I have put a second HDD into a PC running Windows XP Home Edition with SP3. In Disk Management, the NEW drive appeared as "unallocated". I created a new partition and formatted it. I could write data to it and read it without any problems.

I then shut down the PC, re-started it and went into Windows Explorer. The new drive did not appear. In Disk Management, the new drive appeared as "unallocated". I created a new partition and formatted it. I could write data to it and read it without any problems.

I then shut down the PC, re-started it and went into Windows Explorer. The new drive did not appear. In Disk Management...

...well, you get the picture.

Would be very grateful for any suggestions. By the way, I have tried more than one HDD and do not believe they are all faulty. Also, they work OK in another PC.


(P.S. I know I made a similar post a week ago and before I get my knuckles wrapped by a moderator for not continuing the original thread, I would like to explain why I haven't: In the light of the additional information I have gathered since, the original title "Help with mobile/removable drive" is misleading and might put off someone with ideas. I am now not using my mobile racks at all and still have the same problem so it had nothing to do with them.)Very strange indeed and i admit being stumped...
A few things you can try though:
Replace the data cable for the drive...is it SATA or IDE ? ?
Use the drive manuf. diagnostic utilities to partition and format it for use and see if it does the same thing.
This is a new one on me. The only other thing it could be is a bad MBoard CONNECTION that causes intermittent troubles with the drive.Many thanks for your further suggestions, Patio. My drives are IDE.

I started a download of the manufacturer's utility program. While that was "cooking" on another PC (took nearly an hour!), I changed the connection of the drive in question. It was on the middle of the IDE2 controller with my DVD drive at the end which works fine. Now it's on the middle of the IDE1 controller with my main drive at the end which also works fine.

It's unlikely that the mobo has a fault on both controller connections or that both controller cables are faulty but nothing is impossible! I haven't tried replacing the cable yet but will do so.

When the download finished, I installed it on the PC with the problem, ran the program, reformatted the drive copied some files to it and restarted the machine. Just the same: "unallocated"!!

Sorry I've got you stumped but if you think of anything else I can try as well as changing the controller cables, I will be very grateful for any suggestions.

PeteI have now tried another controller cable and still the same happens.

I find it so strange that, after reallocating the drive, it works correctly (but only until I shut down the PC). Can that really be a mobo fault?

As always, I would be very grateful for any further suggestions.Does the BIOS recognize the hard drive? I am definitely not trying to insult your intelligence, but did you double check the jumper setting.(slave) I'm also wondering what file system you USED to format the drive?Many thanks for our response, Smitty, and don't worry; I never take constructive suggestions as insults!

Yes, the drive appears correctly in BIOS and, as you have probably read, even in Windows after each re-partitioning & re-allocating exercise.

Yes, I've checked the master/slave setting too. Even on a controller of its own, setting that either way does not fix the problem.New cable tried yet ? ?Yes. Didn't fix the problem.This simply doesn't make any sense ...EXTENSIVE searching for similar issues hve turned up nothing.
You stated you had other drives...does this happen with more than one drive ? ?Quote from: patio on January 14, 2009, 07:43:56 AM

This simply doesn't make any sense ...extensive searching for similar issues hve turned up nothing.
You stated you had other drives...does this happen with more than one drive ? ?