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move 250 gb drive to new machine..
- Thread starter jlockley
- Start date
When you say vista doesn't - do you just mean the drives/partitions don't appear in explorer? Have you looked in disk management (run diskmgmt.msc) - vista may have not assigned drive letters to them - in which case you can do that in disk management
note - did you have norton goback installed on 2k machine? If so, it will need to be installed on vista machine to enable access to the partitions.
note - did you have norton goback installed on 2k machine? If so, it will need to be installed on vista machine to enable access to the partitions.
- Thread starter
- #3
It is recognized in bios and device manager but not in disk management. There was no Norton installed on the previous computer but some security (as bloatware, essentially) on the new one - Acer off the shelf.
Clue: Under device manager details it appears that Vista cannot recognize the volume. Drivers are up to date (HD's don't have drivers). The drive also unrecognized in an external USB configuration. For further information, it is PATA. I am in process of reconstructing the previous machine to see if I can network over the information.
I have done some searching and found a few cases of this, but generally with unformated drives. This one contains information.
Clue: Under device manager details it appears that Vista cannot recognize the volume. Drivers are up to date (HD's don't have drivers). The drive also unrecognized in an external USB configuration. For further information, it is PATA. I am in process of reconstructing the previous machine to see if I can network over the information.
I have done some searching and found a few cases of this, but generally with unformated drives. This one contains information.
- Thread starter
- #5
A quick reading around Google says Vista supports existing FAT32 partitions, it just won't install into one.
My guess is that your old partitions are formatted NTFS. I hope this guess is wrong as there have been numerous posts in the forums here where XP was reinistalled and would no longer recognize NTFS partitions. I'd hate this see this problem carried forward into Vista.
Please let us know what your partitions are formatted as, if you can.
My guess is that your old partitions are formatted NTFS. I hope this guess is wrong as there have been numerous posts in the forums here where XP was reinistalled and would no longer recognize NTFS partitions. I'd hate this see this problem carried forward into Vista.
Please let us know what your partitions are formatted as, if you can.
what does the entry in device manager say? (is it red crossed, yellow ! or what?)
have you tried uninstalling the device manager entry and letting windows rediscover & install it - might have more luck second time!
It would be very odd for Vista's ide driver not to be compatible with this drive - as 2k obviously happy with it (nothing exotic about either the drive or the previous 2k machine - I know there is the odd mobo out there with non-standard IDE controller - so windows needs 3rd party drivers to access).
Honestly - if its data you want off rather than to use in this machine, why not just connect to XP machine?
have you tried uninstalling the device manager entry and letting windows rediscover & install it - might have more luck second time!
It would be very odd for Vista's ide driver not to be compatible with this drive - as 2k obviously happy with it (nothing exotic about either the drive or the previous 2k machine - I know there is the odd mobo out there with non-standard IDE controller - so windows needs 3rd party drivers to access).
Honestly - if its data you want off rather than to use in this machine, why not just connect to XP machine?
- Thread starter
- #8
Let me continue:
1) Is not recognized in an external USB device or installed.
2) I would gladly tell you the format, but I can't get the configuration to work on the old 2K machine 0 - same old, same old ntoskrnl.exe bsd. (not quite the perfect storm, but a pretty well constructed one.)
3) It shows as normally installed and function in system manager.
4) There are actually two drives. One is Seagate 40 GB Barracuda and the other is WD Caviar 250 MB. Neither is accessible via standard Windows procedures. Neither shows in disk management interface. Both register in Bios and both show in the System manager.
I suspect that Vista has carried the problem forward. I need to figure out a workaround.
(To add to perfect storm, the original desktop won't boot from CD, which means no windows repair to get to the info..)
1) Is not recognized in an external USB device or installed.
2) I would gladly tell you the format, but I can't get the configuration to work on the old 2K machine 0 - same old, same old ntoskrnl.exe bsd. (not quite the perfect storm, but a pretty well constructed one.)
3) It shows as normally installed and function in system manager.
4) There are actually two drives. One is Seagate 40 GB Barracuda and the other is WD Caviar 250 MB. Neither is accessible via standard Windows procedures. Neither shows in disk management interface. Both register in Bios and both show in the System manager.
I suspect that Vista has carried the problem forward. I need to figure out a workaround.
(To add to perfect storm, the original desktop won't boot from CD, which means no windows repair to get to the info..)
- Thread starter
- #9
Have you tried any other applications besides Vista to see what they see on the old drive(s)?
I would think booting a Windows ME diskette or CD ISO of it would at least be able to tell you something about the state of the drives.
If they are NTFS, then booting a NTFS reader may show something:
Acronis Disk Director has a trial version. The problem with this is it needs to be installed in order to create a bootable CD.
And there is the Ultimate Boot CD with many tools (I advise caution with some of these):
I would think booting a Windows ME diskette or CD ISO of it would at least be able to tell you something about the state of the drives.
If they are NTFS, then booting a NTFS reader may show something:
Acronis Disk Director has a trial version. The problem with this is it needs to be installed in order to create a bootable CD.
