Accessing WinME HD using WinXP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill Brown
  • Start date Start date
B

Bill Brown

Is it possible to access a Windows ME internal HD plugged into a computer
operating XP?
The power supply died in my HP Pavilion 8860 which was running using Windows
ME . I need to access files on its HD. I tried transferring the Pavilion
HD into a Compaq Presario S6500NX, as a slave HD. Device Manager shows it
working, but does not have a drive letter. I'm open to suggestions oh how
to access files on the Windows ME HD using a Windows XP computer. TIA.-
Bill Brown
 
| Is it possible to access a Windows ME internal HD plugged into a computer
| operating XP?
| The power supply died in my HP Pavilion 8860 which was running using
Windows
| ME . I need to access files on its HD. I tried transferring the Pavilion
| HD into a Compaq Presario S6500NX, as a slave HD. Device Manager shows it
| working, but does not have a drive letter. I'm open to suggestions oh how
| to access files on the Windows ME HD using a Windows XP computer. TIA.-
| Bill Brown
|
|


Hi Bill -

Right-click on My Computer and select Manage. Click on Storage | Disk
Management. Highlight your ME drive, right-click and select the option to
assign a drive letter.

Jef
 
Jef Norton said:
| Is it possible to access a Windows ME internal HD plugged into a computer
| operating XP?
| The power supply died in my HP Pavilion 8860 which was running using
Windows
| ME . I need to access files on its HD. I tried transferring the Pavilion
| HD into a Compaq Presario S6500NX, as a slave HD. Device Manager shows it
| working, but does not have a drive letter. I'm open to suggestions oh how
| to access files on the Windows ME HD using a Windows XP computer. TIA.-
| Bill Brown

Hi Bill -

Right-click on My Computer and select Manage. Click on Storage | Disk
Management. Highlight your ME drive, right-click and select the option to
assign a drive letter.

Jef
Click to expand...
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the concise instructions. However, when I get to the options
menu, all options are grayed out, except for Delete Partition. Suggestions
on how to activate the grayed out Change Drive Letter option? - Bill Brown
 
Bill Brown said:
shows
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the concise instructions. However, when I get to the options
menu, all options are grayed out, except for Delete Partition. Suggestions
on how to activate the grayed out Change Drive Letter option? - Bill Brown
Click to expand...
Hi Jef,
Pardon me, didn't catch the extra 'f' until after I hit enter.
Bill
 
| > Hi Jeff,
| > Thanks for the concise instructions. However, when I get to the options
| > menu, all options are grayed out, except for Delete Partition.
| Suggestions
| > on how to activate the grayed out Change Drive Letter option? - Bill
Brown
| >
| Hi Jef,
| Pardon me, didn't catch the extra 'f' until after I hit enter.
| Bill
|
|

Hi Bill -

No problem on the excess 'f'...

Anyway, you might wish to connect the Windows ME drive alone on the second
IDE channel (where the CD/DVD drive is usually connected).

Jef
 
Jef Norton said:
Anyway, you might wish to connect the Windows ME drive alone on the second
IDE channel (where the CD/DVD drive is usually connected).

Jef
Click to expand...
No luck. I initially tried connecting the HD where the CD/DVD drive is
connected. Looks unlikely that I'll be able to access the HD until I get a
new power supply. I periodically backup, but the files I need were recent
additions after the last backup. Oh well. If you have any other
suggestions, I'm willing to give 'em a try. Thanks for the advice.-Bill
Brown
 
Jef Norton said:
Hi Bill -

I'm running out of suggestions. Unfortunately I've never mounted a Windows
9x/ME disk containing an operating system as a slave drive under Windows XP.
I've successfully mounted prior slave drives, though.

Perhaps this problem has something to do with the Windows ME Master Boot
Record.

Another idea that springs to mind: In Disk Management, highlight your
Windows ME disk, right-click and select Properties. On the Properties sheet
start the Troubleshooter. Maybe it can give you an idea how to get the
drive recognized.

Jef
Click to expand...
Hi Jef,
No luck, again, on getting the drive recognized. Just placed an order
for a HP replacement power supply. Lesson learned: backup new potentially
important files, daily.-Bill Brown
 
| Hi Jef,
| No luck, again, on getting the drive recognized. Just placed an order
| for a HP replacement power supply. Lesson learned: backup new
potentially
| important files, daily.-Bill Brown
|
|
|

Hi Bill -

Another thought: If your primary hard drive is formatted as a FAT32 disk it
is available from DOS. And maybe DOS won't be as picky about Windows XP
being installed on your C: drive with Windows ME being installed on the D:
drive (when installed as a slave drive or alone on the second IDE
controller).

If the above is true, you could boot with a DOS diskette and manually copy
the files you need from the Windows ME drive to the Windows XP drive. I
know it would be a hassle navigating through the directory structure on the
ME disk... but it may be doable.

This idea won't work if your Windows XP disk is formatted NTFS - it would be
invisible to DOS if this is the case.

Jef
 
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