Re: Linux utility needed in Windoz

Paul wrote:
> On 1/17/2022 9:52 PM, Robert Baer wrote:
>>    What i need to do is turn on/off the boot bit(byte).
>>
>>    Right now i can copy one or more partitions, thereby adding the 
>> requisite 100MB system sector to a windows system, making it usable.
>>    But without that magic mark, it is not fully testable.
>>
>>    Yes, one could use Partmagic, but that requires re-cabling the 
>> computer and switching the OS.
>>    Big PITA.
>>
>>    The Linux DD routine has been emulated for Windoz, so why not a 
>> Linux routine for this?
>>
>>     Thanks.
> 
> On a legacy partitioned disk (not a GPT) that would be
> 
>     administrator command prompt
> 
>     diskpart
>     list disk           # keep diskmgmt.msc open on the screen while you 
> are working...
>     select disk 3
>     list partition
>     select partition 2
>     active
>     exit
> 
> Diskpart has pretty good help, to help you
> figure it out.
* Noodled around and discovered Diskpart.
It solved the problem very nicely.

> 
> Third party application "ptedit32.exe" from powerquest,
> a free utility in their paid suite, could also do it.
> But as utilities go, it whines a bit, and if it does
> not like the partition boundaries, size, or any other
> casual integer number, it can actually just bail on
> you. The utility was offered for download for ten years
> from an FTP server at Symantec, until they closed down
> the server one day. It still exists as a package download,
> on "one of those downloader sites" (filehorse or the likes).
* I got Ptedit.exe way back then, and their Partinfo.exe also.
   Never had any problem in DOS or older versions of Windows
that did not give hissy-fits WRT direct access to hard drives.

> 
> http://mistyprojects.co.uk/documents/ptedit/index.html
* Thanks for mentioning Ptedit32.exe!
Looks spiffy. Thanks.

> 
> PTEDIT32 is sometimes good, if you need to visualize the
> numbers in the partition table in the MBR sector 0, as well
> as displaying the chained list of logical partition declarations.
> 
> But really, with the function in diskpart, look no further.
> 
> Microsoft utilities are seldom uniform from one OS to the next,
> and Robocopy is an example of that. Even the venerable CHKDSK,
> has a few extra flags (poorly documented) that actually do
> stuff you might appreciate. And you might have to boot an
> installer DVD to use them. No, I have not done a comparative
> study, just noticed there are differences. They don't believe
> in backporting things, unless it is to MSFT advantage. For example,
> "cleanmgr.exe", that WAS back-ported, which is at least one
> example of a standup move by the corporation.
> 
> Even Linux has utilities, such as "ntfsfix" for fixing the $MFTMIRR
> that Windows 10 keeps breaking.
* Meaning Win 10 crashes ranDUMBly?
How often, and is it hard to fix?

> This allows mounting NTFS
> partitions that the Linux desktop told you they weren't going
> to mount. I usually record the chit-chat that utility dumps to
> terminal, in my "disk drive inventory" directory, for future usage.
> That way, if at a future time, the partition is damaged, I can look
> back and see if NTFSFIX might have played a part.
> 
> HTH,
>     Paul

   Thanks again.