Win7/Pro x64 - Booting Very Slow - Cannot Save Files

Yesterday my machine began booting very slowly. I can open Word and past in stuff and print it, but I cannot save the file; the application locks up. In SeaMonkey if I try to open a link in a new tab the browser locks up. I cannot run TreeSizeFree or ZTreeWin. Windows Explorer does not run properly, either. I tried Malwarebytes but that does not run.

I have a Macrium image from a few months back. It seems I'm always dog tired at the end of the day and my backup drive is in a BlackX box, so I need to reboot to turn it on. I know, excuses like that don't count.

I tried startup repair and it seems to have changed nothing.

I tried F8 boot and selected last known good configuration and that has changed nothing.

I ran Disk Management and I'm troubled by the report. My 'data disk' shows as a box full of diagonal lines with this text overlaid:

931.51 GB RAW
Healthy (Primary Partition)

I had given it a name, something like New 1TB Black, but that is not showing. Could malware have wiped it?

I tried saving the snip to C: (my system drive) and I'll see if I can find the file and attach it.

I think there may be a previous post by me with Disk Management attached. I'll try posting this first before the browser decided it is 'tired.'

thanks

baumgrenze

Download and run MemTest, report back your results:

MemTest86 - Offical Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool

Regards,
GEWB

Raw means it's lost the partition table you need specific free partition recovery software all files will then come back DO NOT use file recovery it must be partition recovery

I see now that I should probably have started my thread title with "disk changed from NTFS to RAW."

The Disk Management snip that I attached clearly shows that my "Data Drive" somehow got changed from NTFS to RAW. I believe that this may explain my inability to save files in Word and other applications. Word simply hangs.

I had to save the 'snip' to my System Drive so that I could post it.

I do not want to dig a deeper hole. I am uncomfortable following suggestions on other forums.

What is the right way to restore my Data Drive to NTFS with minimum harm to data it contains?

thanks

baumgrenze

I see that as I composed my 'reply' I got some suggestions.

What partition recovery software that is currently available is best for the job?

thanks

baumgrenze

samuria said:

Raw means it's lost the partition table you need specific free partition recovery software all files will then come back DO NOT use file recovery it must be partition recovery

^^^^ Right on - I overlooked that. ^^^^

GEWB, from your last comment, should I gather that MemTest won't be a help to me?

It looks complicated. I'd love to avoid it if I could.

I ask again, is there a specific free partition recovery software I should find and install?

Are there pitfalls I should know about and avoid?

thanks

baumgrenze

In the hope that these may be relevant, here are Crystal Disk Info screens for my Data Drive and my Image Backup Drive:


thanks

baumgrenze

There are a lot of free partition recovery software they are simple to use very often one may not work but then try another that can work perfect they use different ways of doing it

There was one error, very near the beginning. Could this be the culprit?

I can't get 'Manage Attachments' or the paperclip to attach the file. The 'red cell' is #9 from the left on the top row, if that signifies.

I will submit and see if the image attaches to a separate post.

thanks

baumgrenze