The file system type is raw USB flash drive. RAW file system: how to recover NTFS or FAT32. Reasons why a disk from NTFS and FAT32 becomes RAW

Sometimes, when connecting a USB flash drive to a computer, you may encounter a message about the need to format it, and this despite the fact that before it worked without failures. The drive can open and show files, but with strange things (incomprehensible characters in the names, documents in outlandish formats, etc.), and if you go to the properties, you can see that the file system has turned into an incomprehensible RAW, and the flash drive is not formatted by standard means. Today we are going to show you how to deal with the problem.

In general terms, the problem is of the same nature as - due to a failure (software or hardware), the OS cannot determine the type of file system of the flash drive.

Looking ahead, we note that the only way to return the drive to work is to format it with third-party applications (more functional than built-in tools), but the data saved on it will be lost. Therefore, before embarking on radical measures, it is worth trying to get information out of there.

Method 1: DMDE

Despite its small size, this program has both powerful algorithms for finding and recovering lost data and solid storage management capabilities.

The program does not require installation, so immediately run its executable file - dmde.exe.

At startup, select the language, Russian is usually indicated by default.

You will then need to accept the license agreement to continue working.

In the main application window, select your drive.

Focus on volume.
The next window will open the sections recognized by the program.

Click on the button Full Scan.
The media will start checking for lost data. Depending on the capacity of the flash drive, the process can take a long time (up to several hours), so please be patient and try not to use your computer for other tasks.
At the end of the procedure, a dialog box will appear in which you need to check the item "Rescan the current file system" and confirm by clicking on "OK".

This is also a fairly lengthy process, but should be completed faster than the initial scan. As a result, a window will appear with a list of found files.

Due to the limitations of the free version, restoring by directories is impossible, so you will have to select one file at a time, call the context menu and restore from there, with a choice of storage location.

Be prepared for the fact that some files cannot be restored - the memory areas where they were stored were irrevocably overwritten. In addition, the recovered data will most likely have to be renamed, since DMDE gives such files randomly generated names.
Having finished with the recovery, you can format the flash drive using DMDE or in any of the ways suggested in the article below.

The only drawback of this method is the limitation of the capabilities of the free version of the program.

Method 2: MiniTool Power Data Recovery

Another powerful one that can help solve our today's problem.

Like DMDE, MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a paid program, there are limitations in the free version, however, for quick recovery of small files (text documents or photos), the capabilities of the free version are quite enough.

Method 3: chkdsk utility

In some cases, RAW file system display may occur due to an accidental crash. It can be eliminated by restoring the flash drive partition map using "Command line".

As you can see, removing the RAW file system on a flash drive is very simple - manipulations do not require any extraordinary skills.

What is raw markup on hdd, memory card and usb stick. How to fix the error “chkdsk is not valid for raw disks” and return ntfs.

Quite a common problem: the contents of the memory card or hard disk are not available, Windows (7 - 10) displays the message "chkdsk is invalid for the disk". The file system format is RAW.

What is raw, is it scary and how to fix the error (returning the NTFS file system) - read here.

What is a RAW file system?

When you connect the device to the USB connector, you see in the properties of the file volume information that the flash card is of the raw file system type and is not formatted in the standard NTFS or FAT file system.

Windows OS assigns a RAW label to a volume with an undefined file system. This happens if none of the system drivers were able to recognize the file system. In the case of Windows, we are talking about FAT (32) and NTFS.

Thus, RAW is not a file system, but a sure sign of a hard disk error.

RAW disk: causes of the error

Most often, RAW markup appears if:

Unformatted disk, file volume,
Access to the file system / disk / memory card is prohibited or restricted,
Read errors, damage to the file system structure, bad blocks.

A raw disc has some symptoms that are definitely indicative of a problem with the disc. Among similar symptoms:

Wrong media type when reading disc
Windows displays a "Cancel", "Retry", "Error" window
File system in applications is displayed as RAW
The error “chkdsk is not valid for raw disks” appears
Windows asks to format the disk
File names contain non-standard characters
The message "Sector not found" appears

When does the chkdsk not valid error occur for raw disks?

Filesystem information is stored in two places:

MBR partition table
Volumes boot sector

If one of these sectors is damaged or not found, chkdsk reports that the utility is not valid for raw disks.

