XP Installation converts Basic drive to Dynamic

I have just re-installed XP Home edition onto this PC. I
have two physical drives, each with two partitions. All
four partitions were working fine.

I successfully installed (if that is possible with XP)
the OS onto one of the drives. Everything boots up
fine...

Unfortunately the second physical drive is now reported
as a Dynamic drive. NONE of my drives or partitions were
ever Dynamic. They are all basic NTFS volumes. After
searching the so-called Microsoft knowledge base for
quite some time, it appears that the only option I have
now is to convert the Dynamic volume to a Basic volume
and lose everything on it.

EVERY DAMN scrap of data was backed up onto that hard
drive. I figured since it was a separate piece of
hardware, and that I made NO adjustments to it, that it
would be recognized by XP after the installation.

But, in classic Microsoft fashion it happily comes back
and says that it is now a Dynamic drive and to have a
nice day. I am surprised that the Microsoft Support Site
does not offer to sell me a Microsoft bat to shove up my
ass. Of course that wouldn't work either because it is
from MICROSOFT.

The amount of seething profanity I could pound into this
note would embarrass the heartiest sailor.

I do not expect any kind of solution from Microsoft,
because there probably is none. It is just another
crappy bug in their so called operating system.

I know this note will be deleted by the Microsoft idiots
monitoring this board a millisecond after I send it.

Dynamic disks are not supported on portable computers or Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition.
There is no option to convert a basic disk to a dynamic disk with Windows XP Home Edition.
The scenario or phenomenon you describe is not possible with XP Home Edition.
There is more to your story then you are disclosing.

HOW TO: Convert to Basic and Dynamic Disks in Windows XP Professional
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=309044

How to use Disk Management to configure basic disks in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=309000

Try the following:

Right-click on MY COMPUTER and select MANAGE.
Click on DISK MANAGEMENT and in the lower right-hand
window (gray shaded area), right-click on your second drive
and select INITIALIZE DISK.

If that does not work:

Go to Start > Run and type: CMD , and hit enter.
In the Command Prompt window, type: DISKPART , hit enter.
Then type: RESCAN , hit enter.
Try initializing the disk again.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Another Disgusted Microsoft Victim" randor10@hotmail.com wrote in message:
news:f7f601c43e2c$bb69e920$a101280a@phx.gbl...

| I have just re-installed XP Home edition onto this PC. I
| have two physical drives, each with two partitions. All
| four partitions were working fine.
|
| I successfully installed (if that is possible with XP)
| the OS onto one of the drives. Everything boots up
| fine...
|
| Unfortunately the second physical drive is now reported
| as a Dynamic drive. NONE of my drives or partitions were
| ever Dynamic. They are all basic NTFS volumes. After
| searching the so-called Microsoft knowledge base for
| quite some time, it appears that the only option I have
| now is to convert the Dynamic volume to a Basic volume
| and lose everything on it.
|
| EVERY DAMN scrap of data was backed up onto that hard
| drive. I figured since it was a separate piece of
| hardware, and that I made NO adjustments to it, that it
| would be recognized by XP after the installation.
|
| But, in classic Microsoft fashion it happily comes back
| and says that it is now a Dynamic drive and to have a
| nice day. I am surprised that the Microsoft Support Site
| does not offer to sell me a Microsoft bat to shove up my
| ass. Of course that wouldn't work either because it is
| from MICROSOFT.
|
| The amount of seething profanity I could pound into this
| note would embarrass the heartiest sailor.
|
| I do not expect any kind of solution from Microsoft,
| because there probably is none. It is just another
| crappy bug in their so called operating system.
|
| I know this note will be deleted by the Microsoft idiots
| monitoring this board a millisecond after I send it.