Ext'l hard drive - no drive letter/letters

[ChrisXPPro]

truenorth - thanks once again - but doesn't seem to be a link referring to your mention of this other site! 

I'll follow up anything just in case it might help - even tho the data I want is not exactly totally vital - I guess this whole thing has also become something of a mission to try and crack the problem!

[BC_Programmer]

I had a thought- maybe this is an ownership issue?

I don't have a lot of experience in using it, but there is a command-line utility, DISKPART, that could possibly be used, that may help to either give the drive a letter or actually give a reason why it can't.


Now, bear in mind diskpart is a very powerful program, even more so then fdisk, but here is something you could try.


1. start diskpart. Start->Run, diskpart


2. now, diskpart works in a freaky way, but our first plan of action is to find the right disk. type "list disk". try to determine which of these disks is your renegade drive. From your screenshots, I'd guess "disk 8".

3. armed with the disk to use, type "select disk 8". The disk should now be "selected". Now we need to determine once and for all exactly what partitions are present. type "list partition", a list should appear.

4. Now, I will assume that you have a single partition on it, but I'm sure you can figure out how to repeat the steps for additional partitions.

5. type "select partition 1"

partition 1 should now be active.

6. now the kicker, we try to assign a letter to the drive. when I tested on my computer, it changed the letter to something different, and I wasn't really given an option as to what letter. In any case, it's a simple command: just type "assign".


oh yeah, and exit quits.


if you follow those instructions, do be careful, I don't want to vend information that causes somebody to lose data. Pretty much just stay away from any "delete" type commands, and you should be fine.

[truenorth]

ChrisXPPro,I also saw the "DISKPART" option on a Microsaoft link  http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/33cc9af7-f68c-4656-af97-82e804a9c1e01033.mspx?mfr=true but did not think it would be applicable (however BC_Programmer might have a point). The other link to the free software is as follows:http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html  If that one does not work(it is a link from another web page)here is the original page that it links from (it is item #6 on the page). http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-change-the-drive-letter-in-windows-xp-for-an-external-usb-stick-or-hard-drive/ Goodluck, truenorth

[ChrisXPPro]

BC_ and truenorth - thx both for the extra input.  I have researched a bit and will when time see what happens - but will do the experiment on my Lenovo.

I have downloaded the usbdlm utility, which certainly sounds potentially useful and I'll initially outa interest run the (carefully!) diskpart just to explore results.

I'll come back later to report when I have had a chance to ''play" !!

[ChrisXPPro]

OK folks - here's the skinny!

truenorth - diskpart sure looks mega useful - and I was careful. 

I seemed to be OK to show what, on the Lenovo was seen as disk 1 (I had it set up as slave internal) .... and then did a ''list partition'' ..... that came up as just partition 1, no list of more than this.  Fine so far but ... (always a ''but''!) ....... while this appeared active a request for ''assign'' came up with a message something like ''no volume present'', or similar!!  No amount of tries yielded me any further advance from this stage.

So - on to USBDLM ........ set that up and profiled the .ini file to suit re drive letters available etc ..... all that did was ascribe new letters to my card reader but nothing extra relevant to this darned drive. I elected to rule out drive letters for reader andswitched off reader (unless containing data card) - then those letters went - still no extra letter or letters for the drive.

In fact I threw the other HDD in the enclosure and hooked that up thru USB ..... so one now intl slave and other USB - two identical drives.  As ever it seems they appeared in Drive management as previously reported.

So - thx a lot for the extra ideas ... I really appreciate that help but once more I think I remain up the famous creek, and no paddle!!!

Only thing left perhaps if I make time - is to see if using USBDLM I can somehow mount the drive onto an NTFS  folder - pretty much a last ditch deal probably.

Frustrating problem - and I have wondered a bit if because I used Partition Magic 7 originally to set those two drives up whether that has any bearing at all - and yet XP Pro on that old machine just never had seemingly any issues with drive letters!!  IIRC one was three part's and the other four part's.

[patio]

Partition Magic has it's own unique way of labeling and identifying partitions/drives....
Sometimes it makes sense to Windows ....sometimes it doesn't.
Sounds like it's the latter in this case and we've been chasing a red herring.

[ChrisXPPro]

patio - I think perhaps you are right - but I recall now that other drives that read in enclosure from earlier machine had also been set up with Partition Magic - but these were back in Win2k and Win95 days...  maybe it's an XP thing!

Thx for response.

[truenorth]

ChrisXPPro,Well my hope for Patio to show up has occur ed. However it seems he only brought an anti aircraft gun to shoot us all down. With this belated news of the "partition magic "involvement it appears it introduces (potentially) a new set of concerns.Might i suggest on the oft chance that this problem is not unknown and that someone on a "partition magic" forum may have found a way to overcome it that you search out some forums more particular to problems with that program and see what people have to say there about it. To get you started here is one that seems to emphasise that software. truenorth
http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsoft-support/windows-xp-support/52846-partition-magic.html

[BC_Programmer]

Did you remember to select the partition and volume before doing the "assign"?

[ChrisXPPro]

BC_ - indeed yes - selected but, still result of 'assign' was something like ''no volume found"!

I may well when time allows run thru the whole deal again - still not quite given up!

[truenorth]

ChrisXPPro,Since the recent "revelation" re the partition magic potential involvement in all of this i have been rethinking things. I have a new suggestion based on what i believe are "the facts".The facts being these 2 HDD's did work in the computer that is dead.The operating system as it existed in that computer had no trouble with them.Given Patio's comment "sometimes it makes sense to windows.... sometimes it doesn't" I believe it is safe to say in there earlier life in that computer it did "make sense".So now if that is true what about trying this:dual boot the present computer with one of the O/S's being the exact version that was installed on the dead machine. I don't necessarily believe it would be essential that whatever that O/S was need to have all the updates that were installed after it's original installation as presumably the HDD's were in it at the outset and grew up with what ever changes occurred thereafter. (and they always functioned).Once the "old" O/S is installed at boot select that as the one to be used and THEN install the HD (s) via a case and USB port. Logic tells me it ought to work.Of course the big IF is do you have the original O/S disk from which to install the O/S as it was installed on the dead computer?Are we grasping at straws here?What do you think Patio? Is it worth a try? truenorth

[BC_Programmer]

It's also possible that a Drive Overlay was installed, but I've never seen symptoms like this from that (then again, I've only used Drive Overlay software once, enough to know to never use it again.

[ChrisXPPro]

More thanks for replies again ....... I am not sure if I have that original OS disk - I may have to do some serious digging!  Somehow think it was mislaid long ago.

My other possibility that I considered, altho not too optimistic, is to put the drives back in the old machine and see if I can pursuade it to do enough in safe mode to let me check things out.  Could be even if mega slow I can manage something.  All down to time right now with too much going on but - will still persevere further and report back - eventually!

Never used drive overlay BTW.

Appreciate all the input I have had guys - thx a lot.

[patio]

Another thing you can do if in fact you are going to set things up all over again...with XP i have found that the best way to get drive letters to stick and not get juggled around all the time is to assign each drive/partition a Volume Label....this can be done at the time of the FDisk and or Format procedure.
I use a name corresponding with the drive letter:
C: Calvin
D: Dogma
E: Einstien
F: Faranheit

and so on...

[ChrisXPPro]

patio - yeah - I have always given my drives/partitions labels, usually descriptive of content useage.  Assuming that is what you mean.

If you peek back at one of my image grabs you'll see what I use and that is pretty much same as on these old drives.  I'll need to find a chunk of time tho to try them in old PC so as I said, may take a while.