System doesn't see storage hard drive after Windows Reinstall

[Salvador]

I'm having a problem. I have two hard drives on this pc and when I did a reinstall of Windows XP Pro, I disconnected my second drive used for file storage while I got everything re-installed. I just went to reconnect the drive and I'm not getting a drive letter for it. The BIOS recognizes the drive, but no drive letter. It's not showing up for some reason.

I went to investigate this further in computer management and it shows up with a caution symbol saying that it's "foreign"? What does that mean? The drive was formatted with the old XP Pro software and is NTFS. Should I have kept it connected during the reinstall? I was worried about the data getting wiped somehow and now I can't get into the drive.

Any ideas?

TIA,

Sal

 

[Salvador]

Ok.. I looked at Disk Management again and my HDD0 after the reinstall of Windows reads as a basic disk in NTFS and my storage drive reads as Dynamic and "foreign". I right clicked on the drive to convert the drive to basic and got a warning not to do it unless I wanted to lose all my data. I said no of course.

What should I do? I need to get access to this disk so I can at least transfer the files off the drive to an external drive.

 

[PorscheMaD911]

If you can find a decent Linux live CD which supports NTFS and your hardware, that may be the way to go.

 

[Slowlearner]

You have two options

(1) http://faq.arstechnica.com/link.php?i=1806 I have tried this and found that it only work well only with disks that have only data, not OSs. However, while it worked for me it may not work for you - so try at your own risk.

(2) Boot with a Knoppix Live CD or with a ubcd4win disk (<< a very useful tool for every windows user), and copy/transfer all useful files elsewhere, then reformat/import/convert/whatever the second hd.

 

[Salvador]

Thanks guys!

I guess I could also temporarily install my backup drive in my other XP Pro system and get the files off of the drive before converting it over to basic to match this boot drive.

Now.. Why would this version of Windows XP Pro set up the drive in basic and the other version set it up in dynamic? I don't remember ever having that option. I always thought that it was NTFS or FAT32. I had no idea about dynamic and basic.

What is better btw? Dynamic or Basic or does it really matter?

 

[corkyg]

And you could also put it in an external case (USB or Firewire) and hot plug it as a separate external.

KB

How your drive got that way . . . ????

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: corkyg
And you could also put it in an external case (USB or Firewire) and hot plug it as a separate external.

KB

How your drive got that way . . . ????

I don't think that would work. If my installation of Windows XP on the basic storage system doesn't see the dynamic drive in the pc, why would it see it in an external enclosure? Isn't that why store bought external storage devices come with the FAT32 filing system?

Are you answering why my drive got that way with the link or are you asking me how it got that way? I don't know how it got that way. I don't remember the option for basic or dynamic when I installed Windows. I have two separate copies of Windows though. One is old (when XP came out) and the other is newer.

 

[UMfanatic]

this may sound stupid but try unplugging the cable on the HDD and then plugging it back in, I have had this problem before, also you can right click on my computer and click manage, and then clock disk storage or disk management and see if it is listed there

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: UMfanatic
this may sound stupid but try unplugging the cable on the HDD and then plugging it back in, I have had this problem before, also you can right click on my computer and click manage, and then clock disk storage or disk management and see if it is listed there

Yes. It's there, but it's listed as dynamic and not basic.

What gets me is that I just tried putting the storage drive into an external enclosure and hooked it up to my other XP system and it doesn't work on that system either. Same thing. My c drive is basic and my d drive (the drive I'm trying to read) is still showing as dynamic.

I'm wondering how the h*ll it got this way? I'm thinking that I originally formatted it in the machine with the same copy of Windows XP. I installed the drive and then formatted it through disk manager. Would it have set up the drive as dynamic at that point? If it was dynamic before, why did my system read it then and not now?

It looks like I'm going to have to find another copy of Windows XP Pro and then install it on another drive and hope that it gets set to dynamic, so I can read this drive. Then, I can transfer the files off of it to an external drive.

Or.. Use Knoppix, but I have no idea what to download or how to use it.

 

[Salvador]

If I reinstall Windows XP, at what point can I decide if I want a dynamic or basic file system (if at all)?

 

[UMfanatic]

I am not sure about this, I would basically just try getting the data off of it and reformating, I know that is a pain but this is a real mystery to me

 

[RebateMonger]

When you re-installed Windows, you created a "new" computer. Dynamic disks that you try to add will be seen as "foreign".