And there is the Ultimate Boot CD with many tools (I advise caution with some of these):
- Thread starter
- #11
Thanks. I have one of the two up and running on xp64 right now. The drive is in fact NTFS.
I may have missed something in Disk manager. It listed as a foreign drive with no partitions. I only picked up on it as it was at the top of the list, while the same entry may have been at the end on the Vista machine. I can check tonight. ( I was looking out for this, as it was listed elsewhere in these forums, so I may be kicking myself.)
Once imported it runs on XP. This means that at least I can copy it to a large USB backup drive and try that on the other computer. Once the data is safe, if I can't locate it in Vista, I will try conversion.
Thanks for you help. I will use it if nothing else works, but as you suggest, I don't entirely trust third party apps.
I may have missed something in Disk manager. It listed as a foreign drive with no partitions. I only picked up on it as it was at the top of the list, while the same entry may have been at the end on the Vista machine. I can check tonight. ( I was looking out for this, as it was listed elsewhere in these forums, so I may be kicking myself.)
Once imported it runs on XP. This means that at least I can copy it to a large USB backup drive and try that on the other computer. Once the data is safe, if I can't locate it in Vista, I will try conversion.
Thanks for you help. I will use it if nothing else works, but as you suggest, I don't entirely trust third party apps.
i mentioned 3rd party apps only to see if the data was intact on your drives. I am not sure of any magic bullet software that will make the partitions show up in Vista. Best bet would probably be to export the data to a FAT32 partition on your large USB backup drive.
You mention a conversion. I am unsure what you mean. NTFS to FAT32?
You mention a conversion. I am unsure what you mean. NTFS to FAT32?
- Thread starter
- #13
- Thread starter
- #14
Update: Still trying to incorporate the original drive in the Vista desktop. It is actually recognized in Disk Management as a dynamic disk / offline.
"Convert" would convert it to a basic drive and delete all data. This is not an option (still copying all over to the usb drive at work).
Following MS instructions to bring it online at the prompt I encounter an (unnumbered) error.
Right clicking on the drive does not provide the suggested "initialize disk" option. Still working on it.
Anyone have experience in this?
"Convert" would convert it to a basic drive and delete all data. This is not an option (still copying all over to the usb drive at work).
Following MS instructions to bring it online at the prompt I encounter an (unnumbered) error.
Right clicking on the drive does not provide the suggested "initialize disk" option. Still working on it.
Anyone have experience in this?
- Thread starter
- #15
Well, It looks as if I have the answer. The short version:
As it turns out, Microsoft Vista Ultimate and Pro support dynamic disks. Windows Home Premium does not, but for a simple $169 upgrade you can import them. It would be nice to say that MS scrod up again, but it feels intentional.
So it's back to the total backup then conversion. My New Years resolution was to quit swearing (I have a graduate degree in linguistics and enjoy swearing very much, but other people don't seem to). This isn't making it any easier.
I feel Microscrod. Is that swearing?? Going to check quick on the vista forum, but I am afraid I know the answer......
As it turns out, Microsoft Vista Ultimate and Pro support dynamic disks. Windows Home Premium does not, but for a simple $169 upgrade you can import them. It would be nice to say that MS scrod up again, but it feels intentional.
So it's back to the total backup then conversion. My New Years resolution was to quit swearing (I have a graduate degree in linguistics and enjoy swearing very much, but other people don't seem to). This isn't making it any easier.
I feel Microscrod. Is that swearing?? Going to check quick on the vista forum, but I am afraid I know the answer......
- Thread starter
- #16
Update: The 250mb disk was recognized and could be imported easily into xp64. Once the 250MB disk had been imported, the 34MB disk was recognized and did not need importing.
Returned to the Visa machine the 34MB disk was recognized, while the 250 MB would only register as dynamic. (Previously both had been listed as dynamic). All data copied over to MyBook USB storage, ending the saga.
Returned to the Visa machine the 34MB disk was recognized, while the 250 MB would only register as dynamic. (Previously both had been listed as dynamic). All data copied over to MyBook USB storage, ending the saga.
Congratulations of both your perseverance and success! And thank you for your updates.
So at the start of this, how were the 250GB and 34GB originally formatted? And were they both dynamic disks to start? The reason I am asking is, as I posted earlier, there have been many threads here created by users of XP who experienced loss of partitions after a reinstall. Dynamic disk configurations never crossed my mind as perhaps a cause for this.
So at the start of this, how were the 250GB and 34GB originally formatted? And were they both dynamic disks to start? The reason I am asking is, as I posted earlier, there have been many threads here created by users of XP who experienced loss of partitions after a reinstall. Dynamic disk configurations never crossed my mind as perhaps a cause for this.
- Thread starter
- #18
They were both formatted NTFS. My guess is that the smaller drive, which hosted the OS, was first in stalled as the master and the slave 250 formatted afterwards. Due to the usual W2000 dislike of change and resulting bsd's, I am pretty sure I formatted from the Windows CD. Both drives registered as "dynamic".
