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2nd hard disk doesnt show

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Original Message
Name: qma
Date: August 21, 2008 at 12:31:00 Pacific
Subject: 2nd hard disk doesnt show
OS: windows xp prof sp2
CPU/Ram: P4 1.8 ghz, 768 MB ram
Comment:

Hi. I just had to format my pc today and reinstall windows on drive C: The new windows seems to work fine but the problem is that I have a second hard drive (which was drive G:) and that has all my data stored in it.

Now G: isnt showing up at all in "My Computer" or when i go to "Run". When I checked System information in My computer, it does show that i have 2 hard drives.

What should i do? Any help would be appreciated.


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Response Number 1
Name: OtheHill
Date: August 21, 2008 at 13:11:41 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Look for the drive in Disk Management. If showing there you may need to "take ownership" of the files/folders. Learn how to do that at the link below.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421


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Response Number 2
Name: wanderer
Date: August 21, 2008 at 15:25:29 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

You also may need to assign it a drive letter [preferably the one it had before] in Disk Managment for you to see it listed in My Computer.

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Response Number 3
Name: Musky
Date: August 21, 2008 at 19:26:58 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

I hope when you formatted the hard drive during the install process that you unplugged the second hard drive first. Many times I've seen Windows either delete the partition of a second attached drive during the install or format it along with the drive you were installing Windows to.

It sounds to me like that may have happened since Windows has not assigned the 2nd drive a letter, which it won't if it is no longer partitioned.

Musky
If the voices inside my head paid rent, I'd be rich!


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Response Number 4
Name: lurkswithin
Date: August 21, 2008 at 23:30:36 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

I to have seen the second harddrive wiped clean during an installation of the operating system...especially on systems with built in RAID controllers.

Windows recognises the RAID controller and prepares all drives for installation of a RAID array.

Definition of a Liberal:
He has never had to fight for his Freedom
He is only good at enjoying it!

"IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM


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Response Number 5
Name: wanderer
Date: August 22, 2008 at 08:30:47 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Both scenerios seem very strange.

To format drives during an OS install you have to manually pick each drive to format. Windows never formats drives not selected.

Usual occurance is folks don't know which drive is 0 or 1 and format the wrong drive.

Windows never formats raid drives, that are not in an array, again unless selected during install. Hardware raid, when a disk array has been made, presents one drive to the OS which is not the same when doing software raid. If jbod, again you would have to manually select each drive for formatting.

Imagine the power of knowing how to internet search
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Teachin...


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Response Number 6
Name: lurkswithin
Date: August 22, 2008 at 13:06:45 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

FYI,

Gateway and Dell both have used the Microsoft OEM OPK program to install plug and play identified drivers for their business computers using a PATAraid controller. By utilizing the plug and play identifiers on their drivers XP set-up recognizes the pataraid controller as native hardware and installs the raid drivers effectively by-passing the F6 installation proceedure.
Set-up only sees the harddrives as a single drive, as in regular RAID instalation proceedures after the drivers are installed.

As more businesses begin upgrading their computers and if the original installation software is available you will be experiencing more of this...The specs the OP listed shows that this computer could very well be one of those.

Definition of a Liberal:
He has never had to fight for his Freedom
He is only good at enjoying it!

"IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM


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Response Number 7
Name: OtheHill
Date: August 22, 2008 at 13:29:34 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

If the OP would respond back about the status of their machine we could stop speculating.


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