I just got a new computer (running XP) and everything is going fine.
I am trying to add my old hard drive as a slave.

I install it into the case correctly, and update the BIOS. it detects it fine - Maxtor 80gig.

I load up windows XP, but when I open up explorer...the drive is not present!

So i open up device manager and it detects it there aswell. It detects both drives and says they are both running fine without problems.

I go to Disk Management and it detects the drive as DYNAMIC and FOREIGN. wtf..?
The only option it gives me is to convert it to a basic disk. I do not want to do this as it will erase or my VERY important information i have on this disk.

Both the hard drives are formatted under NTFS, but the only difference is that I was running WIN2K on my last computer, the harddrive was still a slave then also.

What do I need to do to get explorer to recognise my drive, and the files I already have on it?

Sten u need to get into the Disk Management in XP. Run a search in the XP index.

Read above.

I go to Disk Management and it detects the drive as DYNAMIC and FOREIGN.

i really need help with this asap...how could both disk manager and device manager detect it, but it still not appear in explorer?

*DONT KNOW IF THIS WILL WORK IN XP.

Select Start/Run, type REGEDIT in the 'Open' box and press enter. When Registry
Editor opens, click 'Edit' on the toolbar and then 'Find'. Next in the 'Find what:'
window type NoDrives and press enter. If the entry is found, it should show
in the right pane. Right click it and select 'Modify' from the menu. Set the value
to '00', or '00 00 00 00'. Close the editor and reboot. If the value was found, it
should be in one of the following keys:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Hmm...thanks anyway psycho, its a bit too risky to try that.

All I could find in the registry under those keys was "NoDriveTypeAutoRun". I dont think that is related.

its a real tricky one, who are the best techs around here?

Have a go at this then.

It does mention your problem specifically so I am guessing it will help fix it.

When the drive is first seen by Disk management it will not be seen in Windows Explorer. For the drive to been seen in Windows Explorer the drive will need to be configured through disk management. XP will normally see the unpartitioned drive when you open disk management and start the wizard for you.

p.s. I kow you have tried disk man..but this seems to have a lot of specific steps to take for this scenario.

um.. why not just boot off your old hd and copy all the data onto your main drive...


it'd only take a sec to swap the ide cables around, boot up off the old drive, and transfer the data. surely you don't have that much data

thanks for caring psycho. its really frustrating me.

that tutorial refers to a brand new drive out of the box, where you need to assign partitions and drive letters.

my drive has had this already done, and was working fine as a slave in my old WIN2K machine. Thats why I find it so hard to believe XP cannot find the drive in explorer and work straight away.

For my drive to be configured through disk management, it only gives me the option to convert it to a BASIC DISK and this means wiping all the data I already have on it.

there must be another way...

^Koopz^

hmmmm

um.. why not just boot off your old hd and copy all the data onto your main drive...

because the drive doesnt have an OS on it. It was a slave in my old computer aswell. It has about 70 gigs worth of important s*** on it :(

Very wierd and frustratingly annoying when s*** like this happens.

hmmmm

After you convert a basic disk into a dynamic disk, you cannot change the dynamic volumes back to partitions. Instead, you must move or back up your data, delete all dynamic volumes on the disk and then convert the disk.

i had the same problem... i ended up losing 60 gigs worth off things :(

i dont know how it became a dynamic disk in the first place...what does that mean anyway?

how can i move or backup that data if i cannot see it? i no longer have access to the other computer it was attached to.

is there another way you can think of?

don't bother, the other computer won't see it aswell.

why is that? how does this just happen?

how did you end up fixing the prob - just convert it to basic disk and wipe the data?

Surely there must be a way for XP to see the files...the data is there on the drive and working fine just before...

i dont know how useful this may be to you, but when i upgraded to xp and tried to transfer data off my old 40gb storage drive it said the drive format was "RAW" and i couldnt read it.

all i had to do was turn off simple file sharing and take ownership of the drive through the security tab, then i could access all my stuff again. no dramas.

your problem seems similar, so i thought i'd let you know. hope ya sort it out, i know how frustrating it is.

Thanks lits, but could you originally see the drive in explorer?

if not, how did you manage to take ownership of the drive via security? is there another way?

i could see it in explorer, yes. but you could quite probably go about taking ownership through disk management. just make sure youve got simple file sharing turned off, that caused me all kinds of trouble, i didnt even know it was on.

This was discussed a while ago and one of the suggestions was to use a program that can read raw disk sectors.

My old scsi drives used to be detected as foreign, I just right clicked them and hit "import" and everything on them magically appeard in explorer.

the only option i get is to convert it to a Basic Disk, therefor erasing all my data - Not an option.

What was the program that could read RAW sectors? Would this work in my case too?

I am running WINXP Home Edition, not professional. Could this be a problem also?

I wonder if a data recovery program would work at all?

Please recommend some and I will give it a go...

r-studio ntfs

OH you stupid n00bs


WindowsXP can import dynamic disks.
it's in disk management options there somewhere

use your eyes, or just RTFM bitches.

On the Action menu, click Rescan Disks.
If the disks are dynamic disks, Disk Management displays Import Foreign Disks dialog box. Right-click any disk marked Foreign, click Import Foreign Disks, and then follow the instructions on your screen.



I would like to add this information was under the 'help' part of Disk manager. I did a search for 'dynamic disk' and WACKY DOO! I found it.

*does his 'you are all n00bs' victory dance*

if it works then i'll be impressed, if windows f***s the data i won't be surprised

it works.
I've done it before

every time he reinstalls windows, he'll need to do the same thing
until he can clean the drive, and convert it back to basic

Hey moo, you're f***ing moron.

If you would quit calling people 'n00bs' and actually read my post, you would find that I have mentioned SEVERAL times now that even after pressing re-scan drives numerous times, the ONLY OPTION i have when i right click on my drive is CONVERT TO BASIC DISK. No import, no nothing.

Comprende?

this means i'm UNimpressed... Moo am teh n00b

then why not put 2k back on, and try that?