How can I turn a Dynamic Drive into a Basic drive without...

[Guest]

How can I turn a Dynamic Drive into a Basic drive without deleting all of the
content???

I have a second drive that isn't being recognized by my new OS (xp home). I
think it's because XP home doesn't recognize dynamic drives and that's what
it says it is in Disk Management.

If I change it to Basic Drive I think it will erase everything. So how
would I change it? Or how can I make XP home recognize a dynamic drive?

help?

 

[george]

How can I turn a Dynamic Drive into a Basic drive without deleting all of
the
content???

I have a second drive that isn't being recognized by my new OS (xp home).
I
think it's because XP home doesn't recognize dynamic drives and that's
what
it says it is in Disk Management.

If I change it to Basic Drive I think it will erase everything. So how
would I change it? Or how can I make XP home recognize a dynamic drive?

help?

You can't.
By design, you need to remove any and all volumes from a Dynamic drive
before the (context)menu option 'Revert to Basic' becomes active.
So you need to backup all information from the drive. (on another box, since
yours doesn't recognize the drive as it is.)
Revert to basic.
format and create partitions.
restore the backed up date.

hth

george

 

[Guest]

You can't.
By design, you need to remove any and all volumes from a Dynamic drive
before the (context)menu option 'Revert to Basic' becomes active.
So you need to backup all information from the drive. (on another box, since
yours doesn't recognize the drive as it is.)
Revert to basic.
format and create partitions.
restore the backed up date.

hth

george

I thought so.

I have an external drive. This is what I think I can do, but tell me if it
will work?
take the drive out.
put it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data.
Then put the drive back in my old computer.
turn it into a basic drive.
then transfer the files back (over the network.)
but external drive back in case.

Can this dynamic drive be used (temporarily) as an external drive?
Will the data still be accessed?

jonathan

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

You need to make a drive image. Just transferring files will not work
unless you do a reinstallation of the OS first.

 

[Guest]

I meant to add the step here... I will write it again, and put the step in...
let me know if this would work.

take the drive(x) out from computer.
take out drive(e) from my external hard drive enclosure.
put other drive(x) it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data to computer(b).
Then put the drive(x) back in my old computer.
turn drive(x) it into a basic drive.
format it(if I make it a basic drive will it do that?)
assign a letter (does it do that automatically?)
then transfer the files back (over the network.) from (b) to (x).
put the original external(e) drive back in case.

Does that make sense? would it work? Can I put the dynamic drive in the
external hard drive exclosure and have it still retain the data and work??

You need to make a drive image. Just transferring files will not work
unless you do a reinstallation of the OS first.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

I thought so.

I have an external drive. This is what I think I can do, but tell me if
it
will work?
take the drive out.
put it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data.
Then put the drive back in my old computer.
turn it into a basic drive.
then transfer the files back (over the network.)
but external drive back in case.

Can this dynamic drive be used (temporarily) as an external drive?
Will the data still be accessed?

jonathan

 

[george]

I meant to add the step here... I will write it again, and put the step
in...
let me know if this would work.

take the drive(x) out from computer.
take out drive(e) from my external hard drive enclosure.
put other drive(x) it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data to
computer(b).
Then put the drive(x) back in my old computer.
turn drive(x) it into a basic drive.
format it(if I make it a basic drive will it do that?)
assign a letter (does it do that automatically?)
then transfer the files back (over the network.) from (b) to (x).
put the original external(e) drive back in case.

Does that make sense? would it work? Can I put the dynamic drive in the
external hard drive exclosure and have it still retain the data and work??

You need to make a drive image. Just transferring files will not work
unless you do a reinstallation of the OS first.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

:


How can I turn a Dynamic Drive into a Basic drive without deleting
all
of
the
content???

I have a second drive that isn't being recognized by my new OS (xp
home).
I
think it's because XP home doesn't recognize dynamic drives and
that's
what
it says it is in Disk Management.

If I change it to Basic Drive I think it will erase everything. So
how
would I change it? Or how can I make XP home recognize a dynamic
drive?

help?

You can't.
By design, you need to remove any and all volumes from a Dynamic drive
before the (context)menu option 'Revert to Basic' becomes active.
So you need to backup all information from the drive. (on another box,
since
yours doesn't recognize the drive as it is.)
Revert to basic.
format and create partitions.
restore the backed up date.

hth

george




I thought so.

I have an external drive. This is what I think I can do, but tell me
if
it
will work?
take the drive out.
put it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data.
Then put the drive back in my old computer.
turn it into a basic drive.
then transfer the files back (over the network.)
but external drive back in case.

Can this dynamic drive be used (temporarily) as an external drive?
Will the data still be accessed?

jonathan

Jonathan,

Only Windows XP PRO or Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 are able to read/write
dynamic disks.
It does not matter if they are in an external enclosure. If the OS can
access (ie. recognizes) the drive, it will read it.
The whole operation hinges on the possibility to hook your dynamic drive
into a system that can read it and then taking its contents to a *temporary*
other location.
You can use any method available to you, to do that, like taking a Windows
Backup, making an image with image software that can access dynamic drives,
or even by plain old xcopy.
If it is *NOT* the drive holding your operating system (ie. it's a
'data'-drive) there should be no problem.
Once your disc is reverted back to basic, just put the files back on it,
with Windows Restore, or image software or even xcopy.

hth

george

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

You cannot transfer the system the way you transfer files. You need an
imaging program to do that.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

I meant to add the step here... I will write it again, and put the step
in...
let me know if this would work.

take the drive(x) out from computer.
take out drive(e) from my external hard drive enclosure.
put other drive(x) it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data to
computer(b).
Then put the drive(x) back in my old computer.
turn drive(x) it into a basic drive.
format it(if I make it a basic drive will it do that?)
assign a letter (does it do that automatically?)
then transfer the files back (over the network.) from (b) to (x).
put the original external(e) drive back in case.