Why raw markup is bad

If your device has raw markup, you cannot view its contents or perform file operations. Also, the disk cannot be checked for errors or defragmented.

As a result, the files stored on the disk become inaccessible, although physically they are still there and are available for recovery by any recovery program.

Important! If your disk or partition is of the raw file system type, Windows will suggest formatting with a warning "the disk is not formatted. Do you want to format it?" (Disk not formatted do you want to format it now?).

Don't settle for this: if you format the HDD, you will lose all data on the raw disk!

How to fix raw without data loss in EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

You can access the files by fixing the MBR partition Table or converting raw to ntfs format. This can be done with virtually no loss of data or formatting.

Since the raw disk still contains data, let's try to get it back (if not completely, then at least the most valuable files).

We need the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. How to use it when recovering data from raw - read below.

Step 1. Recovering data on a RAW disk or partition

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is quite a suitable program:

To recover data from raw disks,
If the sd card or flash drive in raw format is not formatted
To search for deleted hard disk partitions.

Data Recovery Wizard is a paid program for full-featured use.

Advice. Alternatively, you can try free apps like Recuva or the ones we offer in [this review].

1. First, download the program from the developer's website:

The program is compatible with Windows 7/8/10, although it can be installed on earlier OS versions.

2. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and in the window that appears, select the file types to recover (or activate the “All file types” option). Confirm the operation by pressing.

3. If the disk partition is deleted or is detected as RAW in Explorer, use the Lost Disk Drives option.

Select the problematic disk with deleted data (Section “Lost disks”) and click the Scan button.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will search for files available for recovery on the specified drive or sd card.

4. When scanning is complete, a list of found files will be displayed. Check the required ones and click the Recover button to recover.

Important! Always save files to another drive to avoid overwriting.

Step 2. Convert RAW to NTFS file system without data loss

After recovering files, the raw disk needs to be formatted in order to use it further for storing files. Read how to do it right.

by the way... Windows OS allows you to format the disk to NTFS using the built-in Diskpart formatting utility via the command line.

Thus, if you recover data from a raw disk beforehand, you can safely return the NTFS partition and perform formatting. If you first format the disk and then try to get the data back, the chances of recovery will be significantly reduced.

If you are unlucky and you accidentally formatted a raw partition, having lost data on it, use the Auslogics File Recovery program (it is useful to read the article here).

Other useful programs for raw disk recovery

In addition to the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, you may find other raw partition recovery tools useful.

TestDisk

Free console utility TestDisk allows you to find lost file volumes. This way you can get files back from the raw partition.

You can return ntfs by TestDisk as follows:

Run the TestDisk utility
Select Create → recovery disk → file system type
To start the search, select Analyze → Quick Search in the menu.
Press P to search for files and Write to write the results to a table on disk

Minitool Power Data Recovery

Power Data Recovery has a toolkit for finding deleted / lost partitions: Lost Partition Recovery. With this function, you can quickly recover a raw partition.

Unlike the console utility TestDisk, Power Data Recovery has a very intuitive interface. Thanks to this, you can recover files, and then format the problematic area of the disk in FAT or NTFS.

HDD Raw Copy

The Hdd Raw Copy program (developed by Toshiba) is designed for low-level and sector-by-sector disk imaging. It will be useful when creating a complete copy of a hard drive or SSD. Having created a duplicate disk, you can easily experiment with a RAW partition: recover files on it, format and convert to other file systems.

Besides, HDD Raw Copy utility will be useful for backup, duplication, data recovery and data migration.

Question answer

The next time you turn on the external HDD on USB, the OS "advised" to format the disk. I checked the controller itself by installing another HDD in it - it works. The problem is in the HDD itself. Advise what to do.

Answer... If the OS advises you to format the hard drive, there may be a partition table violation. Try to repair the raw disk system using the TestDisk console utility.

RAW is the format that the hard drive receives if the system cannot determine the type of its file system. This situation can happen for various reasons, but the result is the same: the hard drive cannot be used. Although it will appear as connected, no action will be available.

The solution is to restore the old file system, and there are several ways to do this.

Our hard drives are NTFS or FAT file systems. As a result of certain events, it may change to RAW, which means that the system cannot determine in which file system the hard drive is running. In essence, it looks like the absence of a file system.

This can happen in the following cases:

Damage to the structure of the file system;
The user has not formatted the section;
Unable to access the contents of the volume.

