Cannot read NTFS 1T USB drive with Humax files - don't know why!

geordie

Member
Hi

I have 1T NTFS usb drive that I have been using to store Humax recordings. Do to this, I am sure that I had to install packages but I cannot remember which ones.

I had a problem with the Humax and had to rebuild it. I disconnected the usb drive first.

Now, I have my Humax at the latest custom firmware and when I connected the usb drive, I cannot see any files on it.

I ran ext2fsd on it as I thought that maybe it was some ntfs/ext2 hybrid but the utility is showing it as HPFS/NTFS RAW.

So can anyone please help resolve this. I think I need to know the following....
1. What packages could I have installed to write to the 1T NTFS USB drive
2. What software can I use on Windows 10 to read the drive
3. If all fails, what is the best file format for a 1T USB drive and what utilities will allow me to format the drive and read it on a Windows 10 PC.

I know that I am asking a lot of questions but I really want to save the data and if that isn't possible, then I want to know what is best to do in future.

Thanks
Jason
 
There is more to this than meets the eye.

Yes, the ntfs-3g package is required to write to a USB drive formatted NTFS, but is not needed just to read from it.

Secondly, although I have no experience of Win10 (and wouldn't touch it with a barge pole), I have difficulty believing Win10 doesn't do what all other versions of Windows do since I can't remember when: use the NTFS format without any other utility required.

Everything points to the drive itself having gone tits up, rather than anything else.
 
Windows 10 is fine. geordie - If the drive is NTFS formatted and not corrupted, when plugged in to a USB port on a PC running Win 10, it should be automatically mounted, given a drive letter and be accessible from Windows Explorer. If not, open Disk Management and see what it says. The fact that you mentioned 'NTFS RAW' with respect to the format type makes me think that there is a problem. Could you have accidentally deleted the 'System Volume Information' folder from the USB drive? In Disk Management if you have the option available to assign a drive letter, select this option. If the drive then mounts and becomes accessible you should be OK. If not you still may be able to recover your data, there are utilities available for this, for example here. I've not used this myself, but have used other Easeus software. The software is not free but offers a free trial. If the trial turns out not to be as 'free' as claimed, there are other solutions available, for example see here. I have not used this myself either so I don't know how user friendly it is.
 
Just in case it helps:
The other day I plugged in a 2TB ddrive wth 3 partitions, one of them NTFS.
All were accessible for read//write.
Later I unmounted the partitions from the webif, and unplugged the drive.
Still later I plugged in the drive and couldn't access the NTFS partition.
I put the system into standby, unplugged the drive, brought up the system, and plugged in the drive again - and access was restored.
I think I've got the sequence correct, but cannot guarantee it.
 
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