identical fs entries with different content

vgv8 · Post by **vgv8** » 2004 Feb 17, 20:07

Something happened in my Windows XP/NTFS and I have both in Windows Explorer and in 2X identical entries with different content.

For example, 2 or more D:\example\prj\ that have different files inside

This happened after I recovered files from unformatted partition/drive F: by "R-Studio NTFS" to drive/partition d: Instead of using existing d:\recovered\Root with some content inside, it created a second identical entry (d:\recovered\Root\) and now I have this problem over all drives. I.e. I can create duplicate-triplicate name and even move/copy w/o problems between them.

It shd be noted that "R-studio NTFS" detected up to 4 different partitions in f: with different off-set and filesystems somehow were off-set one over another (the same multiple content). I lost partition (80 GB) while resizing it with Partition Magic that appeared as unformatted afterwards. I am afraid Sytem Restore on the drive started unnoticed and did not finish. After this loss the drive apeared as with Monitoring in System Restore inactive and System Restore Monitoring could not be reestablished. Or some disk operation did not complete (like deleting Windows system files from another operation system) when I launched Partition Magic resizing.

It is disturbing and incomfortable. For ex., instead of copying/moving folder content over existing folder with same name (confirming substitution of folder with the same name), copy/move just creates an identical second entry and I should move files after that and eliminate na empty duplicated folder

Now it is possible to have the same name for files, folders with different content.
I alredy did HDD scan/check, also ran Norton Utilities Windoctor and the problem continues

Any hint how does it happen and how can I correct it?

JRz · Post by **JRz** » 2004 Feb 17, 21:33

Seems to me you have a serious problem in your file system. How can 2xExplorer help?? It just tries to read the filesystem, but if that's broken....

I suggest you try to recover your system to a healthy state first (not sure from the description what you did exactly

)

vgv8 · Post by **vgv8** » 2004 Feb 17, 21:48

Hi, JRz,
I have ALL DRIVES HEALTHY.

I HAD, BEFORE, one broken drive from which I copied directories with files by data recovering tool "R-studio NTFS" to another hard drive (well, the second partition on it d:\). To faciltate copying I did it from 2-4 running copies of R-studio simultaneously (never tried to recover 80 GB, it is a week of copying), while this tool detected 4 partitions in the region of the same one.
After then I formatted a broken drive (F:\, really second hard disk) and made scan (Proprties-Tools-Check Now... in Windows XP) as well as exhastive check of all drives by On-track Easy Recovery Professional(Disk Diagnostics-DriveTests-Full Diagnostic Test) that does not only repair problems but also warns about potebtial breaks in future.

I also made check by Norton Utilities Windoctor. Though the strory here is more complicated because it cofuses shortcuts, DOS-files and applications files from different drives and operating systems. So, I made all possible corrections only manually

No erros whatsoever, currently

JRz · Post by **JRz** » 2004 Feb 18, 06:29

Do you have your file extensions visible? If you don't, maybe your 'duplicate' files only have the filename without extension in common.

You could switch to detail view in X2 and then you can add the extension column by using Alt+K and adding it to the column list on the left side of the dialog.

Secondly, you could try to use the 'Check duplicates...' feature in the scrap frame. First find the files you want using a part of the name for instance and in the resulting scrap frame, use menu Tools|Check duplicates... to find the double ones which have the same name.

Hope this helps...

vgv8 · Post by **vgv8** » 2004 Feb 18, 09:58

I always use detailed view.

They are not duplicate. The entries are identical but the content is different.
I couldn't understand why should I search for duplicates and what would it add to situation.

Obviously it is advanced problem and rather question to experts. I just do not know WHERE TO ASK. It is not that kind of information that appears in tech. descriptions, helps (maximum of what I can get)

It is not that kind of problem to reinstall Windows and the question is rather curiosity. Then various kind of misteries happen in Windows to me and I just came to necessity to dig in it instead of reinstalling it few times a week (I am developer and configurations take dozens of hours)

Post by **nikos** » 2004 Feb 18, 10:14

how can there be 2 "D:\example\prj" with different files inside?
unless there's a mapping to a unix drive that due to case sensitivity appears the same name

vgv8 · Post by **vgv8** » 2004 Feb 18, 11:01

nikos wrote:how can there be 2 "D:\example\prj" with different files inside?

This is my question!!!! do not hijack it. I do not use any Unix/Linux in PC just 2 Windows XP and Windows 2000 Adv. Server in 3 different partitions (the latter is currently erased and reformatted). But I did not have this problem earlier even having Linux installed simultaneously with different Windows

Currently I came to having 2 Windows XP (in different partitions) for the only reason that I lost ADSL modem connection configuration (to USB port). Windows overwrote it when it was unplugged from USB. I tried to reinstall Windows XP, and reinstall ADSL modem installation - nothing helped

I also wanted to add that physically recovery tools permit restoring of even deleted and quick formatted data. So physically information is there. But it detects not only what you see in OS, but also what was deleted, copied and existed even in previous Windows installations.
In data recovery tools (there are hundreds, just search by google ) it is possible to see even 8 (what I saw) identical LOGICAL entries for some directories and various partitions over approximately the same place (with different off-sets and lengths), physically the logical entries are in different places on disk or in the same but belonging to differently identified partitions, etc. BUT THIS IS THE STORY ABOUT ALREADY ERASED AND FORMATTED PARTITION from which I copied data during recovery

IT IS NOT BECAUSE I HAVE PROBLEMS, IT IS ALWAYS:
THE DATA (BITS) ALWAYS FILLS HARD DISK, and remain after LOGICAL REARRANGEMENTS (reinstallations, deletes, copying)

vgv8 · Post by **vgv8** » 2004 Feb 21, 12:49

Thanks, nikos,
for your observation on my file tree picture (thru Email). It is not how I managed to do it, it is Windows that does not stop continuously joking over me.
I currently study books, articles on Windows interanls, registry, etc.

Especially, I am interested how it is to be simultaneously domain administrator and local machine administrator (this causes some problems with third party remote database connectivity drivers)