I have a theory, which would belie my belief that I formatted the smaller OS drive first, etc (the rest would be a pretty sure bet, though, as that's fairly much my policy - smaller OS and separate larger drive for programs and data -. Or maybe not.
As I reported, the 250 drive showed as "foreign" in XP pro and could thus be imported. Once the 250 drive was imported, the 32gb disk came on it's own.
Dynamic disks come in arrays, as I understand it. If somehow the second drive was subtracted from the array, permitting it to be recognized as a different mode (go figure), leaving the first as an incomplete part of a dynamic array, the second could possibly be recognized. Somehow. Go figure. It's all voodoo at this point - puzzle on.
There is one more thing: XP Pro provides the option of converting the disk with no data loss warning. Having backed about 80MB of data to the MyBook and transferred it to a sorting space on the 300gb drive on Vista system I am going to schlep the thing back to the office and try it. I will report the results.
Thank <i>you</i> all for hanging with me in this. It helps a lot to have other minds posed on your problems.
I have a theory, which would belie my belief that I formatted the smaller OS drive first, etc (the rest would be a pretty sure bet, though, as that's fairly much my policy - smaller OS and separate larger drive for programs and data -. Or maybe not.
As I reported, the 250 drive showed as "foreign" in XP pro and could thus be imported. Once the 250 drive was imported, the 32gb disk came on it's own.
Dynamic disks come in arrays, as I understand it. If somehow the second drive was subtracted from the array, permitting it to be recognized as a different mode (go figure), leaving the first as an incomplete part of a dynamic array, the second could possibly be recognized. Somehow. Go figure. It's all voodoo at this point - puzzle on.
There is one more thing: XP Pro provides the option of converting the disk with no data loss warning. Having backed about 80MB of data to the MyBook and transferred it to a sorting space on the 300gb drive on Vista system I am going to schlep the thing back to the office and try it. I will report the results.
Thank <i>you</i> all for hanging with me in this. It helps a lot to have other minds posed on your problems.
Dynamic disks can be part of an array, but that isn't the only role they can assume. Probably more than you want to know (or maybe not):
which appears to be a lightly edited version of:
So still the common theme is NTFS. You say they registered as "dynamic". I am taking that to mean that you didn't originally convert them from basic to dynamic disks, but later, after the problem arose, that is how they appeared in Disk Management.
Puzzling on. Thank you for your thorough post.
which appears to be a lightly edited version of:
So still the common theme is NTFS. You say they registered as "dynamic". I am taking that to mean that you didn't originally convert them from basic to dynamic disks, but later, after the problem arose, that is how they appeared in Disk Management.
Puzzling on. Thank you for your thorough post.
- Thread starter
- #20
Nope. It's a dynamic issue. The disks are as they were first formatted using the Windows 2000 CD a couple of years ago. They were not converted to dynamic, although I may try to convert them back to basic.
Here is a clear statement by MS that dynamic disks are not supported:
Obviously Vista HP could, if MS so willed, manage to recognize dynamic disks. The previously listed hack link shows that the rescue/conversion process would be relatively simple for a good coder to develop. (the app to effect the change is from Microsoft).
Microsoft has a right to choose what it's OS will support, but it would seem to me their duty to provide prospective customers with information. See their version comparison: which I checked before making my decision.
I think this is a big deal. From knocking about for an answer I know that it is effecting quite a few users. The stat answer: Buy the upgrade, if you want your data.
Let's do the Math:
Windows Vista ultimate has an MSRP of $399, new.
Windows Home Premium is suggested to sell for $199.
The Ultimate upgrade is suggested to sell for $259.
This means if I find out that I cannot upgrade my system to Home Premium it will cost me $60 extra.
Microsoft and their preferred dealers make a profit off this.
This is the first time I have bought a computer off the rack. If I had as usual bought my components from a good local store or Tiger, I would have been warned of the issue.
Here is a clear statement by MS that dynamic disks are not supported:
Obviously Vista HP could, if MS so willed, manage to recognize dynamic disks. The previously listed hack link shows that the rescue/conversion process would be relatively simple for a good coder to develop. (the app to effect the change is from Microsoft).
Microsoft has a right to choose what it's OS will support, but it would seem to me their duty to provide prospective customers with information. See their version comparison: which I checked before making my decision.
I think this is a big deal. From knocking about for an answer I know that it is effecting quite a few users. The stat answer: Buy the upgrade, if you want your data.
Let's do the Math:
Windows Vista ultimate has an MSRP of $399, new.
Windows Home Premium is suggested to sell for $199.
The Ultimate upgrade is suggested to sell for $259.
This means if I find out that I cannot upgrade my system to Home Premium it will cost me $60 extra.
Microsoft and their preferred dealers make a profit off this.
This is the first time I have bought a computer off the rack. If I had as usual bought my components from a good local store or Tiger, I would have been warned of the issue.
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