Import foreign disk missing for External usb HD setup

[Arglebargle]

Trying to set up a new external drive case with an old data drive. When I get to the disk management section, the drive is listed as 'foreign' but with no option to import, only to 'basic' it. It does this both with USB and Firewire connections. The drive imported fine on a different computer using the same cables, etc.

The troublesome computer is running Windows XP Home 32 bit. The only differences on the other computer that I can think of offhand are: It was running a relatively new installation of 32 bit Windows XP Pro, and it had only USB 1.1.

Some googling showed a few people having this problem, with no solutions or explanations. Any ideas here? Software conflict? Driver mojo? Evil fairie dust?

 

[Arglebargle]

You can hunt all day, but if you don't use the particular exact search terminology, you won't find any links that correctly diagnose this as a Windoze Home issue.

I guess they have to have something to try and convince you to upgrade.

 

[nineball9]

According to Windows XP Inside Out Deluxe Edition, "This status message [Foreign] appears on dynamic disks only". Windows XP Home "can't use dynamic disks"; it is a feature of XP Pro.