Microsoft: Foreign Status

"The Foreign status occurs when you move a dynamic disk to the local computer from another computer running Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, or . Foreign status can also occur on computers running Windows XP Home Edition that are configured to dual-boot with another operating system that uses dynamic disks (such as Windows 2000 Professional). Dynamic disks are not supported on Windows XP Home Edition or on portable computers. A warning icon appears on disks that display the Foreign status.

To access data on the disk, you must add the disk to your computer's system configuration. To add a disk to your computer's system configuration, import the foreign disk (right-click the disk and then click Import Foreign Disks). Any existing volumes on the foreign disk become visible and accessible when you import the disk. For instructions describing how to move and import disks, see To move disks to another computer

However, you cannot access data on the disk if you are running Windows XP Home Edition. To use the disk on Windows XP Home Edition, you must convert it to a basic disk."

Microsoft XP Troubleshooting: Importing Foreign Disks

In response to your other two questions:

The default format when you add a new hard drive to XP is NTFS. When adding the disk, the first menu offers to initialize the disk. The second menu offers to make it a Dynamic Disk. You have to check the checkbox to do so. Otherwise, it'll become NTFS. If you didn't read the Wizard directions and checked that second box, you'll have a Dynamic Disk.

I don't believe that the Windows XP Installation routine even offers the option of making a dynamic System Disk. But, frankly, I'm not going to go through an XP installation to verify my answer.

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
When you re-installed Windows, you created a "new" computer. Dynamic disks that you try to add will be seen as "foreign".

Microsoft: Foreign Status

"The Foreign status occurs when you move a dynamic disk to the local computer from another computer running Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, or . Foreign status can also occur on computers running Windows XP Home Edition that are configured to dual-boot with another operating system that uses dynamic disks (such as Windows 2000 Professional). Dynamic disks are not supported on Windows XP Home Edition or on portable computers. A warning icon appears on disks that display the Foreign status.

To access data on the disk, you must add the disk to your computer's system configuration. To add a disk to your computer's system configuration, import the foreign disk (right-click the disk and then click Import Foreign Disks). Any existing volumes on the foreign disk become visible and accessible when you import the disk. For instructions describing how to move and import disks, see To move disks to another computer

However, you cannot access data on the disk if you are running Windows XP Home Edition. To use the disk on Windows XP Home Edition, you must convert it to a basic disk."

Microsoft XP Troubleshooting: Importing Foreign Disks

In response to your other two questions:

The default format when you add a new hard drive to XP is NTFS. When adding the disk, the first menu offers to initialize the disk. The second menu offers to make it a Dynamic Disk. You have to check the checkbox to do so. Otherwise, it'll become NTFS. If you didn't read the Wizard directions and checked that second box, you'll have a Dynamic Disk.

I don't believe that the Windows XP Installation routine even offers the option of making a dynamic System Disk. But, frankly, I'm not going to go through an XP installation to verify my answer.

Dude... I think I love you!!!! Thank you so much!!!! I can't believe that it was that easy. I just right clicked the foreign drive in Disk Manager and imported the foreign disk. It took seconds and now I can read my disk again.

You saved me from a lot more headaches. I was about to reinstall Windows to another hard disk, so I could try and see this drive.

Many thanks again!!!!

Sal

 

[RebateMonger]

Glad you got it working.

You might consider backing up that second drive and then either convert it to Basic (using the "non-destructive" Ars technica link given above), or else use Disk Management to destructively convert it to Basic and then copy your data back.

Dynamic disks have their uses, but for most of us, Basic disks are MUCH easier to manage. Users of Dynamic disks show up in these Forums pretty often, asking for help.

Incidentally, there's no difference in the Disk formatting or Disk Management options in your different XP Professional Install CDs. I've used everything from the RTM version (purchased the day XP was released) to the very latest SP2 versions, and the all look the same on install.

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Glad you got it working.

You might consider backing up that second drive and then either convert it to Basic (using the "non-destructive" Ars technica link given above), or else use Disk Management to destructively convert it to Basic and then copy your data back.

Dynamic disks have their uses, but for most of us, Basic disks are MUCH easier to manage. Users of Dynamic disks show up in these Forums pretty often, asking for help.

Incidentally, there's no difference in the Disk formatting or Disk Management options in your different XP Professional Install CDs. I've used everything from the RTM version (purchased the day XP was released) to the very latest SP2 versions, and the all look the same on install.

How did it become a Dynamic disc though? Did I mess up and select Dynamic when I formatted it in the other Windows machine as a backup drive or did it just become Dynamic when I went to install it into another machine?

