Arch Linux causes corruption in files recently used by Windows 8.1

Natanji · 2014-05-19 11:04:58

I have a really weird problem, I don't know if this is the right section to ask but the others don't seems to fit better so here goes.

So I have installed Windows 8.1 on my new Thinkpad T440s, into which I installed a brand-new Samsung EVO SSD. The system is amazing and blazing fast under Windows 8.1, even with Truecrypt System Encryption enabled

However things do not look so bright on Arch when I mount the Windows (Truecrypt System-Encrypted) partition (no matter wether with the kernel module or ntfs-3g). A *few* files just appear as binary gibberish to Linux. When I reboot in Windows, everything is fine. When I copy the file to a different location, the copy stays gibberish in Windows. When I rename the file (like Firefox automatically did with my prefs.js when it wasn't readable on Linux), the file stays gibberish in Windows and even renaming it back under Linux will not bring the data back, even when I restart in Windows afterwards. I even had one instance where all I did was open the file in vim on Linux, seeing gibberish, and then under Windows it was not restored but stayed gibberish, effectively corrupting my file system.

The files affected that I could find so far were always small files very recently used by Windows, like my Pidgin, Firefox or Thunderbird profile. In fact I can reproduce the error insofar that when I start Windows and do *not* open any of those programs, the files are much more likely to be fine on the next Linux boot. What's even more weird is that not all files of the Firefox profile are affected, but only the clear-text files. Binary files like the sqlite databases are *not* affected.

And yes, fast start is disabled. I ran chkdsk a few times but that didn't solve the problem either. I updated the SSD to most recent firmware. I have tried with Samsung Magician both installed and uninstalled, with RAPID mode on and off. Nothing. I am at a loss of what I can do.

Is anyone else running a dualboot setup with an SSD, possibly a Samsung EVO like myself? Or does anybody have *any* clue whatsoever about what could be happening here? Because like this, it seems that Arch is unable to run on this setup without damaging my file system...

fsckd · 2014-05-19 11:23:38

Installation is for questions about installing Arch Linux. Applications & Desktop Environments is a better fit so moving there.

Lone_Wolf · 2014-05-19 12:03:20

Truecrypt website lists windows 7 as highest version supported in latest stable version (7.1.a) .
truecrypt windows 8.1 compatibility shows 53 votes out of 124 that feel truecrypt is not compatible with windows 8.1

Any chance you can test with a non-encrypted partition ?

One thing in your post makes me wonder :

However things do not look so bright on Arch when I mount the Windows (Truecrypt System-Encrypted) partition (no matter wether with the kernel module or ntfs-3g)

Afaik the ntfs kernel support is read-only .
Maybe the partition is somehow mounted r/w automagickally if ntfs-3g is present.
Do the problems also occur if you remove ntfs-3g from archlinux completely ?

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2014-05-21 09:03:10)

Trilby · 2014-05-19 12:21:51

Also you should test which variables (arch, win8, etc) are relevant. Boot windows, access some of those files, reboot into some live media system (not arch), then reboot into windows. In otherwords, test whether arch has anything to do with this at all* or if this is just something being handled improperly in windows.

*note: not that we would refuse to help if it is not an arch issue (though it's debatable if these forums 'support' such things, but off-topic certainly could) but just so we can know if this is something that should be addressed in arch configuration or not.

phw · 2014-05-20 07:47:38

Problems like this could be due to fast boot being enabled in Windows 8. In this mode Windows does a partial suspend to disk (all user applications are closed, but the state of the system gets saved) which leads to the drives not being really unmounted. See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … t_Start-Up

The IMHO best solution is to disable fast boot in Windows. This can be done in the UI somewhere (I think it was in the engery settings) or just use the following command:

powercfg /h off

Natanji · 2014-05-20 14:10:20

Lone_Wolf wrote:

Truecrypt website lists windows 7 as highest version supported in latest stable version (7.1.a) .
truecrupt windows 8.1 compatibility shows 53 votes out of 124 that feel truecrypt is not compatible with windows 8.1

Well I haven't noticed any other problems so far. Also, this setup works fine on my Desktop (which also has an SSD). Hmm.

Lone_Wolf wrote:

Any chance you can test with a non-encrypted partition ?

At first I wanted to answer "unfortunately no", but actually I can completely decrypt the system partition again and see if that fixes things. Thanks, it's an idea. Maybe re-encrypting everything will even make a difference? I'll report back once I got around to do that.

Lone_Wolf wrote:

Afaik the ntfs kernel support is read-only .
Maybe the partition is somehow mounted r/w automagickally if ntfs-3g is present.
Do the problems also occur if you remove ntfs-3g from archlinux completely ?

Yes. I tried read-only, and of course I cannot test moving files around then, but I can open the files and see the gibberish/corruption with the kernel driver.

@Trilby: The files are also affected when booting from live media (tested with Ubuntu). So I don't believe that it's an Arch-centric problem, like many of the problems asked here on the forums, but a Linux-specific one. I don't know how you could possibly find out whether this is the fault of Windows or Linux though. The best guess I have is that it's not due to Windows running, because the files also turn up fine if I put the SSD into a different computer and mount the partition via Truecrypt there. A foreign system and Linux should handle NTFS the same way, but all I can see is that it's fine in Windows and not fine in Linux.

@phw: Please read the OP, I disabled fast boot/fast start already. It can't be the issue here.

EDIT: After decrypting the drive, the problem does no longer persist. After re-encrypting it, it's there again. So I'm guessing this is a problem with Truecrypt then? Is there any alternative to Truecrypt, such that Windows is encrypted but Linux can access it?

Last edited by Natanji (2014-05-20 16:32:45)

Lone_Wolf · 2014-05-21 09:02:27

It might be a problem with truecrypt on linux, i suggest you look into tcplay, http://jasonwryan.com/blog/2013/01/10/truecrypt/
It's in the repos and has a wiki page.

Natanji · 2014-05-23 08:44:28

When decrypting the filesystem completely, the error no longer occured. And it stayed away (so far) when I re-encrypted the Windows system partition. So while I don't know what went wrong the first time, and why it only went wrong under Linux, at least it seems to be working now. Thank you all for your suggestions!

Arch Linux

#1 2014-05-19 11:04:58

Arch Linux causes corruption in files recently used by Windows 8.1

#2 2014-05-19 11:23:38

Re: Arch Linux causes corruption in files recently used by Windows 8.1

#3 2014-05-19 12:03:20

Re: Arch Linux causes corruption in files recently used by Windows 8.1

#4 2014-05-19 12:21:51

Re: Arch Linux causes corruption in files recently used by Windows 8.1

#5 2014-05-20 07:47:38

Re: Arch Linux causes corruption in files recently used by Windows 8.1

#6 2014-05-20 14:10:20

Re: Arch Linux causes corruption in files recently used by Windows 8.1

#7 2014-05-21 09:02:27

Re: Arch Linux causes corruption in files recently used by Windows 8.1

#8 2014-05-23 08:44:28

Re: Arch Linux causes corruption in files recently used by Windows 8.1

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