The file system header stores a list of all files including logical block addresses and fragmentations.
In rare occasions, when the number of files is so large that it exhausts the size of the space reserved for the file system header, some file systems (NTFS, as far as I know) may fragment the file system header itself. But that's unlikely to happen.
In order to back up the file system header, run dd or ddrescue for a few seconds.
In case something bad happens to the file system header, one can use dd with the according parameter (might vary per device) to restore an approximate file system header.
I have not done such a file system header recovery so far, but I imagine it to be possible. Had I done that prior to using the defective SD card adapter that wrecked a MicroSD card's file system header a few years ago, I could probably have prevented that headache. But that disaster is how I learnt about it in the first place.
If there is anything I forgot to mention, please comment.
The file system header stores a list of all files including logical block addresses and fragmentations.
In rare occasions, when the number of files is so large that it exhausts the size of the space reserved for the file system header, some file systems (NTFS, as far as I know) may fragment the file system header itself. But that's unlikely to happen.
In order to back up the file system header, run `dd` or `ddrescue` for a few seconds.
In case something bad happens to the file system header, one can use `dd` with the according parameter (might vary per device) to restore an approximate file system header.
I have not done such a file system header recovery so far, but I imagine it to be possible. Had I done that prior to using the defective SD card adapter that wrecked a MicroSD card's file system header a few years ago, I could probably have prevented that headache. But that disaster is how I learnt about it in the first place.
If there is anything I forgot to mention, please comment.
(post is archived)