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What is this Raw File System

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Sometimes a damaged volume may look like it lost its file system and CHKDSK tool will complain that file system is raw

The type of the file system is RAW.

this is a curious issue as seen here

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what the hell is a RAW file system?—

https://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/community/columns/inside/techans9.mspx?mfr=true

what the hell is a RAW file system?—is easy enough to answer. It's simply a disk partition that has not been

formatted with an NT file system, neither FAT nor NTFS.

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so what is this raw or as said raw file system, it is nothing but a system supplied file system driver that is the

"last resort" for all I/O requests requiring file system support. When the I/O manager calls active file systems

to mount a volume, RAW is always called last because it supports all disk and tape media.

However, RAW supplies very primitive file handling capabilities. That is, it does not impose any on-disk file

structure or metadata structures for the information about the media; it simply allows read/write access

to the logical blocks on the physical disk. For example, it treats the whole disk as a single file and supplies

physical-disk-level access to the disk.

 

If a device is being driven in raw mode, it has no function driver and no upper or lower-level filter drivers.

All raw-mode I/O is done by the bus driver and optional bus filter drivers.

 

Note, however, that a bus driver does not handle read and write requests for the devices on its bus.

Read and write requests to a device are handled by the device's function driver only. Only if the device

is being used in raw mode does the parent bus driver handle reads and writes for the device.

ok the above extract is from DDK ...now lets see where can i see this happening

 

raw2

 

 

here you see that it is for rawtape, rawcdrom, rawdisk (I am using device and driver explorer here )

 

raw

 

 

so how can i reproduce this issue--raw file system reported by chkdsk --we can use dskprobe from https://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/library/006902f1-bae9-4055-9ad2-123ea19006b71033.mspx 

and repro this issue ( please do not try this on a production or home machine -you may loose data)

There are two places where we store file system information as seen below

1 MBR partition Table

2 Volumes' boot sector

When the file system information provided on these 2 sectors of disk is not good you may see chkdsk reporting raw file

system (though the data is still there)

 

disk

 

disk2

 

disk4

 

A Raw volume is a volume that was never formatted and does not contain a File System

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/929662

 

so just to play i did same on my test machine and removed OEM ID string on D drives Volume boot sector and yes this is

my production machine containing lots of data, Now when i try to access D drive it asks do you want to format it...

..Of course NOT

As if we format we will lose all the data on D drive.

I tried running Chkdsk and you can see results below. It says, type of File System is raw. Chkdsk is not available for raw drives.

I reversed my changes using dskprobe again (added NTFS IN OEM ID string) and Yes my data is back and D drive is accessible.

 image

 

===========================

Gaurav Anand

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    September 20, 2008
    hi: I have problems like you had with the drive file system not recognized. I tried to run dskprobe but I can't find it on my system. I have a win 2000 pro with sp4 and dskprobe is not there. Is it possible that you send me a copy of it with any other file required to run it. I have a lot of data on my disk and I don't want to loose it. Another thing, this 'device and drivers explorer' what is it and how can I get a copy of it? Please, mail me some info. my e-mail is     sgt_fig1@hotmail.com     I promise that NOTHING illegal will take place. Thank you for any help that you may give me. Jorge

  • Anonymous
    October 01, 2008
    I have a problem with my disk. Same problem as yours, but i can't find the diskprobe, can you gave an idea, where i can find those files. and also the device and drivers explorer. what is it? how can i get thoses file? can you send me those files. thanks! catherinerodil@yahoo.com

  • Anonymous
    October 04, 2008
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    October 27, 2008
    Looks like that the dskprobe is only available in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. I hope it works on xp because i can try it on another computer. If only on 2003 im el'screwdo.

  • Anonymous
    November 13, 2008
    i downloaded dskprobe from here http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=49AE8576-9BB9-4126-9761-BA8011FABF38&displaylang=en

  • Anonymous
    November 13, 2008
    And the DeviceTree i downloaded from here http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?article=97 you have to register

  • Anonymous
    December 18, 2008
    I had trouble finding Diskprobe (even online from Microsoft).  After some research and some thinking, I decided to search my computer for a copy.  I found it on the new CD that I made when I slipsreamed Windows Service Pack 3 onto my original Windows XP CD.  You can check your cd for a copy.  It may be on older versions as well.  Look under Support Tools.

  • Anonymous
    April 06, 2009
    i use a netac 2gb pendrive and it just stoped workin. i tried formatin it and it said can not cos it was  a raw system

  • Anonymous
    April 08, 2009
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 24, 2009
    i just wanna take my files back, when ever i try to explore my partition, it says do u want to format it  now, and yes its RAW file system, i just wanna take backup for my files and i don't care about the hard disk.. please help. e-mail me there Careless00045@yahoo.com thanx alot.  

