Question : Problem: Partition Table Scramble

My machine boots and runs fine, but Partition Magic and Partition Table Doctor indicate I have an error they cannot repair.  Partition Magic won't start, with an "Init failed:  Error 117 partition's drive letter cannot be identified" and Partition Table Doctor reports that I have overlapping partiions.

My disk is 38 GB, partitioned into a 15 GB C: drive and a 23 GB D: drive.  An erroneous  8.7 GB "unallocated" space is also reported by Windows Disk Management, and Partition Table Doctor between my C and D drives.  There is also a 7 MB Hidden FAT partition.

The following is reported by Partition Magic's Partition Table Editor.  What's wrong with this picture??

Type 07 Boot 80 Start Cyl 0 Hd 1 Sec 1 End Cyl 1023 Hd 239 Sec 63 Secs Before 63 Secs 30723777
Type 0F Boot 00 Start Cyl 1023 Hd 0 Sec 1 End Cyl 1023 Hd 239 Sec 63 Secs Before 30723840 Secs 47416320
Type 14 Boot 00 Start Cyl 826 Hd 0 Sec 1 End Cyl 826 Hd 239 Sec 63 Secs Before 12489120 Secs 15120

PM Table Editor also reports this under the "EPBR":

Type 07 Boot 00 Start Cyl 1023 Head 1 Sec 1 End Cyl 1023 Head 239 Sec 63 Secs Before 63 Sectors 47416257

Thanks!

Answer : Problem: Partition Table Scramble

Dont use - Partition Magic and Partition Table Doctor -- they can easily make overlapping partitions.  Try to realize, you are dealing with defective software here, not partition drive problems.  The partition table is easy to understand --

www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial115.html
technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/8a66928c-949c-4105-9014-e3252e4edb271033.mspx
www.cpqlinux.com/mbr.html
www.goodells.net/multiboot/

But that wont help you fix defective software.

You should use ONLY one of the following --

for FAT32, use windows 98SE latest FDSISK program, it is 100000% foolproof.
for NTFS, use windows XP disk management console, it is about 99% foolproof.

Use Partition "magic" at your own risk, it is a now obsolete defective program that never could keep up with the increasing hard disk sizes, every time a new drive came out, they struggled for years to patch their unfix able software.  Sure it will work on some drives, but it is TOTALLY UNRELIABLE for any and all hard disks on the market today.