How Can I Remove Metadata File Errors?

[Bil Green]

I have metadata file errors on all 4 of my partitions:

- Seagate Barracuda 40GB, ATA 100, 7200 RPM drive
- Dual boot XP Pro with 2000 Pro
- The errors are listed at the bottom of this message (the same error message was reported for each partition
- Most of the time everything works just great (I almost always use Windows 2000)

Just in case the metadata file errors were not caused by an existing virus (located in Windows) how about backing up the MBR, then writing zeros to the MBR and using software (such as Boot Corrector) to rebuild it?

Also, any idea of how best to search for info on finding malcode/viruses (on your system), which may have been circulated by the RIAA? (through file sharing services). Someone said this is known to cause these types of errors.

I tired a web search and so far it's been very hard to find anything on this. I use google Groups too, when searching. You'd think this would be a hot subject.

************************************************** *****
I decided to check my Seagate 40GB HD with SeaTools Desktop v3.02.03
after experiencing some intermittent problems with my Windows 2000 Pro system locking up.

I ran all the tests and the result was that the drive checked OK but all four partitions were reported to have these errors (and chkdsk /p /r does not remove these particular errors although the drive then works normally for a day or so).

I used this Seagate utility to write zeros to the Entire drive, Partition Expert to create new partitions, copied the backed up partitions, one at a time, back to the main drive (using Ghost 8.0) and still the same error reported (using SeaTools).

************************************************** *

The following errors were found while scanning the volume:

- One or more errors were found in the index
- One or more errors were found in metadata file records
- Other errors were found

***Testing the drive with Maxtor's and Gateway's utilities there are NO errors reported

[Paul Komski]

SeaTools is mainly a disk hardware checker and I would put less faith in it at detecting/repairing file system errors than chkdsk.

You dont say what format your partitions have. That having been said, it there are problems with any of the NTFS metadata files there is probably nothing that can actually be done. A workaround could be to access any NTFS partitions from another installation and copy all the files on the partition onto a FAT partition; reformat the original partition and then copy the files back.

There is metadata on FAT volumes (since metadata being data about data means that the FATs and Directory entries as well as the partition boot sector are all metadata) though the term is often used to imply NTFS partitions.

I doubt very much if the mbr is the source of your problem but running fixmbr from the recovery console should clean it up if there is any malware on it.

It goes without saying that you should have important data backed up when your system is unstable and especially before manouevres such as outlined above.

[mjc]

The Knoppix (linux) Live CD will allow read/write access to NTFS partions, so you could possibly use it to recover your data, if needed. There are several other 'live CDs' that can allow this, including BartsPE (but to build a PE you need a working XP install...)

[Paul Komski]

after experiencing some intermittent problems with my Windows 2000 Pro system locking up
Can you confirm that this is your basic problem and that running chkdsk temporarily fixes it?
I used this Seagate utility to write zeros to the Entire drive, Partition Expert to create new partitions, copied the backed up partitions, one at a time, back to the main drive (using Ghost 8.0) and still the same error reported (using SeaTools).
I forgot to comment on this but if there is an intrinsic file system problem it would have been included and reinstated in the ghost image. Directly copying THE FILES to a fat partition would remove any metadata/mft errors and as long as no critical files were corrupt should give you back a working system.