XP Cannot Read FAT32 Hard Drive

[Crism]

I've got a hard drive from an old Gateway with either Windows ME or 98SE. No drive letter is assigned in the disk management area, and I cannot access the files on the drive. No options are available to choose from if I right click (assign drive letter isn't available). How is it possible to get the info off this disk?

 

[Fern]

Somethings not quite right here cuz winXP CAN read FAT32. I've never had a problem with that. Any chance its FAT16?

I'd be tempted to throw in my floppy with fdisk on it and have a look at the drive, see whether its actually in FAT32 etc.

If taht didn't work I'd run the manufacturers drive fitness utility on it.

Fern

 

[Crism]

It's an old 8.4GB Western Digital. I'll download the fitness test right now. I've seen this once before but I've never had to fix it. XP DOES show it as a FAT32 in Disk Management

 

[Crism]

I believe I need to make it a Logical Drive somehow. It doesn't show up as one in the Lifeguard tools, just as a Physical Drive

 

[acole1]

gateway may have done some magic on it so you cant move it as a slave (pure guess). did you try using it as your master drive and either copying it to your XP drive (slave) or burning the data on to a dvd-rom? the whole thing should fit on a couple dvd's. then format it.
hmmm you sure you got all the jumpers right?... just a random thought

 

[Crism]

I have it on the IDE2 all by itself set on Single drive or Master drive. It tested OK with the Lifeguard Diagnostics too...not sure what to do.

 

[Fern]

I don't use winXP, but I'm thinking I've read about this several times and you need to do something to get XP to "accept" the drive. Like "importing" it or something? If my hunch is correct somebody will come along who hopefully knows what I'm suggesting and explain better.

If nothing else, consider this a bump for you.

Fern