Patent ID: 7702659

Claim:
A method to recover data, the method comprising: storing a data file comprising directory entries in a first portion of a data storage device; storing allocation information related to the first portion in a second portion of the data storage device separate from the first portion; in response to a detected change impacting the data file, wherein the change impacting the data file includes one of a file rename operation, a file create operation, a file extend operation, and a file delete operation: providing an indication in the data storage device when the change impacting the data file has not completed, wherein the indication comprises setting a flag within two high order bits of a flag field of one or more of the directory entries, wherein the indication indicates an inconsistent state of the data file, wherein, in response to the change impacting the data file being the file rename operation, one of the two high order bits of the flag field is set, and wherein, in response to the change impacting the data file being the file create operation, the file extend operation, or the file delete operation, the other of the two high order bits of the flag field is set; removing the indication when the change impacting the data file is complete; and in response to detecting the indication upon mounting the data storage device to a host system, processing the indication according to an auto-repair procedure.