Pub XP system won't recognize usb partition

[ohford]

created 2 -60 GB partitions, one primary, one logical on a 250 GB IDE drive.

Using usb adapter, plugged drive into usb port on XP library system.

XP system assigns two drive letters, one for the primary and other for the
logical. HOWEVER it says the primary letter drive has not been formatted. I
just formatted it last night and checked it on a w98se system, but XP system
cannot see it. Logical driver letter appears fine with it's directory
structure, but primary only shows drive letter that XP thinks is not
formatted.

What is the problem here? Or did some systems glitch\ hacker on nuke my
primary partition?

 

[Rod Speed]

created 2 -60 GB partitions, one primary, one logical on a 250 GB IDE drive.

Using usb adapter, plugged drive into usb port on XP library system.

XP system assigns two drive letters, one for the primary and other
for the logical. HOWEVER it says the primary letter drive has not
been formatted. I just formatted it last night and checked it on a
w98se system, but XP system cannot see it. Logical driver letter
appears fine with it's directory structure, but primary only shows
drive letter that XP thinks is not formatted.

What is the problem here?

Likely the usb adapter.

Or did some systems glitch\ hacker on nuke my primary partition?

Likely the usb adapter did.

 

[ohford]

Likely the usb adapter.

Thanks, but more likely a problem with XP.
Device is compatible with both XP and SE, but with SE it needs it's driver.
Also could be, I'm thinking, problem with difference in dos versions.

Went back to SE box and both partitions reading fine, yet XP continues to
say one is a raw, unformatted partition. Must be that XP is reading drive
differently, probably due to it's 250GB size, even though the partitions are
only 60 gb each and only two of them total.

 

[Rod Speed]

Thanks, but more likely a problem with XP.

Device is compatible with both XP and SE, but with SE it needs it's driver.

Also could be, I'm thinking, problem with difference in dos versions.

There is no dos version with XP.

Went back to SE box and both partitions reading fine, yet XP
continues to say one is a raw, unformatted partition. Must be that XP is reading drive differently, probably due to
it's 250GB size,

Its SE that has a problem with drives over 128GB.

What version of XP are you using ?

even though the partitions are only 60 gb each and only two of them total.

Its the drive physical size that matters, not the partition sizes.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

Thanks, but more likely a problem with XP.
Device is compatible with both XP and SE, but with SE it needs it's driver.
Also could be, I'm thinking, problem with difference in dos versions.

Went back to SE box and both partitions reading fine, yet XP continues to
say one is a raw, unformatted partition. Must be that XP is reading drive
differently, probably due to it's 250GB size, even though the partitions are
only 60 gb each and only two of them total.

Did you by any chance run FIXBOOT from an XP "Recovery" Console? If
so, then you have trashed the boot sector on that particular
partition. Win98SE is smart enough to see the backup boot sector (at
logical sector 6), but Win XP is not.

Try typing "sys x:" from a Win98 DOS prompt. Replace "x:" with the
drive letter of that partition.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[Squeeze]

Franc Zabkar wrote in news[email protected]

Did you by any chance run FIXBOOT from an XP "Recovery" Console?

If so, then you have trashed the boot sector on that particular partition.

Rather strange name for it then.

Win98SE is smart enough to see the backup boot sector (at logical sector 6), but Win XP is not.

Bingo. Apparently nobody ever learned anything useful from Svend while he was here.

 

[Q]

Did you by any chance run FIXBOOT from an XP "Recovery" Console? If
so, then you have trashed the boot sector on that particular
partition. Win98SE is smart enough to see the backup boot sector (at
logical sector 6), but Win XP is not.

Thanks, but,
No, I never do anything ANY version of windows tells me to do, cuz it's
usually bullshit to get you even into deeper trouble, ha!

Try typing "sys x:" from a Win98 DOS prompt. Replace "x:" with the
drive letter of that partition.

Why should I do that? W98SE is seeing both partitions just fine. It's XP
that cannot see one of the partitions, as I recall it was the primary that
XP falsely reports is raw unformatted. I can't run fdisk from this XP system
as it is a public system and won't allow direct drive access.

 

[ohford]

There is no dos version with XP.

the command.com that comes with xp is a later version than the one on the se
box, but your correct, seeing the drive is probably occurring indepedent of
any dos under XP.

