What Is NTFS Partition Recovery? - Ask Data Recovery

NTFS Partition Recovery

Computers depend on file systems to organize and manage the data on a hard drive. The file system on a computer is similar to any other organized file system, with drawers encompassing more specific folders down to the document level. Think of it as the difference between being able to find a document neatly filed in a drawer versus attempting to find a file in a room full of papers with no organization whatsoever. Thus, with a file system, computers can find data quickly and make better use of the space on the hard drive.

Partitions can be thought of as the ?drawers? on a hard drive, or even the file cabinets themselves depending on how complex the file structure is. Separating a hard drive into partitions separates critical operating areas on a computer; in most cases, the operating system is held on a separate partition from other files. With multiple partitions, the memory can be used more efficiently by keeping related programs, files, and folders stored closely together.

Because it is more efficient and helps protect the data on a hard drive, most computers are set up with partitions. There are several different types of file systems in use today, the most common including Hierarchical File System (HFS) for Mac and versions of File Allocation Table (FAT), and New Technology File System (NTFS) for Windows. When partitions on an NTFS file system fail, the process to retrieve the data stored on those partitions is known as NTFS partition recovery.
What NTFS Does

NTFS was first introduced in the mid-1990s, and is widely regarded as a better file system than FAT or HFS, though all three systems are used on modern computers. The most recent versions of NTFS are a vast improvement over earlier versions of NTFS and FAT, since they have the ability to record what are known as metadata changes, or changes that impact the entire volume. This allows unwanted changes to be rolled back to a previous state if the changes cause the system to behave unpredictably.

NTFS also allows for alternate data streams, which are alternate file names that are not directly reported in Windows Explorer, the way most users view files. While this is convenient in some cases for NTFS to FAT portability and cloning, it can cause issues; by using alternate data streams, malware such as viruses can more easily hide on an NTFS volume. Aggressive malware can cause NTFS partitions to become corrupt.

Since it supports an efficient encryption system, known as Encrypting File System or EFS, NTFS is frequently deployed as the file system of choice for hard drives containing secure data. NTFS with EFS makes it easier for users who lose or forget their encryption key to retrieve encrypted data; many encryption systems make it impossible for encrypted data to be recovered once the key is lost.

?

How to Do NTFS Partition Recovery

If an NTFS drive is sectioned into partitions, the failure of one partition usually will not cause the entire system to crash, unless the partition that is failing is the one on which the boot system is held. With a well partitioned system that has been disk checked regularly, the partitions will act as buffers against one another, helping to separate and protect the data on each partition from more widespread problems. Still, if a partition on an NFTS volume fails or is deleted, the user will need to do NTFS partition recovery to retrieve the data on that partition.

A failed partition can be caused by malware, accidental reformatting, or other errors. If an NTFS partition is damaged, error messages such as ?NTFS partition is not supported? or ?NTFS partition not accessible.? These messages cannot be overcome by inexperienced users without using NTFS partition recovery software such as DiskInternals NTFS Recovery, which can help recover data from the damaged partition, while tools such as DTIData NTFS Partition Repair can repair the damaged partition.

In any NTFS partition recovery situation, you should always attempt to recover data from the damaged partition before attempting any repairs. Repairing a failing partition can overwrite the data on that partition, causing it to be lost forever. Even if a software package promises to do both, be sure to run recovery and store the data retrieved on another hard drive before beginning any repairs. It?s also a good idea to clone or back up the files on other partitions at the same time, just in case.

Source: http://www.askdatarecovery.com/what-is-ntfs-partition-recovery/

epiphany