windows xp cannot detect hard drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter vasilis.qs
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vasilis.qs

I have an internal WD 200GB hard drive with 3 partitions (75gb ntfs,
75gb ntfs, 50gb fat32) and the desktop was working fine (win XP pro). I
plugged the hard drive in an external IDE to USB device and connected
it to a laptop (win XP pro). When I installed it back to my desktop,
windows cannot detect the hard drive anymore, however BIOS can detect
it. Also, I plugged it back to the USB but it cannot be detected now as
an external USB hard drive either. I used the windows CD in order to
repair it but the hard drive still cannot be detected.

I am using this HD only for backup, so there is not windows installed
there (it is the second hard drive, slave). I tried to install it as a
master at the second IDE cable but I still have the same problem.

I have data on that drive (it is for backup) and I do not want to
format the drive (if windows will be able to detect it). There are
files that I need to get off that drive and if anyone out there can
give me any help, I would be very happy.
 
Does Disk Management detect the drive at all? (Right click on My Computer,
select Manage, on the following screen, click on Disk Management)

Anything there? Can you assign drive letter(s)?
 
Yes Disk Management detects the drive but also the BIOS detects the
drive as a 137GB drive and not as 200GB. Furhtermore I used
Partitionmagic and it detects the drive as a two partion unallocated
drive. I know the problem with the 48bits and i have already add the
EnableBigLba value to 1 in registry. About the assignment of drive
letters I am not sure what you mean and how I can check it.
 
The A: drive letter is reserved for the floppy drive, even if you do not
have one (as is the letter B:\)
 
Right click on the drive and you should have the option to assign the drive
letter.
 
The drive does not appear in My Computer only Device Manager can detect
the drive. I think the partitions table has a problem and i dont know
how to fix it.
 
If it has no drive letter, then My Computer and Windows Explorer cannot see
it.

You need to go into Disk Management and assign one.
 
Yes that s right but Disk Management can see only two partitions
(one 37GB-free space and another 150GB-unallocated)
instead of 3 partitions (75gb ntfs, 75gb ntfs, 50gb fat32)
So I dont know if I should assign the letters. Is there any chance to
be a problem with the partitions table or the MBR?
 
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