Can't Format Simple Dynamic Volume

[Jisha]

Barring hardware issues, are there any Win2K or other OS problems or issues
that would prevent me from being able to format any Simple Volumes on a
Dynamic Disk?

Here's the situation:
1) Can import Dynamic disks which were created and formatted elsewhere.
2) Can create Simple Partitions on Dynamic Disk, but cannot format them.
3) Simple Volumes on Dynamic Disks, can be imported and formatted elsewhere.

BTW, using the same physical hard-disk drives, I Can create and format Basic
and Extended partitions w/logical drives in various configurations... I just
cannot format anything when the drive is dynamic.

I believe I've ruled out hardware as the problem...
Can work with these drives in various w2k systems, including one w/
identical MB, RAM, IDE Controller cards, etc.

Reinstalling W2K would not be a problem now, since the system has yet to be
deployed. The problem system has W2K newly installed , but I've been
suspecting a bad or corrupted install anyway (takes way too long to finish
booting) ...even before this particular problem arose...

TIA
Chris

 

[Chris]

I don't think there any issues I know obviously you
couldn't format the System/Boot partition. I never use
dynamic disks cause we use hardware raid . What error are
you recieving ? Or is this option just not availible
after selecting the simple volume ?


thanks

Chris

 

[Jisha]

Hi Chris,

Actually, not getting any error message... if I didn't know better, I would
think the drive was actually being formatted, except that progress (as a
percentage) is not reported and the format will run all day if I let it,
when it should take 20 to 30 minutes tops.

Also, not sure if you were asking or thinking-out-loud, but system partition
is on a basic disk... the drive(s) I want to set up is a 200 gb data drive
and a matching back-up... and I too have avoided using dynamic disks because
of cloning issues (Norton Ghost) for back-ups... but want to save the
headache carving it up into 33gb chunks... and PowerQuest's Drive Image 7.0
appears to handle simple volumes on dynamic disks just fine (so far...), and
with less errors to correct.

Thanks,
Chris

PS: ...like your name :]

 

[Guest]

UPDATE: on thinking overnight, decided to test if the UltraATA-133 IDE controller card had any part in the problem
Here's what I tested and it's results... very interesting and mysterious

1) First, did a complete reinstall of W2k, including a reformat of the system partition, just incase there was a w2k problem. The reinstall went like clock-work... very good...definitely a keeper :

2) Finished setting up and formatting simple volumes using another computer, and imported the Dynamic Data drive to this machine. Deleted last partition and created a small 1gb partition to test with. Could not format, as expected. The HDD was attached to the IDE ATA 133 Controller card. System Drive is on the Motherboard

2) Swapped the System drive and the Data Drive, and rebooted. (System Drive now on IDE ATA-133 controller card, Data Drive now directly on the motherboard

3) Booted fine, but Data Drive (Dynamic Disk) was recognized as "Unreadable", and no partition information was indicated in diskmanager. Reverted the Data Drive to a Basic Disk, and then upgraded immediately again to Dynamic Disk, set up a new 1 gb simple volume to test with, and WAS ABLE TO FORMAT. Incidently, in this physical location was the first time W2K actually recognized the HDD as New Equipment, and told me to restart..

3) Shut down and swapped drives back, putting Dynamic Data Disk _back_ onto the IDE ATA-133 controller card
Disk manager recognized the Dynamic Disk now as a foreign disk, and was able to import. HOWEVER, upon import, the original volume/partition structure was shown, not the new arrangement of a single 1 gb volume at the beginning of the drive, w/ remander of drive unallocated

4) Swapping Drive again back to motherboard position, Disk Manager reported the single 1 gb test volume which was created on that IDE channel directly on the motherboard.... swapping back AGAIN to the IDE ATA-133 controller card, Disk manager reported the original volume/partition configuration, with a 1 gb test partion near the end of the volume. ! ???

ANYONE have ANY idea of what's going on here
a) When the dynamic dirve is pluggd in directly to the IDE channel on the motherboard, I see the volumes/partitions created at that physical location
b) When the dynamic drive is plugged into the IDE ATA-133 controller card, I see the volumes/partitions originally created at that location...

It's like the Dynamic Drive has developed a Jekyll & Hyde disorder

ANY feedback... even guesses... would be REALLy appreciated

TI
Chri



----- Jisha wrote: ----

Barring hardware issues, are there any Win2K or other OS problems or issue
that would prevent me from being able to format any Simple Volumes on
Dynamic Disk

Here's the situation
1) Can import Dynamic disks which were created and formatted elsewhere
2) Can create Simple Partitions on Dynamic Disk, but cannot format them
3) Simple Volumes on Dynamic Disks, can be imported and formatted elsewhere

BTW, using the same physical hard-disk drives, I Can create and format Basi
and Extended partitions w/logical drives in various configurations... I jus
cannot format anything when the drive is dynamic

I believe I've ruled out hardware as the problem..
Can work with these drives in various w2k systems, including one w
identical MB, RAM, IDE Controller cards, etc

Reinstalling W2K would not be a problem now, since the system has yet to b
deployed. The problem system has W2K newly installed , but I've bee
suspecting a bad or corrupted install anyway (takes way too long to finis
booting) ...even before this particular problem arose..

