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Error #1520: External attribute header mismatch

Filed Under Geek on 2006-11-30, 13:54

Yay for Partition Magic 8.0. :(
PM is such a fickle utility. In some cases it works beautifully, in other cases it’s like a plane crashing into a train when someone left a semi on the tracks. This time I was lucky though, and it was a quick fix.

I decided late one night that I should merge the two partitions I had on one of my 200gb drives. In the past I had it setup with two partitions, one for an operating system, and one for storage. Now this drive is just pure storage, so there was no point in the two partitions. So I loaded up Partition Magic 8.0 and told it to merge the partitions, putting the files from one partition into a folder on the primary partition. I then rebooted so the changes could be applied when Windows started up. Watching the percentage slowly creep I decided to get some sleep while it worked.

I woke up the next morning to see that the operation had completed 100%, but I had an error. Error #1520: External attribute header mismatch. While I have a background in computer science and know basically how file systems work, I didn’t want to have to sit down and learn the ins and outs of NTFS just to get my 40gigs of music back so I just started poking around.

At first the drive wouldn’t show in Windows. A reboot or two and it reappeared for some reason. The drive was browseable and I could see the directory that the files from the secondary partition should be in. Unfortunately when I tried to open that directory I received an “Access Denied” error message. My first step was to run “chkdsk e: /f” on the drive. Sure enough it found and fixed several errors. But still, access denied. I had assumed there was something up with the allocation table, or maybe an actual hardware issue. However, thinking it was a slim chance, I checked the permissions of the directory, and changed the ownership to myself. Boom, files are back. Rejoice.

For anyone else that runs into this, right click on the folder that Partition Magic created, select Properties, select the Permissions tab, does it say SYSTEM here? Click on the Advanced button, click on the Owner tab, select your user name and check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects. Click Apply and OK to the warnings and then wait as the new owner is applied to the files. Once it’s done, things should be fixed.

Tagged: Harddrives, Partition Magic

Comments

trung

i should thx all of u guys, i was depressed when my data was almost gone :)). My treasure is some precious family' photos . Thx

Ray

Well I have a different experience to report. After one year this thead was the best on the web for solutions.
I used PM 8.0 to merge 2 partitions, got the the dreaded 1520, couldn't get into the PM folder, no permissions tab etc.
I didn't disable simple file sharing. I actually shared the flolder got some kickback from XP but then the progress window opened and went through resetting permission on subfolders.
The progress window closed and Voila! i had my folders back.
Now though the one folder I really needed would not open and prompted there was corruption.
I tried chkdisk with no switches and it reported errors.
I ran chkdisk /f now it has fixed some things and is going through about 100,000 files recovering.
Chkdisk stopped and I have my files back!!!

Theo

Thanks man. Although your solution worked, I later found that one of the programs, PM8 or Chkdsk had screwed up the two directories on the one partition holding all of my media content. The data still existed; not in a readable format, but as chk files. Not sure if they're recoverable but we'll see.

afilaj

THANX A LOT DUDE...HAD 150 GIGS OF IMPORTANT DATA..PHEWWW

Pbr

GREAT THANKS!!! It worked :)

Mirdin

Sadly, this is what happened to me. I had 2 partition. G and J. I wanted to merge J into G. Gave the above error. 1520... I tried what you said, sadly it didnlt work. I had the folder on G, but it was empty once I got persmission to it. I also noticed that the old partition, J, was still there, sadly without a file system. PM8 really screwed it up for me. The interestung part is, that except for that folder, the G partition is very well intact at its old size... But like I said, J has 0 bytes, no FAT and every time I click on it it asks me to format it, like I would do that... Not before I try some paetition recovery programs :P Stay away from PM8. It happened ot me before. Lost 5 years of work, 200 GB of data...

Klim

Thanks author, loan and CP very much.