Such problems appear due to system failures, improper shutdown of the computer, unstable power supply, or even due to viruses. In addition, owners of new disks that were not formatted before use may encounter this error.

If the volume with the operating system is damaged, then instead of starting it, you will see the inscription "Operating System not found", or another similar notification. In other cases, when you try to perform any action with the disk, you will see the following message: "The file system of the volume is not recognized" or "To use a disk, first format it.".

File system recovery from RAW

The recovery procedure itself is not very complicated, but many users are afraid of losing the information that is recorded on the HDD. Therefore, we will look at several ways to change the RAW format - by deleting all existing information on the disk and preserving user files and data.

In some cases, the drive may receive RAW format by mistake. Before taking any further steps, try the following: restart your computer, and if this does not help, connect the HDD to a different slot on the motherboard. For this:

Method 2: check disk for errors

This method is where you should start changing the format in case the previous steps were unsuccessful. Immediately it is worth making a reservation - it does not help in all cases, but it is simple and universal. It can be run with the operating system running, or using a bootable USB flash drive.

If you have a new blank disc in RAW format, or the RAW partition that appears does not contain any files (or important files), then it is better to go straight to method 2.

Run Check Disk in Windows

If the operating system is running, then follow these steps:

Checking a disk using a bootable USB flash drive

If the disk with the operating system "flew", you need to use a bootable USB flash drive to run the chkdsk scanning tool.

Method 3: Recover the file system on a blank disk

If you happen to encounter this problem when connecting a new disk, then this is normal. A newly purchased disc usually does not have a file system and must be formatted before using it for the first time.

There is already an article on our site dedicated to the first connection of a hard drive to a computer.

Method 4: Restore the file system while saving files

If there is any important data on the problem disk, then the formatting method will not work, and you will have to use third-party programs that will help restore the file system.

DMDE is free and effective in HDD recovery for various problems, including RAW errors. It does not require installation and can be launched after unpacking the distribution.

Important: Immediately after the recovery, you can receive notifications about disk errors and a reboot prompt. Follow this recommendation to troubleshoot potential problems, and the disk should work properly the next time you start your computer.

If you decide to restore a disk with an installed operating system with this program by connecting it to another PC, then there may be a slight difficulty. After a successful recovery, plugging the drive back in may cause the OS to fail to boot. If this happens, you need to perform a Windows 7/10 Boot Loader Repair.

Format the disk to the correct file system.
Most likely, you have a modern PC or laptop, so you need to format it to NTFS.

Transfer the files back.

We have looked at various options for fixing the HDD file system from RAW format to NTFS or FAT. Hope this guide helped you fix your hard drive problem.

Most often, the file system of the disk changes to RAW after an improper shutdown of the computer, when the lights were turned off, or the user saved time and pulled out the power cord of the system unit from the outlet. Another reason is viruses that change NTFS to RAW format of HDD disks. How to fix this problem, read this article.

What is RAW File System?

If the disk has received the RAW format, Windows will display it among other partitions of the hard drive. But when you try to open it, the computer will give an error and offer to format it. In addition, any actions with this volume will be inaccessible: checking for errors, defragmenting, etc. (it is useful to read "How to check the integrity of Windows 10 system files and restore them?").

As such, the RAW file system does not exist. If the disk receives such formatting, it means that the computer drivers are not able to determine the type of its file system - NTFS, FAT or FAT32. In practice, this happens in several cases:

the file system structure is damaged;
the partition has not been formatted;
there is no correct access to the contents of the volume.

If the volume with the OS is damaged, the warnings "Reboot and selеct proper boot device" or "Operating System not found" will appear when the computer boots.

Recovery

If the problem occurs on a non-system disk, but it contains important information that will be lost during formatting, use standard Windows tools or third-party programs to fix the error.

Windows tools

Basically, the standard chkdsk utility helps to fix problems with formatting in RAW.

After the check, the computer will repair the damaged sectors and the NTFS file system on the problem volume.

Important! This method is effective if the flash drive or hard drive was formatted in NTFS.

Also, the chkdsk utility will help when the system disk is damaged. But for this you need a bootable disk or flash drive.

Start the computer from a bootable USB flash drive or disk → Select "System Restore".
Advanced options -> command line -> enter chkdsk drive_letter: / f.

Partition letters in a recovery environment differ from the names of logical drives. In order not to be mistaken, open the list of computer partitions in the command line.

