I am wondering if the issue is down to the fact that the drive is using the old method of mbr (master boot record) instead of GPT.
I also took a look at the fact that instead of just NTFS the drive type is given as NTFS/exfat/HPFS.
So I did some searching using Brave search engine via Mojeek which brought back this A.I. answer:
" The label HPFS/NTFS/exFAT typically indicates that a storage partition is formatted with one of these three file systems, which share similar partition type identifiers in the Master Boot Record (MBR). HPFS (High Performance File System) is an older system originally developed by IBM for OS/2. NTFS (New Technology File System) is Microsoft’s proprietary standard for Windows internal drives, supporting large files, permissions, and encryption. exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) is a modern, lightweight format designed for flash drives that supports large files without the overhead of NTFS.
Because these file systems often use the same partition type code (Type 7), operating systems like Linux may display them collectively as HPFS/NTFS/exFAT . This label is a general indicator of the partition's type, not a definitive identification of the specific file system contained within; to determine the exact format, one should use tools like blkid or check the file system signature directly.
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How to fix HPFS/NTFS/exFAT errors in Linux?
To fix HPFS/NTFS/exFAT errors in Linux, you must identify the specific file system and use the corresponding repair tool. The label "HPFS/NTFS/exFAT" is a generic partition type indicator; the repair process differs for each.
Fixing NTFS Errors
For partitions formatted with NTFS , the primary tool is ntfsfix, part of the ntfs-3g package. It clears the "dirty" flag (often caused by Windows Fast Startup or improper shutdowns) and fixes basic inconsistencies.
1. Install Dependencies
Ensure the ntfs-3g package is installed:
- Debian/Ubuntu:
sudo apt install ntfs-3g
[It should already be present and if it is it will say ntfs-3g is currently up-to-date]
2. Unmount the Partition
Never run repair tools on a mounted partition.
sudo umount /dev/sdXN
(Replace /dev/sdXN with your actual partition, e.g., /dev/sda1 )
3. Run ntfsfix
Execute the repair command:
sudo ntfsfix -d -b /dev/sdXN
- -d : Clears the dirty flag.
- -b : Clears the bad sector list (useful if cloning disks).
If ntfsfix reports severe corruption it cannot handle, you must boot into Windows and run chkdsk /f , as Linux tools are limited to basic repairs.
A.I. generated answers."
If you don't have Windows installed you could use Hiren's Boot CD on a USB as it comes with a cut-down version of Windows 11 with traditional menu.