Does that make sense? would it work? Can I put the dynamic drive in the
external hard drive exclosure and have it still retain the data and work??

You need to make a drive image. Just transferring files will not work
unless you do a reinstallation of the OS first.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

:


How can I turn a Dynamic Drive into a Basic drive without deleting
all
of
the
content???

I have a second drive that isn't being recognized by my new OS (xp
home).
I
think it's because XP home doesn't recognize dynamic drives and
that's
what
it says it is in Disk Management.

If I change it to Basic Drive I think it will erase everything. So
how
would I change it? Or how can I make XP home recognize a dynamic
drive?

help?

You can't.
By design, you need to remove any and all volumes from a Dynamic drive
before the (context)menu option 'Revert to Basic' becomes active.
So you need to backup all information from the drive. (on another box,
since
yours doesn't recognize the drive as it is.)
Revert to basic.
format and create partitions.
restore the backed up date.

hth

george




I thought so.

I have an external drive. This is what I think I can do, but tell me
if
it
will work?
take the drive out.
put it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data.
Then put the drive back in my old computer.
turn it into a basic drive.
then transfer the files back (over the network.)
but external drive back in case.

Can this dynamic drive be used (temporarily) as an external drive?
Will the data still be accessed?

jonathan

 

[Guest]

This is just a secondary drive. Just data, no system.

And my other computer has Media Center 2004 on it. Would that recognize the
dynamic drive(as an external drive)?? I'm not sure if that is built on Home
or Pro.

I'm looking for a simple solution... The old computer is going to be the
kids computer.

You cannot transfer the system the way you transfer files. You need an
imaging program to do that.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

I meant to add the step here... I will write it again, and put the step
in...
let me know if this would work.

take the drive(x) out from computer.
take out drive(e) from my external hard drive enclosure.
put other drive(x) it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data to
computer(b).
Then put the drive(x) back in my old computer.
turn drive(x) it into a basic drive.
format it(if I make it a basic drive will it do that?)
assign a letter (does it do that automatically?)
then transfer the files back (over the network.) from (b) to (x).
put the original external(e) drive back in case.

Does that make sense? would it work? Can I put the dynamic drive in the
external hard drive exclosure and have it still retain the data and work??

You need to make a drive image. Just transferring files will not work
unless you do a reinstallation of the OS first.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

:


How can I turn a Dynamic Drive into a Basic drive without deleting
all
of
the
content???

I have a second drive that isn't being recognized by my new OS (xp
home).
I
think it's because XP home doesn't recognize dynamic drives and
that's
what
it says it is in Disk Management.

If I change it to Basic Drive I think it will erase everything. So
how
would I change it? Or how can I make XP home recognize a dynamic
drive?

help?

You can't.
By design, you need to remove any and all volumes from a Dynamic drive
before the (context)menu option 'Revert to Basic' becomes active.
So you need to backup all information from the drive. (on another box,
since
yours doesn't recognize the drive as it is.)
Revert to basic.
format and create partitions.
restore the backed up date.

hth

george




I thought so.

I have an external drive. This is what I think I can do, but tell me
if
it
will work?
take the drive out.
put it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data.
Then put the drive back in my old computer.
turn it into a basic drive.
then transfer the files back (over the network.)
but external drive back in case.

Can this dynamic drive be used (temporarily) as an external drive?
Will the data still be accessed?

jonathan

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

If it is only data then your method is fine. Media Center 2004 is XP Pro
with some additional software. It is completely compatible with your drive.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

This is just a secondary drive. Just data, no system.

And my other computer has Media Center 2004 on it. Would that recognize
the
dynamic drive(as an external drive)?? I'm not sure if that is built on
Home
or Pro.

I'm looking for a simple solution... The old computer is going to be the
kids computer.

You cannot transfer the system the way you transfer files. You need an
imaging program to do that.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

I meant to add the step here... I will write it again, and put the step
in...
let me know if this would work.

take the drive(x) out from computer.
take out drive(e) from my external hard drive enclosure.
put other drive(x) it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data to
computer(b).
Then put the drive(x) back in my old computer.
turn drive(x) it into a basic drive.
format it(if I make it a basic drive will it do that?)
assign a letter (does it do that automatically?)
then transfer the files back (over the network.) from (b) to (x).
put the original external(e) drive back in case.

Does that make sense? would it work? Can I put the dynamic drive in
the
external hard drive exclosure and have it still retain the data and
work??

:

You need to make a drive image. Just transferring files will not work
unless you do a reinstallation of the OS first.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

:


How can I turn a Dynamic Drive into a Basic drive without
deleting
all
of
the
content???

I have a second drive that isn't being recognized by my new OS
(xp
home).
I
think it's because XP home doesn't recognize dynamic drives and
that's
what
it says it is in Disk Management.

If I change it to Basic Drive I think it will erase everything.
So
how
would I change it? Or how can I make XP home recognize a dynamic
drive?

help?

You can't.
By design, you need to remove any and all volumes from a Dynamic
drive
before the (context)menu option 'Revert to Basic' becomes active.
So you need to backup all information from the drive. (on another
box,
since
yours doesn't recognize the drive as it is.)
Revert to basic.
format and create partitions.
restore the backed up date.

hth

george




I thought so.

I have an external drive. This is what I think I can do, but tell
me
if
it
will work?
take the drive out.
put it in the external drive case.
hook the drive up to my other computer and transfer all data.
Then put the drive back in my old computer.
turn it into a basic drive.
then transfer the files back (over the network.)
but external drive back in case.

Can this dynamic drive be used (temporarily) as an external drive?
Will the data still be accessed?

jonathan