I am running Windows XP SP2 on a 2-yr old home-built computer. I have a 160GB SATA hard drive which is partitioned into a primary partition and an extended partition which is further divided into 11 logical partitions. I have just added another SATA drive (250GB) for additional data storage and backup. BIOS and Windows recognition of the new drive and NTFS formatting went OK. Both PartitionMagic and the Windows Disk Manager recognize the new drive. Originally, I had configured the new drive as an extended partition with a single 238GB logical partition. So far, so good. But if I divide this extended partiton into two smaller partitions (currently, one of 48GB and the other of 190GB), only the first partition appears in Windows Explorer under My Computer or in any "File Open" dialog box. I tried decreasing the size of the big partition, and tried making the first partition a prime and the second a basic extended, but that didn't help either.

However, all of the new partitions are shown by PartitionMagic and the Windows Disk Manager (and with the proper drive letters, too). Those partitions ALSO show up in the Diskeeper defragmenter and also can be accessed via the command prompt.

How do I convince Explorer to accept these new partitions and display them so I can access them?

Thanks!Did you remember to format the new ones you created ? ?Yes, it was formatted as NTSF. The first partition is recognized, the second is not.How does it show up in Disk Management ?Disk Management shows both partitions on the 2nd disk as "Healthy," NTFS formatted. The partition that IS recognized is 46.88 GB and the one that is NOT recognized is 186.01GB. Except for the sizes, their properties are identical. They are both logical drives in an extended partition.

PartitionMagic shows much the same, except the REPORTED file sizes are a little larger.

As I said in my original post, I tried making the second partition smaller in case the large size was a problem, but it didn't help. Also, if I make the drive one huge, single partition, it is recognized correctly.Do the letter assignments match up ? ?
You may try moving your CDRom letters down so there are 2 or 3 unused letters between the HDD's and their partitions and the CDRoms...
Sometimes this will occur when thumb drives are added to the mix as well so give any you use regularly both a volume label and designated drive letter.

So your 1st physical drive should be C: thru N:
2nd should be O: and P:

Go to S: or T: for the optical drives.

Strange.

P.S. The 1st partition on the 2nd drive is primary, correct ? ?Yes, the letter assignments match up, in Disk Management, PartitionMagic, and Diskeeper.

I set my CDROM to "Drive Z" long ago when I partitioned the first hard drive.

When I partitioned the second hard drive originally, I made the first partition a primary and the remainder of the disk an extended partition with one logical drive. That's when I found that Windows wouldn't display the second partition (except in Disk Management, where it appears to be perfectly OK). Then I deleted the primary and made the ENTIRE disk an extended partition with two logical drives, and that's where I am now.

I've attached a screenshots of Explorer and the Disk Managemant.

[file cleanup - saving space - attachment deleted by admin]I believe it needs at least one to have an extended partition to see more than one on a physical drive...so N: needs to be a primary with O: as an extended logical drive.
Without a Primary Windows will not use an extended partition.
Right now the shaded area tells me that O; is there but unallocated and i think N: needs to be primary in order to allocate O:

As far as the optical drives they can be designated with a drive letter that shouldn't change if you use Drive Management to do it.

P.S. Drive O (C: ) has a primary partition with 10 extended partitions...not 11 as you stated.

P.S.S. When you reset the N: partition as Primary you will need to re-create O: as the extended partition with the remaining drive space as well...perhaps this is where it went South the first attempt.I tried using a primary + extended/logical setup originally. The logical drive was not recognized (BUT was shown as "healthy, NTSF" by the Disk Manager). I believe the shaded area in my screenshot just shows which partiton I was looking at re:properties, etc. If it was unallocated the Disk Manager would show "unallocated" (as it did when I first began partitioning).

Nonetheless, I repeated the experiment: made the first partition into a primary "N:" followed by an extended partition with a logical drive "O:" Made no difference, drive "O:" does not show up in Windows Explorer or in any drop-down "File Open" dialog.

Then I made BOTH of them primary partitions. Same thing. . . I had hopes that would do it, but it didn't help at all.

As I've mentioned before, I CAN see the O: drive in PartitionMagic, Disk Manager, and my Diskeeper defragmenter and can read its properties, which appear normal. I have also used the command prompt and DOS commands to copy files to and from the O:drive with no problems.

So Windows DOES and DOESN't see the partition. I'm really puzzled!

RE: the number of partitions on the first drive. I knew someone would point out that I had counted wrong! I had counted the partitions on the fingers of my hands, starting with C: -- oops!


EDIT: I fired up tweakui to see if it could provide any help. Found a list under "Computer/Drives" where all my partitions were shown with a check next to them EXCEPT the O:\ drive. A simple mouse click and all was OK. Apparently the drive was "hidden." But I didn't do it, honest!

Thanks for your help!Glad you are sorted...
Just to clarify what i said...you cannot have an extended partition on a Physical drive that Windows will recognise/use without a Primary partition...

P.S. Noone ever does it...