No drive letter? Hidden partition? R. Urban help?

[Guest]

Richard You responded to a Post about hidden partition.

Why is partition hidden? How is it set to be be hidden?
Why is changing to logical drive only way to unhide?

have sam problem with unassigned drive letter and only option is to delete
parttiton!!

OP was

Subject: Slave Drive has no drive assignment after XP reinstall 7/24/2005
5:15 AM PST

By: Monika In: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware

Also, if the secondary drive is partitioned/formatted as a primary partition
(and subsequently hidden) disk management will see the drive but the only
option you have available is to delete the partition.

You can use Partition Magic to change the drive into a logical partition and
unhide it, which will make it always visible to the operating system. BTW, I
do this on purpose to protect data that I don't want the O/S to ever touch.

 

[Richard Urban]

You can hide a partition by use of a 3rd party program/utility, such as
Partition Magic or a boot program such as System Commander.

When hidden, the operating system, under normal use, will not see the
partition or write to it. Therefore, YOU will not be able to use the
partition when booted up into Windows.

Many OEM's use this technique to hide a recovery partition from the end
user, as I also do - after I repair a system. That way the "average" end
user can not muck around where I don't want them to. When they bring me
their computer *yet again* because they screwed it up, I can access this
hidden partition with my tools and restore their system to what it was when
I delivered it to them.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your response!!

I don't know if I'm confusing the issue or not?

have you ever heard of a previously good partition when restored from a
ghost image, comes back with no drive letter and unable to assing one?

I know there are partitions with status as Unknown. these are probalby the
eom and pm and Sys commander hidden partitions.

But this is a normal looking partition that just can't assign drive letter!!
only option is to delete.

 

[Richard Urban]

If you are restoring an image to a drive, and it is the only partition on
that drive, you have to assign a drive letter to it. You are able to do this
with the restore options within True Image and Ghost, before the image is
restored.

Is that what you are asking about?

I do not know what happens within Windows if you fail to do this. I have
never done so.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Guest]

it's the second partition.
does that make any difference?
still have to assign drive letter during restore option with gohst before
image is restored.

actually trying to help as 3rd party. another person actually has this
problem.

if you want to jump to the OP. that's better or respond here.

Thanks either way!!

OP
Subject: Partition not assigned drive letter 12/7/2005 11:04 PM PST

By: ms gates In: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general

thanks again.

 

[Richard Urban]

If a drive letter is not assigned during the restore process I don't know if
one can later be assigned using Windows. After all, the drive may not be
seen correctly under Windows without a letter.

I would certainly try using Partition Magic to check around and see what is
occurring.

Also, not having a drive letter and being hidden may not necessarily be the
same thing.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Guest]

I definitely agree with your comment.
Also, not having a drive letter and being hidden may not necessarily be the
same thing.

I will forward your help to the OP mentioned. if you did, I guess there will
be no need.

Thanks again.