Disk Editor for USB drive?

  • Thread starter Thread starter User
  • Start date Start date
Previously User said:
Does anyone know of a program like DiskEdit that will modify the mbr
or disk sectors for an external USB hard drive?
Click to expand...
Every one I've seen only works on locally attached drives except the
Acronis one:
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/diskdirector/disk-editing.html
Click to expand...
which is $50.
Click to expand...

Since an USB drive is just a sequence of sectors like a conventional
HDD, any editor should work. I am surprised it does not. Unless
in MS world the concept of a "blco device" is still unknown.

Switch to Linux for this. No such shortcommings there.

Arno
 
En news:[email protected], Arno Wagner va escriure:
DSKPROBE (MS resource kit) does not work?

Since an USB drive is just a sequence of sectors like a conventional
HDD,
Yes.

any editor should work. I am surprised it does not.
Click to expand...

Reason is easy: USB is not (easily) available from DOS, and OTOH most sector
editors are (still) DOS-based.
You definitively better had to go with products that runs under Windows
(that's the way of the future at any rate).

Unless in MS world the concept of a "blco device" is still
unknown.
Click to expand...

:-)

However, there is another point below which could be a problem (at least, it
is for related problems such as booting): Windows considers (don't ask me
why) USB devices as "removable" drives, even harddisks... I guess there are
ambiguity about what really means removing...
But as a bottom line, some disk editors may insist to operate only on
non-removable devices; in such a case, complain to the vendor, since it's a
bug that should be fixed a.s.a.p.


Antoine
 
Previously Antoine Leca said:
En news:[email protected], Arno Wagner va escriure:
Click to expand...
DSKPROBE (MS resource kit) does not work?
Click to expand...
Reason is easy: USB is not (easily) available from DOS, and OTOH most sector
editors are (still) DOS-based.
You definitively better had to go with products that runs under Windows
(that's the way of the future at any rate).
Click to expand...

While I disagree that Windows is the future (I think Unix in its
multiple incarnations, e.g. OS X, Linux, etc. is), DOS is definitely
unsuitable for USB work.
However, there is another point below which could be a problem (at
least, it is for related problems such as booting): Windows
considers (don't ask me why) USB devices as "removable" drives, even
harddisks... I guess there are ambiguity about what really means
removing...
Click to expand...

I think Windows just expects users to yank out ''removable
devices'' while others are save. I expect that the write
buffering is different.
But as a bottom line, some disk editors may insist to
operate only on non-removable devices; in such a case, complain to
the vendor, since it's a bug that should be fixed a.s.a.p.
Click to expand...

Another option could be to make an image file and work on that.

Arno
 
Antoine Leca said:
DSKPROBE (MS resource kit) does not work?
Click to expand...

I tried it. Under XP, the only drive it would open was physical disk
2 (which is my second internal IDE drive). Apparently the c: boot
drive is not shown or permitted.
Reason is easy: USB is not (easily) available from DOS, and OTOH most sector
editors are (still) DOS-based.
You definitively better had to go with products that runs under Windows
(that's the way of the future at any rate).
Click to expand...

That seems to be the problem. Even if USB DOS driver were put on a
DOS boot diskette, I don't think it would work. Because, as you said
most sector editors are designed to work on physically attached IDE
drives, not perform disk i/o over a usb bus to an external drive.
 
En news:[email protected], Arno Wagner va escriure:
While I disagree that Windows is the future
Click to expand...

No disagreement, because I did not say that: I just said that DOS-based
products will be phased out in favour of Windows-based ones to support
MS-based configurations, including non-USB and in general compatibility
business. That is a very different PoV.

I does not want to imply you said I said it, however. ;-)


Antoine
 
User said:
I tried it. Under XP, the only drive it would open was physical disk
2 (which is my second internal IDE drive). Apparently the c: boot
drive is not shown or permitted.
Click to expand...
If the drive shows up in Disk Manager or diskpart,
you should be able to open that PhysicalDriveN in dskprobe.
That seems to be the problem. Even if USB DOS driver were put on a
DOS boot diskette, I don't think it would work. Because, as you said
most sector editors are designed to work on physically attached IDE
drives, not perform disk i/o over a usb bus to an external drive.
Click to expand...

Nope, they all use Int13. I have seen USB DOS drivers that provide it.
 
Previously Antoine Leca said:
En news:[email protected], Arno Wagner va escriure:
Click to expand...
No disagreement, because I did not say that: I just said that DOS-based
products will be phased out in favour of Windows-based ones to support
MS-based configurations, including non-USB and in general compatibility
business. That is a very different PoV.
Click to expand...
I does not want to imply you said I said it, however. ;-)
Click to expand...

Fine by me, since I did not! ;-)

Arno
 
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