DescentBB

anyone have any suggestions on a free program to repair a master file table on an ntfs drive?

chkdsk /r from a winxp disc?

NTFS keeps a back-up copy of the MFT in the middle of the volume, so you aren't totally fubar.

it says corrupt master file table, chkdsk aborted.

Its not a boot drive, I only use it for storage.

Found this little utility: http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

Fire up testdisk (inside windows is fine) and select weather you want to create a log file or not. Then select the drive with the problem ---> select Intel (Intel/PC partition) ---> select advanced ---> select the partition with the problem (if there is more than one) and hit boot ---> then select Repair MFT.

See if it works.

mft and mft mirror are bad, failed to repair them.

Sounds like you have a bigger problem than the freeware utils are going to cure, I'd start looking for commercial software trials that can fix it.

I found one that will let me copy the files but I have to pay for it, I was hoping to not have to spend any money

This is your friend ---> http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

there are utils on that CD that will fix your prob. Thing is, you have to create the bootable CD on a working computer.

i got-r-fixed

took 6 hours to transfer the 53gigs though. Here's to using rev drives for backup from now on...