Enter diskpart → list volume → the list will indicate which disk is the system disk.

Third party programs

There are third-party programs that help restore the NTFS file system if, for some reason, it has been reformatted to RAW. They do not damage user information stored on the volume, in contrast to the chkdsk utility, which can "touch" them during the recovery process.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery

Important! This method is most effective if the RAW file system appeared on the flash drive.

TestDisk

This is a multifunctional freeware utility that works with hard disk partitions using a large number of options. The program is presented in a portable version, therefore, does not require installation. The main disadvantage of TestDisk is that there is no Russified interface.

Download the archive with the program → run the file testdisk_win.exe as administrator → select “create” → enter.
Use the up / down arrows to select the desired drive → enter.
Specify the desired type of partition table (the utility will do it automatically) → enter.
To search for “lost” sections, select “Analyze” → enter → Quick Search → enter.
The utility will find "lost" volumes → press "p" to view the list of files.

What is RAW file system and how to recover NTFS format without data loss - in this article we will take a closer look at these issues, as well as recovery methods.

It often happens that after an incorrect shutdown of the computer, for example, if you unplugged the power cord or the lights in your house are unexpectedly turned off, or your computer has survived a virus attack, an unpleasant situation may occur. The file system of the disk on your computer or laptop changes its format to RAW and for the device to work properly (as a rule, you want to do this as quickly as possible), you need to return it to NTFS format.

What is a RAW disc

So, the type of file system is RAW, let's figure out what it is. The RAW system is a non-existent system. If the computer indicates that the storage medium has this format, then the drivers cannot determine the type of its file system (FAT, FAT32 OR NTFS).

If the media received the RAW format, Windows 10, although it will display it among the partitions of the hard drive, but any actions with it will be impossible, and defragmenting, and checking for errors, and, of course, viewing the data lying on the disk. The computer will constantly give an error, and offer to format the disk, and in the line “properties of the logical disk” will appear “RAW”. So how do you recover a file system from RAW to NTFS on your hard drive?

Recover file system from RAW to NTFS

The system will offer you the easiest way - to format the disk. But do not rush to do this, because your data has not been lost, now there is simply no access to it. If you format a RAW disk to convert the file system back to NTFS, you will have to recover data from the media for a long time using special programs. We offer several ways to recover a disk from RAW to NTFS without data loss.

Recover file system in NTFS from RAW without formatting

Method 1: Windows Tools

Mainly, to change the file system from RAW to NTFS, the standard utility from the operating system chkdsk helps. Follow the procedure below:

Right-click on "Start" and select "Command Prompt"
Type chkdsk drive_letter: / f
The computer will start a check, after which it will repair the damage and the NTFS system in the problem area

Shkdsk will also help if the system disk is damaged. To do this, you will need a flash drive or boot disk.

Here are your steps:

Start the computer from a flash drive or disk, and then select "Recovery"
Then open "advanced options", followed by "command line". There enter chkdsk drive_letter: / f

Important!

During recovery, the letters of the partitions may differ from the names of the disks. In order to avoid an error in the work, open the list of computer partitions in the command line, then enter diskpart, after listvolume and you will see which disk is the system one. This will be listed.

Alternatively, you can try from previously saved backups.

Method 2: Using special programs

And here's how to make NTFS from the RAW file system using third-party programs.

First of all, we recommend using the free Testdisk program. It is a utility that interacts with hard disk partitions. She will help fix the situation. The disadvantage of working with the Testdisk program is that it does not work with Russian names and they may be displayed incorrectly.

Here's how to convert RAW to NTFS using Testdisk:

RAW format on your flash drive

Reasons for conversion:

When a USB flash drive is connected, the computer is not turned off properly or there is a voltage drop
Windows crash
Banal viruses
External damage to the flash drive, from impact or fall

How to change the wrong format of the system to the correct one:

Converter MiniTool Power Data Recovery gives a good result. The principle of its operation is that the program does not convert RAW into the desired format, but makes all the files on your flash drive visible, which makes it possible to work with them. The disadvantage of the program is that only a trial version is free, which works with files no larger than 1 GB.

How to work with the program:

Also on our website you can familiarize yourself with the following topics:

Merging hard drive partitions on Windows 10
How to change hard disk partitions
How to change the paging file in Windows 10