > > > within the SSD controlling data
> > > > > And expect every write to get put onto a different block of the
> > > storage,
> > > > > with
> > > > > the link adjusted to point to that different block of storage.
> > > > >
> > > > > Also to consider - UEFI implications - although (AFAIK) most
> windows
> > > PC's
> > > > > will
> > > > > have been set to allow 'legacy' devices to be booted using MBR/BIOS
> > > type
> > > > > setup-
> > > > > avoiding the UEFI security
> > > > > And there may be a system (FAT mode) partition associated with the
> > Boot
> > > > and
> > > > > UEFI/OS selection entries.
> > > > >
> > > > > A primary question - do you have a "recovery' diskette (USB stick)
> -
> > as
> > > > > that
> > > > > should contain the partition entries
> > > > >
> > > > > Additionally,
> > > > > At startup the PC will probably be accessing partitions by port,
> and
> > > > > specification location within the partition specification table(s)
> > > > > Until actual startup of the OS  the partitions do not actually have
> > > > > partition
> > > > > letters, so you should try looking at the storage device partition
> > > > > specifications and looking for use by their sizes.
> > > > > OK - newer versions of Windows want a partition to be assigned a
> > letter
> > > > > and may
> > > > > ignore that if an earlier 'mounted' partition has been assigned
> that
> > > > letter
> > > > > Also windows startup can still get confused if there are multiple
> > > > > 'internal' or
> > > > > at least connected at startup time drives with the same letter
> > assigned
> > > > to
> > > > > partitions
> > > > > so - having an additional partition as well as the usual OS one
> > > specified
> > > > > to be
> > > > > "C:"  may have the boot, or the OS startup  consider the interloper
> > > > > partition to
> > > > > be C, and the OS gets ignored, or assigned a different letter.
> > > > >
> > > > > Do you have a 'system image' backup set
> > > > > And maybe a OS partition backup
> > > > > Technique would be ( after trying other options)  to do the system
> > > image
> > > > > restore, then update the OS partition with the later partition
> image.
> > > > >
> > > > > BUT - first -
> > > > > What is the device type
> > > > > What partitions should be on it - are they there
> > > > > Any partition management software should report that !
> > > > >
> > > > > Contact the system 'supplier' and labeller  ( store you got it
> from)
> > > and
> > > > > whoever
> > > > > calls themselves the 'manufacturer' - maybe just the label glue-er
> > > > > Backup your data from the partitions you can access.
> > > > > Consider paying any extra to get a ('PE') restore facility that
> will
> > > copy
> > > > > an
> > > > > image to a drive on a new PC, then update that partition with
> drivers
> > > > that
> > > > > match
> > > > > the new PC.
> > > > >
> > > > > Unless the problem was caused by some identifiable action on your
> > part
> > > -
> > > > or
> > > > > mains problem
> > > > > Then I would consider the storage unit to be untrustworthy
> > > > > The problem may be with the motherboard or malware - but how will
> you
> > > > know
> > > > >
> > > > > Sorry I cannot be more enthusiastically specific about the chances
> -
> > > but
> > > > > there
> > > > > are many options in setup, and many possible causes for the problem
> > > > >
> > > > > If the data on the lost partition is important then maybe contact a
> > > data
> > > > > recovery organisation -
> > > > > and put a cost cap on their work, with a requirement that the
> device
> > be
> > > > > returned
> > > > > even if not recoverable,
> > > > > so you can ask the supplier for a replacement, or
> > > restitution/recompense
> > > > > for the
> > > > > costs associated with the device failure
> > > > >
> > > > > JimB
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: AccessD
> > > > > <accessd-bounces+jamesbutton=blueyonder.co.uk at databaseadvisors.com
> >
> > On
> > > > > Behalf Of
> > > > > Helmut Kotsch via AccessD
> > > > > Sent: Monday, January 9, 2023 10:29 PM
> > > > > To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> > > > > <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> > > > > Cc: Helmut Kotsch <hkotsch at arcor.de>
> > > > > Subject: Re: [AccessD] Horror of horrors
> > > > >
> > > > > You might be booting from an USB Drive / stick without knowing.
> > > > >
> > > > > Helmut
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> > > > > Von: AccessD [mailto:accessd-bounces+hkotsch=
> > > > arcor.de at databaseadvisors.com
> > > > > ]
> > > > > Im Auftrag von John Colby
> > > > > Gesendet: Montag, 9. Januar 2023 23:12
> > > > > An: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> > > > > Betreff: [AccessD] Horror of horrors
> > > > >
> > > > > I tried to boot my laptop today and it went into an endless boot
> > loop /
> > > > > repair.  After mych stuff I got to a command prompt and discovered
> > that
> > > > the
> > > > > c: drive is now a raw" disk.
> > > > >
> > > > > It is booting to an X: drive which is a very basic system.  It
> > contains
> > > > > windows but no users or anything else useful.  No idea where it (X)
> > is
> > > > > coming from.
> > > > >
> > > > > I keep all my dev off on a D: disk which I can do a dir on and see
> > all
> > > my
> > > > > files (whew) but my boot disk (c:) is nowhere to be found.
> > > > >
> > > > > So.... has anyone experienced this and more importantly figured out
> > how
> > > > to
> > > > > get the c: drive back to an NTFS system?  IOW recover the boot
> > > > > drive(partition)
> > > > >
> > > > > Luckily I have my old computer which is what I am using now.  The
> > "new"
> > > > > computer is my new Lenovo Legion Pro and I really want to get it
> > > > recovered
> > > > > without a format reinstall, although that would not be the end of
> the
> > > > > world.  I took the boot drive from this HP Pavillion, put it on
> > another
> > > > > disk and used that to boot the Lenovo (to keep all of the multitude
> > of
> > > > > installed programs intact).  Windows 10 did an admirable job of
> > booting
> > > > and
> > > > > working doing that.  I have been using the Lenovo for many many
> > months
> > > > > now.
> > > > >
> > > > > Until today.
> > > > >
> > > > > Can anyone help me with this?
> > > > > --
> > > > > John W. Colby
> > > > > Colby Consulting
> > > > > --
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> > > > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> > > > >
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> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > John W. Colby
> > > > Colby Consulting
> > > > --
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> > > >
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