What are the drawbacks to just leaving it as Dynamic now instead of converting it over to Basic?

What I'll probably do is back up everything on another drive and try the Ars Technica fix. That way if I screw anything up, I won't toast my data.

One last question. If I'm setting up another drive as a backup drive to put into an external enclosure, how should I format the drive? I want to make sure and not format it in Dynamic if that's in fact what I did with the other drive.

Thanks again!

Sal

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Salvador
One last question. If I'm setting up another drive as a backup drive to put into an external enclosure, how should I format the drive? I want to make sure and not format it in Dynamic if that's in fact what I did with the other drive.

When you initialize and format a drive under XP, it really won't "magically" become a Dynamic Disk. Read the Wizard carefully and you'll end up with a Basic Disk with NTFS partition.

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: Salvador
One last question. If I'm setting up another drive as a backup drive to put into an external enclosure, how should I format the drive? I want to make sure and not format it in Dynamic if that's in fact what I did with the other drive.

When you initialize and format a drive under XP, it really won't "magically" become a Dynamic Disk. Read the Wizard carefully and you'll end up with a Basic Disk with NTFS partition.

Thanks! I will. That's probably what happened last time. When I was formatting the other drive, I probably didn't pay close attention and ended up with a Dynamic drive instead of a Basic drive.

Is there any drawback to leaving my drive Dynamic for a while until I can get a chance to back up everything and convert it to a Basic drive? What would happen if I leave it this way? Is there a risk of losing the data?

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Salvador

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: Salvador
One last question. If I'm setting up another drive as a backup drive to put into an external enclosure, how should I format the drive? I want to make sure and not format it in Dynamic if that's in fact what I did with the other drive.

When you initialize and format a drive under XP, it really won't "magically" become a Dynamic Disk. Read the Wizard carefully and you'll end up with a Basic Disk with NTFS partition.

Thanks! I will. That's probably what happened last time. When I was formatting the other drive, I probably didn't pay close attention and ended up with a Dynamic drive instead of a Basic drive.

Is there any drawback to leaving my drive Dynamic for a while until I can get a chance to back up everything and convert it to a Basic drive? What would happen if I leave it this way? Is there a risk of losing the data?

Hiya Sal !
best read here and here you can leave it dynamic w/out a risk of losing your data just can't read the volume from a lesser version of xp(home for instance)

Dynamic disks are not supported on the following hardware: ? Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 serial bus
? Universal Serial Bus (USB)
? Removable disks
? Disks in laptop computers or laptop docking stations
A dynamic disk is a physical disk that contains dynamic volumes created by using Disk Management. Dynamic disks do not use traditional partition tables like primary and extended partitions (logical drives); therefore, dynamic disks cannot be accessed by MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition (Me) or Windows NT operating systems.

losing access to your "stuffz" is what you're worried about

 

[Salvador]

Hey Scrappy! What's up? Hope all is well with you.

Thanks for the info. I don't think I will have a problem with leaving the drive as a Dynamic drive for a while since it's being used as an internal (non removable) drive. I'll get it backed up and converted. Just not tomorrow.

Now if I can figure out why my RAM upgrade is causing random reboots. If it's not one thing, it's another...

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Salvador
Hey Scrappy! What's up? Hope all is well with you.

Thanks for the info. I don't think I will have a problem with leaving the drive as a Dynamic drive for a while since it's being used as an internal (non removable) drive. I'll get it backed up and converted. Just not tomorrow.

Now if I can figure out why my RAM upgrade is causing random reboots. If it's not one thing, it's another...

pretty fair ..you try upping the voltage in your bios..?
hope you are not still dual-booting ..

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: ScrapSilicon

Originally posted by: Salvador
Hey Scrappy! What's up? Hope all is well with you.

Thanks for the info. I don't think I will have a problem with leaving the drive as a Dynamic drive for a while since it's being used as an internal (non removable) drive. I'll get it backed up and converted. Just not tomorrow.

Now if I can figure out why my RAM upgrade is causing random reboots. If it's not one thing, it's another...

pretty fair ..you try upping the voltage in your bios..?
hope you are not still dual-booting ..

Are you still bummed out because you don't have a Fry's in your area?

How do I up the voltage? I've never tried that before.

Yeah.. I still can't break my ties to Windows 98, so I have to dual boot.

J/K

I don't know how my drive was formatted as a Dynamic drive. This wasn't the result of dual booting. I haven't dual booted in at least five years and I bought this drive that was formatted as Dynamic, just last year.