TI
Chri

 

[Guest]

SECOND UPDATE
1) I moved the IDE ATA-133 controller card into another nearly I dentical computer and put the Dynamic Disk on the controller card in this new computer... Disk manager showed the same volume/partition setup as in the problem machine when attached to the controller card... however, I WAS ABLE TO FORMAT the volume! ...so the Controller card is OK... seems to be a more basic issue on the motherboard.... perhaps the BIOS version.... but the BIOS version on the problem system is newer than the BIOS version on the system that works

2) I then moved the Dynamic Disk directly onto the motherboard, putting the system drive from the other computer onto the IDE ATA-133 controller cards, and disk manager now showed the same volume/partition information as when directly attached to the motherboard on the problem system... the same Jekyll & Hyde syndrome..

I'm beginning to think that moving the Dynamic Disk to different IDE channels is somehow making the system interpret the drive as different drives which are part of an array of drives? ...just a guess... and lookin g for some feedback on that one

This is a very frustrating issue and I'm hoping SOMEONE out there can understand and explain to me what is going on

TI
Chri

----- Jisha wrote: ----

UPDATE: on thinking overnight, decided to test if the UltraATA-133 IDE controller card had any part in the problem
Here's what I tested and it's results... very interesting and mysterious

1) First, did a complete reinstall of W2k, including a reformat of the system partition, just incase there was a w2k problem. The reinstall went like clock-work... very good...definitely a keeper :

2) Finished setting up and formatting simple volumes using another computer, and imported the Dynamic Data drive to this machine. Deleted last partition and created a small 1gb partition to test with. Could not format, as expected. The HDD was attached to the IDE ATA 133 Controller card. System Drive is on the Motherboard

2) Swapped the System drive and the Data Drive, and rebooted. (System Drive now on IDE ATA-133 controller card, Data Drive now directly on the motherboard

3) Booted fine, but Data Drive (Dynamic Disk) was recognized as "Unreadable", and no partition information was indicated in diskmanager. Reverted the Data Drive to a Basic Disk, and then upgraded immediately again to Dynamic Disk, set up a new 1 gb simple volume to test with, and WAS ABLE TO FORMAT. Incidently, in this physical location was the first time W2K actually recognized the HDD as New Equipment, and told me to restart..

3) Shut down and swapped drives back, putting Dynamic Data Disk _back_ onto the IDE ATA-133 controller card
Disk manager recognized the Dynamic Disk now as a foreign disk, and was able to import. HOWEVER, upon import, the original volume/partition structure was shown, not the new arrangement of a single 1 gb volume at the beginning of the drive, w/ remander of drive unallocated

4) Swapping Drive again back to motherboard position, Disk Manager reported the single 1 gb test volume which was created on that IDE channel directly on the motherboard.... swapping back AGAIN to the IDE ATA-133 controller card, Disk manager reported the original volume/partition configuration, with a 1 gb test partion near the end of the volume. ! ???

ANYONE have ANY idea of what's going on here
a) When the dynamic dirve is pluggd in directly to the IDE channel on the motherboard, I see the volumes/partitions created at that physical location
b) When the dynamic drive is plugged into the IDE ATA-133 controller card, I see the volumes/partitions originally created at that location...

It's like the Dynamic Drive has developed a Jekyll & Hyde disorder

ANY feedback... even guesses... would be REALLy appreciated

TI
Chri




----- Jisha wrote: ----

Barring hardware issues, are there any Win2K or other OS problems or issue
that would prevent me from being able to format any Simple Volumes on a
Dynamic Disk?

Here's the situation:
1) Can import Dynamic disks which were created and formatted elsewhere.
2) Can create Simple Partitions on Dynamic Disk, but cannot format them.
3) Simple Volumes on Dynamic Disks, can be imported and formatted elsewhere.

BTW, using the same physical hard-disk drives, I Can create and format Basic
and Extended partitions w/logical drives in various configurations... I just
cannot format anything when the drive is dynamic.

I believe I've ruled out hardware as the problem...
Can work with these drives in various w2k systems, including one w/
identical MB, RAM, IDE Controller cards, etc.

Reinstalling W2K would not be a problem now, since the system has yet to be
deployed. The problem system has W2K newly installed , but I've been
suspecting a bad or corrupted install anyway (takes way too long to finish
booting) ...even before this particular problem arose...

TIA
Chris