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2009
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 13, 2009
    i have to donelod to rowfilesystem

  • Anonymous
    August 29, 2009
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    August 30, 2009
    ok well.. these tools would be nice if i knew exactly where to find the right sectors and what not.. my laptop hdd is the one with the problem.. it boots into windows just fine.. but when i try to schedule the chkdsk through the drive properties it just closes on me and doesnt ask to schedule.. so i type it in the cmd prompt. it asked me there so i say yes of course.. when i restart it to do the chkdsk it says its RAW and whatnot.. ive been looking all over for the solution.. i even tried running ZAR and still no luck. plz help.. ?  my email is austalapasta@gmail.com

  • Anonymous
    November 06, 2009
    what can be done to solve the problem of RAW filling system

  • Anonymous
    November 28, 2009
    I bought dvd-r memorex, to make a recovery disk in windows xp home edition, but the dvds are o space available with a raw system, i tried to format them but couldn't, can some one help me???

  • Anonymous
    April 05, 2010
    I was given a RAW message for my 40GB 2.O Hard drive (MAXTOR 6L040J2) I was denied access to Drive Z: I shut down my Computer. Signed in as administrator  gave permission for everything removed all passowords. I am using XP for the PC.  I wanted to use external drive to transfer files to Notebook with VISTA Restarted computer. At command prompt entered "Convert Z: f/NTFS" This time, message stated the Z was NTFS Entered  Chkdsk/f Z: System processed command; fixed errors on several levels -- mirror etc. Entered Dir Z: All files restored. Have tested disk by adding and retreiving files. Thank  you, Sammc

  • Anonymous
    April 05, 2010
    Also, when I first attempted to save files to external USB drive from VISTA notebook, received message than I could not save files, contact administrator. I selected the external drive's properties and changed to  "Sharing" with "Everyone" having full rights because  I am the only one using the notebook. I can change it back. This change allowed me to have full access to the drive without being concerned about whether I am logged in as adminstrator.

  • Anonymous
    September 11, 2010
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 13, 2010
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 23, 2010
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 23, 2010
    Download TestDisk from:  www.cgsecurity.org/.../TestDisk_Download Source: www.techsupportforum.com/.../192014-my-file-system-now-raw-help.html

  • Anonymous
    January 26, 2011
    I went and downloaded the TestDisk and the PhotoRec software from the link www.cgsecurity.org/.../TestDisk_Download and found that the PhotoRec software works great! and I mean GREAT! Thanks so much for the link. I will find someway to donate. Thanks again.

  • Anonymous
    February 20, 2011
    Three words of advice: Zero Assumption Recovery. zero-assumption-recovery.findmysoft.com

  • Anonymous
    May 25, 2011
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    July 07, 2011
    with the help of diagram explain what actually happen to the computer system when the user type a raw data such as 2*3(67-4) ?

  • Anonymous
    July 11, 2011
    Jfaun try this download.cnet.com/.../3000-2248_4-75279786.html it will hel you to recover data from your partition

  • Anonymous
    September 03, 2011
    my 8 gb usb showning raw fil system i dont need data i need my usb back to wrok ......? plz help

  • Anonymous
    May 27, 2012
    When raw drive comes to a hard disk or memory card, the file system shows raw and it would notice you the drive is not formatted. And you will see your data to be 0 byte. Converting raw to ntfs or fat is possible with testdisk for free. Tips, if you want to recover your data, you should use free tool like icare data recovery free edition to free restore files in raw drive.

  • Anonymous
    December 12, 2012
    Actually, in some degree, RAW drive problem is not a serious problem as log as you take the right steps. <1>. Stop writing anything new on this thumb drive immediately in case of overwriting the original data, which can cause permanent data loss. <2>. Download a recovery program on your computer and run it. In my experience, you can apply a free and reliable recovery program, which I have tried to retrieve inaccessible files from my RAW drive. It doesn’t let me down. Now I have regained these files and made my RAW drive workable as before. You can read about it here: www.squidoo.com/how-to-make-a-raw-drive-to-work-again-without-losing-data <3>. Preview your recovered files to see whether they are recovered rightly. <4>. Save the recovered files in a different drive in case of recovery failure. <5>. Never forget to format your drive to make it usable again after the recovery stuff. <6>. Back up your important files as possible as you can in the future.

  • Anonymous
    April 27, 2014
    To solve the raw file system problem, you can use M3 RAW to NTFS Converter and M3 RAW to FAT32 Converter to change you RAW file system to its previous file system without data loss.

  • Anonymous
    September 22, 2015
    The comment has been removed