Its SE that has a problem with drives over 128GB.

Not sure this is relevant to the problem in OP, as I am only using the first
120GB of the drive (one primary 60gb an one extended/logical 60GB). XP may
be having a problem because the drive is larger, at 250GB, but it should
not, since I am only asking it to look at two partitions in the first 120GB,
both of which are fully functional under se. My guess is that the XP/MS
driver for the usb port cannot deal with extended/logical partitions. The
usb/ide adapter device is new and has many favorable reviews for use with
both xp and w98se, so I am doubtful it is the adapter causing the failure to
read.

What version of XP are you using ?

I'll have to check, it's a public machine, so probably all the updates are
on it.

XP is asking me to format the partition it cannot see, to which of course I
am replying NO WAY JOSE. Soon as I usb connect the drive to the se box, all
the partitions are fully visible and functional again, including dir
structures.

 

[Rod Speed]

the command.com

Thats not dos.

that comes with xp is a later version than the one on the se box, but your correct, seeing the drive is probably
occurring indepedent of any dos under XP.

There is no dos under XP.

Not sure this is relevant to the problem in OP, as I am only using the first 120GB of the drive (one primary 60gb an
one extended/logical 60GB).

Not relevant.

XP may be having a problem because the drive is larger, at 250GB,

Thats not the problem.

but it should not, since I am only asking it to look at two partitions in the first 120GB,

Not relevant.

both of which are fully functional under se.

Yep, thats the important bit.

My guess is that the XP/MS driver for the usb
port cannot deal with extended/logical partitions.

Guess again.

The usb/ide adapter device is new and has many favorable reviews for use with both xp and w98se, so I am doubtful it
is the adapter causing the failure to read.

It may well be what killed the primary copy of the MBR.

I'll have to check, it's a public machine, so probably all the updates are on it.

XP is asking me to format the partition it cannot see,

Thats normal when it decides its RAW.

to which of course I am replying NO WAY JOSE.

Soon as I usb connect the drive to the se box, all the partitions are fully visible and functional again, including
dir structures.

Likely because SE can see the copy of the MBR and XP doesnt bother to use it.

But its only nukes the primary copy of the MBR not the partition itself.

That should have been obvious from the fact that SE sees it fine.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

Thanks, but,
No, I never do anything ANY version of windows tells me to do, cuz it's
usually bullshit to get you even into deeper trouble, ha!



Why should I do that? W98SE is seeing both partitions just fine.

This was my horror story:
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...4/c9146325a111ac22?lnk=st&q=#c9146325a111ac22

Win98SE saw the XP FAT32 disc just fine but Win XP did not.

It's XP
that cannot see one of the partitions, as I recall it was the primary that
XP falsely reports is raw unformatted. I can't run fdisk from this XP system
as it is a public system and won't allow direct drive access.

I would hook the drive up to your Win98SE box and use DOS Debug from a
Windows DOS box to dump the boot sector of the "raw" partition.

The following commands will dump the boot sector of logical drive n:.

debug
-L 100 n 0 1
-D 100 2FF
-Q

Replace the "n" with 0,1,2,3,... where 0=drive A:, 1=drive B:, 2=drive
C:, etc. The drive numbers are in hexadecimal, not decimal.

If you don't see a FAT32 signature, then something is wrong.

You can dump the backup boot sector (#6) as follows:

debug
-L 100 n 6 1
-D 100 2FF
-Q

You might also like to try running Scandisk. It may be that one copy
of the FAT is corrupt, in which case Win98SE would transparently use
the good copy. It might be a good idea to disable automatic repair,
though.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[Squeeze]

Rod Speed wrote in news:[email protected]

Thats not dos.


There is no dos under XP.



Not relevant.


Thats not the problem.


Not relevant.


Yep, thats the important bit.


Guess again.


It may well be what killed the primary copy of the MBR.




Thats normal when it decides its RAW.

Likely because SE can see the copy of the MBR and XP doesnt bother to use it.

There is no copy of the MBR, Roddie boy.
The problem is the pmimary copy of the partition bootsector.

But its only nukes the primary copy of the MBR not the partition itself.

Utterly clueless, as always.

That should have been obvious from the fact that SE sees it fine.

