Recovering Failed NTFS/GPT Partition with 'Automatic Repair' Shows 'RAW' Diskpart

Recovering a Failed NTFS/GPT Partition with Automatic Repair and Showing RAW Diskpart

In this article, we will discuss the steps to recover a failed NTFS/GPT partition on a Windows 10 laptop. The laptop in question suffered a critical failure on the primary system drive (C:), but the user was able to get to the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and spawn a Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) shell.

Understanding the Problem

When a Windows 10 laptop experiences a critical failure on its primary system drive, it can prevent the operating system from booting up. In some cases, the drive may become inaccessible, showing up as RAW in Diskpart. This can be caused by various issues, such as file system corruption, partition table damage, or physical damage to the drive.

Using Automatic Repair to Fix the Issue

One solution to this problem is to use the Automatic Repair feature in WinRE. This feature can automatically diagnose and fix common issues that prevent Windows from booting up. To use Automatic Repair, follow these steps:

1. Boot the laptop using a Windows installation media or recovery drive.
2. Select the language, time, and keyboard settings, and then click "Next."
3. Click on "Repair your computer" in the lower-left corner of the screen.
4. Select "Troubleshoot" and then "Advanced options."
5. Select "Automatic Repair" and follow the on-screen instructions.

Once the Automatic Repair process is complete, restart the laptop and check if the issue has been resolved.

Using Diskpart to Show the Partition as RAW

If Automatic Repair was unable to fix the issue, you can use Diskpart to show the partition as RAW. This can help you identify the cause of the problem and determine the best course of action. To show the partition as RAW, follow these steps:

1. Boot the laptop using a Windows installation media or recovery drive.
2. Select the language, time, and keyboard settings, and then click "Next."
3. Click on "Repair your computer" in the lower-left corner of the screen.
4. Select "Troubleshoot" and then "Command Prompt."
5. Type the following commands and press Enter after each one:
   diskpart
list disk
select disk [disk number]
list partition
select partition [partition number]
detail partition

The "detail partition" command will show you the current file system of the partition. If it shows up as RAW, then you know that the file system is damaged or corrupted.

Fixing the Issue with CHKDSK and Diskpart

If the partition is showing up as RAW, you can try to fix the issue using the CHKDSK and Diskpart utilities. CHKDSK can scan and repair issues with the file system, while Diskpart can be used to recreate the partition table. To fix the issue, follow these steps:

1. Boot the laptop using a Windows installation media or recovery drive.
2. Select the language, time, and keyboard settings, and then click "Next."
3. Click on "Repair your computer" in the lower-left corner of the screen.
4. Select "Troubleshoot" and then "Command Prompt."
5. Type the following commands and press Enter after each one:
   diskpart
list disk
select disk [disk number]
clean
create partition primary size=[size in MB]
format fs=ntfs quick
assign letter=[drive letter]
exit

   Replace [disk number] with the number of the disk that contains the failed partition, [size in MB] with the size of the partition in MB, and [drive letter] with the desired drive letter for the partition.

References

• Microsoft Docs: What is Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)?
• Microsoft Docs: Automatic Repair in Windows Recovery Environment
• Microsoft Docs: Chkdsk
• Microsoft Docs: Diskpart