No letter assigned to Ext. HDD in Windows XP Home Ed.

[malarkey]

The int. HDD is failing on my laptop, so I've connected a replacement to a
USB port using the CMS data transfer kit. I got the "new hdw" message, when
the new HDD was plugged in, but Windows has not assigned a drive letter, and
the CMS program doesn't see the new HDD as a destination--just sees the old
one.

 

[Ron Martell]

The int. HDD is failing on my laptop, so I've connected a replacement to a
USB port using the CMS data transfer kit. I got the "new hdw" message, when
the new HDD was plugged in, but Windows has not assigned a drive letter, and
the CMS program doesn't see the new HDD as a destination--just sees the old
one.

Have you partitioned and formatted the new drive yet? Windows XP
won't assign a drive letter until a partition has been created and the
drive can't be used until the partition has been formatted.

Use Start - Run - DISKMGMT.MSC. You should see the USB disk listed
there with no partitions on it. You can then create the new
partition structure (e.g. the whole drive as one partition or whatever
other configuration you desire).

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[malarkey]

Oh, and one more thing: After the drive letter was assigned, the CMS
program formatted the new HDD in fat32. Since I now had access to Drive E
in Windows, I reformatted the drive to NTFS, and then went back to the CMS
program to initiate the xfer.

 

[malarkey]

Hi Ron

Thanks for your reply.

This was actually the first of 2 messages. Tried to send it several times
with the data transfer log and a screenshot of the completion image, but it
wouldn't go through, so I'm resending it
without these attachments.

I finally got a drive letter assignment (E), but only after installing the
CMS program--which is contrary to their instructions. Although I'm using a
USB 2.0 4-plex in the PCI slot, it took 15 hours to xfer 17 gb from the old
HDD to the new one--and then the PC wouldn't boot with the new HDD!

My AVG virus scan ran during the xfer--even though I had closed the program
beforehand--which may have corrupted the transfer. And, I'm not sure if I
should have been in "safe mode" during the transfer, but

1) I'm not sure if the CMS program would show up in safe mode.

2) Because my laptop monitor doesn't work, I'm using an external monitor,
and when I tried to bootup in safe mode, I got a corrupted display.