Lost Logical Drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Richards
  • Start date Start date
J

Jim Richards

Using XP Pro w/SP2. I have a WD 120 GB HD partitioned 65% in the Primary DOS
Partition and it is Active (Drive C:), and 35% in the Secondary DOS
Partition with Logical Drive D: contained in it. Windows recognizes the
Logical Drive and I can perform all the ordinary tasks on it.

When I boot to A:\ and run FDISK it shows the pri dos partition as active
and it shows a sec dos partition with a logical drive in it BUT when I click
yes, I want to see the logical drive it displays "No logical drive defined".

So then I try to delete the sec dos part BUT I get "Unable to delete this
partition while a logical drive is defined. First delete the logical drive
and then the sec dos part. BUT I am unable to do this because when I try to
delete the logical drive in the sec dos part it tells me "NO logical drive
defined".

I wanted to delete the logical drive and the sec dos part and then
re-partition the pri dos part to use the entire capacity of the drive as I
just purchased a Maxtor External USB 160 GB Hard drive. This would be the
slave to the 120 GB WD and this would then get the Drive letter D:.

Is there any way to delete the logical drive when DOS does not recognize it
is there? TIA, Jim
 
I'm beginning to wonder why you upgraded to XP given how strongly you desire
to continue trying to manage with DOS. Sometimes when you get new tools you
are better off getting rid of some of the old ones - at least the ones that
do not understand NTFS.

/Al
 
Please, what terminology should I use when I refer to the process of booting
to A:\ and running FDISK? I use this only when I have to re-format or
partition my harddrive which is about once a year. The only DOS that I have
is the one supplied with XP (when I shell out of Windows to the Command
Prompt). When I type "Ver" at the command prompt I get "Microsoft Windows XP
[Version 5.1.2600]. I use Windows for 99.44% of my PC activity. TIA, Jim
 
Jim said:
Please, what terminology should I use when I refer to the process of booting
to A:\ and running FDISK? I use this only when I have to re-format or
partition my harddrive which is about once a year.
Click to expand...


If you re-format and partition just to re-install XP it would be easier
for you if you do that from within the Windows XP installation program.
You get the options to remove/create partitions and select filesystem
(format) if you start your computer on the XP CD-ROM and select to do a
fresh install.
 
Jim Richards said:
When I boot to A:\ and run FDISK it shows the pri dos partition as active
and it shows a sec dos partition with a logical drive in it BUT when I click
yes, I want to see the logical drive it displays "No logical drive defined".
Click to expand...

Please stop littering this newsgroup with questions for well-known
and documented errors of DOS's FDISK.
Search the MSKB (http://support.microsoft.com/) to find your question
answered, check http://www.fdisk.com/, or use the APPROPIATE group for
your question.

Stefan
 
I am sorry. I thought I was contrubuting, not litering. I won't post no more
but thanks again for all your help. Jim
 
Jim Richards said:
Please, what terminology should I use when I refer to the process of
booting to A:\ and running FDISK?
Click to expand...

The point of my previous response was not regarding your problems with the
terminology, but that you seem unable to let go of 9x and DOS-based tools
that are of marginal use given their inapplicability for managing an
NT-based operating system that uses a file system completely unkown to these
old tools.
I use this only when I have to re-format or partition my harddrive
which is about once a year.
Click to expand...

Olof suggested that a better method would be to use the windows installation
program to do this. That is why that functionality is there - so you do not
need to hang on to older DOS diskettes. What will you do when you next buy a
PC and find it doesn't even have a diskette drive?
The only DOS that I have is the one supplied with XP (when I shell out
of Windows to the Command Prompt).
Click to expand...

While that "looks" like DOS, it is not actually "DOS"...
When I type "Ver" at the command prompt I get "Microsoft Windows XP
[Version 5.1.2600]. I use Windows for 99.44% of my PC activity. TIA, Jim
Click to expand...

.... and it reports itself as XP rather than DOS, again, because this is not
DOS.

When you boot from a floppy disk to what looks like a DOS screen or
maximized command prompt window, you are not booting XP from that floppy (XP
will not, in fact, fit onto a floppy disk), but something that is much more
"DOS" like. If the boot diskette was created under Windows 98, then it will
be the "DOS" underlying Windows 98. But there is no "DOS" underlying XP.
 
Jim Richards said:
I am sorry. I thought I was contrubuting, not litering. I won't post no
more but thanks again for all your help. Jim
Click to expand...

These may be well known to some of us, but obviously not to those asking
about them. It seems a bit impolite to me that you refer to someone's posts
as "litter". This might make sense when dealing with someone posting garbage
on purpose, but in Jim's case, he seems to simply be looking for help. If he
does not come up to your standards in terms of a minimum level of competence
or understandings, it would be more appropriate, imho, if you would refrain
from making derogatory comments and just ignore his posts if they offend
you, and leave his instruction to others with a bit more patience.

Good advice. But how do you think an apparent newbie should find out how to
determine which are the APPROPRIATE groups? Well, he could ask, but some
people are not even aware that there is such a question to ask. Or someone
could politely suggest which other groups would be perhaps more appropriate
(or, better still, where he would have a better chance of getting what he is
looking for). Finally, perhaps some people just need to be scolded and
chided until they understand. Wait, did I say that - I take it back.

/Al
 
Please stop top posting and avoid full quotes!
I am sorry. I thought I was contrubuting, not litering. I won't post no more
but thanks again for all your help. Jim
Click to expand...

In addition to the previously posted links:
is well worth to read,
as well as and
[fullquote snipped]

Stefan

PS: And now let's see whether you've configured your Outlook ¤xpress
right (no, you didn't, it's missing the MIME declaration!).
[
 
Stefan Kanthak said:
Please stop top posting and avoid full quotes!
I am sorry. I thought I was contrubuting, not litering. I won't post no
more
but thanks again for all your help. Jim
Click to expand...

In addition to the previously posted links:
is well worth to read,
as well as and
[fullquote snipped]

Stefan

PS: And now let's see whether you've configured your Outlook ¤xpress
right (no, you didn't, it's missing the MIME declaration!).
[
Click to expand...

Hmm, well it certainly looks as if you've won this argument. But while you
have been able to perhaps demonstrate some technical superiority over a
newbie (like, wow, man), you could learn a lesson or two from him in the
area of civility.

/Al
 
Your mail address is invalid!
news:[email protected]...
Click to expand...

Can you shorten this to the usual attribution LINE?

And while you're at it: inform yourself how to properly change a subject
or how to followup to a post with changed subject.
Dont use 8bit characters without proper character set declaration.
Hmm, well it certainly looks as if you've won this argument.
Click to expand...

No, I did not "win". I don't even need to "win". I just gave Jim an
additional hint. He'll find plenty of background information in the
newsgroups I pointed him too.

"Teach a man to fish."

Needless to say that YOU need this same newbie information too,
since your postings are defective.

fup to where you can train and test your technical skills
Stefan
 
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