So, What to do if the Drive Does Not Show?

[sandgk]

Got a Hard Drive issue. Windows XP.

Installed one piece of software onto a drive which contains two partitions.
It is not the system drive, but it does contain substantial application and data files of value.

After installation the system restarted (a normal part of the install process). Sadly the drive does not show up by letter in Explorer. Neither dies it show by icon in My Computer.

All icons for docs and apps located on the drive now generic.

Hardware (System Information) and Disk Management show the drive.
Neither show the correct partition nor size information. In fact they show it as working properly, even though it shows no size.

Which disk recovery tool or service might be able to untangle this mess?

If tool, what is the cost?

If service, what is the the financial exposure.

In either case, what is the likelihood of success?

 

[Best Buckeye]

Got a Hard Drive issue. Windows XP.

Installed one piece of software onto a drive which contains two partitions.
It is not the system drive, but it does contain substantial application and data files of value.

After installation the system restarted (a normal part of the install process). Sadly the drive does not show up by letter in Explorer. Neither dies it show by icon in My Computer.

All icons for docs and apps located on the drive now generic.

Hardware (System Information) and Disk Management show the drive.
Neither show the correct partition nor size information. In fact they show it as working properly, even though it shows no size.

Which disk recovery tool or service might be able to untangle this mess?

If tool, what is the cost?

If service, what is the the financial exposure.

In either case, what is the likelihood of success?

First just try to ! Take the hard drive out and remove what you can from the computer systems. Then try to to reinstall. If this was the first time you put this particular hard drive into the unit. It mat not be partioned right for XP.
I have to go to work but if you still need help tonight I might do you some good.
Wait , first recheck the jumpers on the hard drives . Master , slave .etc

 

[mooktarr]

XP system restore

 

[BrutusMaximus]

What piece of software did you install? Could it have changed the file system from NTFS to FAT or something?

I actually would try the XP system restore, but I dont know if it will correct something to that effect.

You could try something like partition magic even.

 

[sandgk]

Thanks to all for their suggestions!
Problem is (in my mind temporarily) solved.

First just try to ! Take the hard drive out and remove what you can from the computer systems. Then try to to reinstall. If this was the first time you put this particular hard drive into the unit. It mat not be partioned right for XP.
I have to go to work but if you still need help tonight I might do you some good.
Wait , first recheck the jumpers on the hard drives . Master , slave .etc

Not an issue with a new hard drive install, though if nothing else worked I was going to move the drive to our 2nd (newer) computer and see if the system read things correctly on there. Thankfully I didn't have to do that.

XP system restore

And there is one vote for XP System restore.

What piece of software did you install? Could it have changed the file system from NTFS to FAT or something?

I actually would try the XP system restore, but I dont know if it will correct something to that effect.

You could try something like partition magic even.

And yet another nod to System Restore. Oh, yes, the software wasn't the type that should have re-written file system from NTFS to FAT32 - though as it was a beta of DVDFab HD, who knows what kind of code still needed to be cleaned up. (Guessing anything is possible, though I doubt that is the cause - but just don't know).

OK, now the very good news.
I had a demo version of a HD Restoration utility (Stellar) running overnight which was A - painfully slow, and B - hadn't seen a damned thing after reading only 12% of all sectors in an eight hour period. Brought up this thread and saw the consensus vote for System Restore --
XP System Restore did in fact fully restore the missing drives and their contents. Better note that one down Maximus! If drive suddenly reads zero System Restore can be your friend.
Might be the first time in a long while that something out of Redmond actually impressed me.
Now onto the hard slog. With this kind of issue arising it is time (ok, long past time) to backup the system.
So DVD RW to the ready that is now part one of my mission.
Part two will be to do one of those moves for the disk contents (including system disk onto a new disk. (Fact is that the affected partitions were on one of the two older drives in this unit).
Finally part three is to install and configure a new fully healthy drive in place of the two older drives and revert the file and system move.

Thanks to all - greenies on the way.

 

[mooktarr]

Thanks to all for their suggestions!
Problem is (in my mind temporarily) solved.

Finally part three is to install and configure a new fully healthy drive in place of the two older drives and revert the file and system move.

Thanks to all - greenies on the way.

Suggestion if you want to back up your files you might consider a two drive raid or spy system where whatever is loaded onto the main drive is automatically copied to the second drive.

 

[sandgk]

This would be a good time to try something like that, as I can consolidate my system and primary documents drive during move in step 2 then get the mirroring run right in step 3.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[BrutusMaximus]

Wow...........a windows feature that actually works? :)

I am glad that worked out for you, but am still shocked that it did. Whatever works though.