XP: Convert a dynamic disk back to a basic disk without data loss

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wildta

Member
Apr 24, 2001
68
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0
Background...

I once had a Dell w/ XP Pro. I had a 200gb hard drive from it that I used for just storage (it was not partitioned at all). I ran my operating system and programs from a separate hard drive (40gb hard drive).

I've just built a new XP Pro machine (using parts from my old Dell). I've pulled my one 40gb HD out and reloaded WinXP onto it just fine. I then pulled my 200gb HD so I could start using it as storage again but when installed it, it doesn't show up as a drive -in My Computer but it is definitely online becuase is shows up in Disk Manager.

I went into "Computer Manager / Disk Manager" and it says my 200gb drive is identified as Dynamic and Foreign. I've tried to import the drive but it says I can not "Import Foreign Disk" on Windows XP system. I've tried different jumper pin settings and none of them have allowed me to import it. I do have the options to Convert it to Basic, but if I do I will lose all my data.

-I am definitely running XP Pro.
-These are IDE HD's.
-I did not run RAID nor did I have partitions on my 200gd HD.

Does anyone have an idea of what I should try next so that I don't lose any of my data?

Thanks in advance!
 
S

SuperFreaky

Golden Member
Nov 1, 1999
1,985
0
0
HA! I just came across a way to do this today. I used Norton Ghost 8.0 and VMware 5.0 to convert a dynamic disk from a mirror array in a Server 2003 box to a basic one.

Basically I ghosted a copy of the dynamic disk into a new VM. When I booted the VM the drive was no longer listed as a Dynamic Disk in windows, so I ghosted a copy right back to the original drive!

I'm not sure if using the VM had anything to do with it. You might be able to get by with just moving an image around via ghost.
 
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wildta

Member
Apr 24, 2001
68
0
0
I was able to finallly find a solution that worked:

http://faq.arstechnica.com/link.php?i=1806

Right after I did the steps I tried to run chkdsk, but of course I couldn't because my drive still wasn't showing up. But after a quick restart my drive showed up in My Computer and all of my files were intact!!! So now I just have to run chkdsk on it.

Yay!!! Thanks for all your help everyone!
 
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Greg75

Junior Member
Dec 13, 2005
3
0
0
Hi Guys,

I almost have the same problem as Wildta. Despite the fact that my new Samsung 250GB HDD started its life as a 'Dynamic Disk', then three days later it just simply disppeared from 'My Computer' and it is off-line from 'Disk Management'. So now, unfortunately I don't have any access for all my data files.

It has only one partition and tested with Hutil running under DOS it says the following:
Partition Format Type: unknown (42) and
Test Loop: ECC error, C:105450 H:2 S:693.

I don't know what to do next to recover my files. Shall I try DSKPROBE? Please do help me!!!

Thnx,
Greg

Originally posted by: wildta
Background...

I once had a Dell w/ XP Pro. I had a 200gb hard drive from it that I used for just storage (it was not partitioned at all). I ran my operating system and programs from a separate hard drive (40gb hard drive).

I've just built a new XP Pro machine (using parts from my old Dell). I've pulled my one 40gb HD out and reloaded WinXP onto it just fine. I then pulled my 200gb HD so I could start using it as storage again but when installed it, it doesn't show up as a drive -in My Computer but it is definitely online becuase is shows up in Disk Manager.

I went into "Computer Manager / Disk Manager" and it says my 200gb drive is identified as Dynamic and Foreign. I've tried to import the drive but it says I can not "Import Foreign Disk" on Windows XP system. I've tried different jumper pin settings and none of them have allowed me to import it. I do have the options to Convert it to Basic, but if I do I will lose all my data.

-I am definitely running XP Pro.
-These are IDE HD's.
-I did not run RAID nor did I have partitions on my 200gd HD.

Does anyone have an idea of what I should try next so that I don't lose any of my data?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

 
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