Bwahahah.

 

[Q]

(aka ohford says):

Ok, I see what you and Rod are trying to say now. Maybe something, the
device or whatever did nuke something in the MBR. You think sys driveletter:
will fix this?
Getting too involved to start playing with debug; I 'm no drive sexpert, so
I will just nuke and reformat the whole drive and try again, since the data
is stored elsewhere and I can replace it. Thanks.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

(aka ohford says):

Ok, I see what you and Rod are trying to say now. Maybe something, the
device or whatever did nuke something in the MBR. You think sys driveletter:
will fix this?
Getting too involved to start playing with debug; I 'm no drive sexpert, so
I will just nuke and reformat the whole drive and try again, since the data
is stored elsewhere and I can replace it. Thanks.

The MBR (partition table) and boot sector are two completely different
things. You don't appear to have a problem with your MBR, otherwise
Win98 wouldn't see that "raw" partition either.

My "debug" technique is really simple. Just go to Start -> Run and
type "command". Then do the Debug thing. If you have trouble with the
drive letter, then just post back. If you are going to rebuild your
drive anyway, then you have nothing to lose.

If Debug still scares you, then experiment with a floppy diskette. Use
n=0 for drive A:.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[Squeeze]

Q wrote in news:[email protected]

(aka ohford says):

Ok, I see what you and Rod are trying to say now.

Oh really. You sure?

Maybe something, the device or whatever did nuke something in the MBR.

You think sys driveletter: will fix this?

Of course not. He was just playing with you.

Getting too involved to start playing with debug;

I 'm no drive sexpert,

You don't say.

so I will just nuke and reformat the whole drive and try again, since the
data is stored elsewhere and I can replace it. Thanks.

Yeah, obviously the advice in newsgroups where everyone
and his dog is an expert is so much better.

 

[Squeeze]

Franc Zabkar wrote in news:[email protected]

You think sys driveletter: will fix this?

Well, Franc?

The MBR (partition table) and boot sector are two completely different
things. You don't appear to have a problem with your MBR, otherwise
Win98 wouldn't see that "raw" partition either.

My "debug" technique is really simple. Just go to Start -> Run and
type "command".

Then do the Debug thing. If you have trouble with the
drive letter, then just post back. If you are going to rebuild your
drive anyway, then you have nothing to lose.

If Debug still scares you, then experiment with a floppy diskette.

Ooh, so kinky.
You shouldn't arouse him so much, Franc. He is not a drive sexpert, you know.

 

[Q]

The MBR (partition table) and boot sector are two completely different
things. You don't appear to have a problem with your MBR, otherwise
Win98 wouldn't see that "raw" partition either.

My "debug" technique is really simple. Just go to Start -> Run and
type "command". Then do the Debug thing. If you have trouble with the
drive letter, then just post back. If you are going to rebuild your
drive anyway, then you have nothing to lose.

If Debug still scares you, then experiment with a floppy diskette. Use
n=0 for drive A:.

Ok, tried the sys: c: driverletter: That doesn't help.
Actually not being able to see that other partition is not such a bad
thing as it means the sysops on the public system under XP can't look in
there either .

Will try the debug when I get some time, thanks for your help.

 

[Q]

Hey squeezed brain, if you've got a old beater chevy with 300,000 miles
and a bad bearing, I suppose you (stupidly) tear down the chevy engine
to replace a bad bearing, right? Some people have better things to do
then screw with drive tables.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

Ok, tried the sys: c: driverletter: That doesn't help.
Actually not being able to see that other partition is not such a bad
thing as it means the sysops on the public system under XP can't look in
there either .

Will try the debug when I get some time, thanks for your help.

It may be too late now. SYS has probably overwritten the boot sector.

Try running Scandisk. That should test the FATs.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[Squeeze]

Franc Zabkar wrote in news:[email protected]

It may be too late now. SYS has probably overwritten the boot sector.

It gets weirder and weirder.

Try running Scandisk. That should test the FATs.

And overwrite them indiscriminately whether good or bad.

You are just guessing now, aren't you, Franc.

You don't need to.
There has been a utility from Svend Olaf Mikkelsen for quite a long
time now that anlyzes such problems, named Findpart.
It can be found here: http://www.partitionsupport.com/utilities.htm