I keep getting a strange error message in Windows XP on a newly installed Maxtor External Hard Drive.
"Windows was unable to save all the data for the file j:\$Mft. The data has been lost."

I kept getting this message over and over the past two days. I just reinstalled XP because of two pieces of hardware that required Windows to operate. My Maxtor external, and a film scanner I recently purchased, not realizing it would not work with LINUX. I have been using Linux for three years, and really have no love for Windows.
I had googled the file name, and was led to this site. Unfortunately the two posts I saw, were over two years old, but described a similar problem. They both dealt with external HD's
So I am presuming this has to do with Maxtor.
Now just FYI last evening, just for the heck of it. I disconnected the Hard Drives power briefly. When it came back on, the error message disappeared an suddenly all of the previously missing files were there. Tonight they are still there, and no error message.
So that may have solved the problem.
Having used Linux for all that time, I have gotten quite used to "tweaking" things within my OS. It's just that Windows is so much less " tweak friendly".

Hi

it occurs when windows loses site of the drive, especially during file transfer from the PC to the external drive.
USB can and does flake out either on the Ext HDD or the PC side and the result is windows giving this error.

If it continues i would try the drive in another PC to determine which unit is at fault.

Other PC uses Linux

Unfortunately, this is why I am using this particular machine. Had no problems while I had Linux running on it. Just with XP. One reason I think Windows is crap. It angers me that hardware companies are so in the pockets of Microsoft that they do not provide drivers for other OS.