Greg

Thanx man!
I've just have simmilar situation, googled your webpage and it's working!

darkonesS

Hi,
thanks man ;)
nice work and tutorial

Artem

Thank you, man, very much. I was desperate. You saved my 3 year's work. God save YOU man and those who made important comments. THANK YOU GUYS!!!!!!

ray

i love u baby
thank u very much....

el.coyote

Thank You Very very very much, if You were here I could kiss you(in non gay way). Thnx :-)

Mr.Jo

thx. very much. you save my important data. thx. thx. thx.

suri

thnx thnx thnx thnx a tonnnnn guysssssss .. u saved my lifeeeeeeeee ... :)

HenrySun

Thank u for the info and all those who made the very encouraging followup comments. U guys have tided me over the despair when i suddenly found my data of vital importance lost after i had 2 drives merged with PM.

Artic Ace

Hey Man! Thanks for sharing the info! I almost had a heart attack when I saw that I couldn't access the folder with the merged files, it had my life's work on it! Never playing with partitions ever again without a raid system and without backing up my files on a dvd!

Math

MAN!!! I Made it come back all my data!!! Shit dont know how but All Thanks to this man! I thought i was dead.. Like I had to format the disk!! I had like 159 gig of data so just wanna say thanks man. Ur msg or blog did the work!
Im greatful.
/Math

sky

Under XP I experimented successfully (though all the while shaking in my boots)and right-clicked \properties then set up the PM folder as a share. XP bitched a little but I ignored it (like I would some crazy girlfriend) and it did come through!
After learning all this here I'm now of a mind to follow the advice of some experts and remove "simple file sharing". I mean, even the name suggests that it's a simplistic, frought with security hazards, file sharing strategy that seems taylor-made for Mac users :-)
Thanks to all for all the info - did my heart good.
sky

DJka

THX THX THX THX THX THX THX THX THX :))

GM

Thank's man.
You saved my files.

JC

A phenomenonally simple solution to a VERY troubling issue! THANK YOU Author and CP for the awesome help!

Beatdown

Yep that did the trick.... Thanks.... Knowledge is power...

vasi

Please help me, I have no partition left, only some unallocated space, what can I do?

http://img70.imageshack.us/my.php?image=6177414...

Rost

Guys, what shall I do, if the merging operation wasn't 100% completed?
Rebooting won't work, and the drive is still not browsable. The PartitionMagic detects it, but any operation (including "check for errors") returns the error #1520.
Chkdsk also shuts down just after start.
Thank you.

Narcis

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
This article saved 180Gs of data in a matter of seconds! Many thanks for this! :)

Dzung

Thank you men! You save part of my life too :)

Will

Thank you so much. I was on my last straw there before finding your article. You saved the day. Many Thanks!

bobby

Thanks man (another !). I thought of the Security tab, but was afraid of screwing it more after the chkdsk /f command fail. Now I get back all my data. Thanks again.

mike

Thanks, man. It really works for me. You save me life. Also thank you, CP, I found Security tab.

CP

If you do not have a 'Permissions' tab:

In order to regain ownership of a folder, you must first disable simple file sharing.

Double-click 'My Computer'

Go to the 'Tools' menu -> 'Folder Options...'

Go to the 'View' tab -> untick 'Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended)'

Now, when you check the folder's properties, you should have either a 'Permissions' or 'Security' tab under which you will be able to assign yourself full control of the folder.

Ioan

Thank you man, it worked for me too! :)
I only want to write about the right path, for I'd describe it like this:
"right click on the folder that Partition Magic created (actualy right click on the new merged HDD partition, from "My Computer"), select Properties, (then go to "Sharing" tab, verify if "Share this folder" is checked - cos mine wasn't), select the Permissions tab; find the tab where SYSTEM stands to be selected, click on the Advanced button, click on the Owner tab, select your user name and check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects". Click "Apply" and "OK" to the warnings and then wait as the new owner is applied to the files.
Almost forgot to say that my modified HDD didn't even have a drive letter after Partition Magic did its job..! So I had to first go to PM8, right click on the Disk I worked with then to the "Advanced" and "Change Drive Letter..." from "none" to "D:"