So........

[Guest]

While your criticisms of darksydeavenger's lack of omniscience regarding all
things disk related are all very interesting, does not seem that anyone can
solve his problem.

I can tell you that I am having a similar problem with a second physical
drive that I am trying to add. So, that should dispell any of your partition
criticisms. Added the drive and XP sees it as raw. Worked fine in old
system, and the data retrieval programs mentioned in prior posts see the data
just fine.

The real issue is, why can't windows see it, and more importantly, how can I
make it see it.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

While your criticisms of darksydeavenger's lack of omniscience
regarding all things disk related are all very interesting, does not
seem that anyone can solve his problem.

I can tell you that I am having a similar problem with a second
physical drive that I am trying to add. So, that should dispell any
of your partition criticisms. Added the drive and XP sees it as raw.
Worked fine in old system, and the data retrieval programs mentioned
in prior posts see the data just fine.

The real issue is, why can't windows see it, and more importantly,
how can I make it see it.

Please practice proper thread continuity.

For those who have NO IDEA what you are speaking of, here is the thread that
shortroundj is referring to:

I've recently purchased a Maxtor 160GB hard drive and split it into
two partitions:

1) 60GB system files (where windows boots from and where I install
every program)
2) ~90GB (where I put all my recreational files and I have all my
writings etc.

Well, as it would turn out, I reboot my computer to find out that my
~90GB partition claims that it is RAW and needs to be formatted. When
I've used various programs to look at the partition (Active Partition
Recovery DEMO), it shows all the files on that partition to be intact
and waiting to be used.

ANy ideas on what is going on and how I can fix this? Need more
information than what I've given?

Is this connected to an onboard IDE controller, if so is it 32 or 48
bit capable, do you have atleast SP1 installed?

Check out this KB article
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;303013

Well, if you can see the files by using a recovery program I suggest
you BUY the program to recover said files.

shortroundj wrote (in response to Richard Urban, not the OP):

Do you also suggest that Microsoft give him his money back for
Windows since he bought that and it's supposed to do what he wants to
do?

Copy the files elsewhere, format the partition and copy them back.

In regards to purchasing said program, I can't afford $30 for a
program that I am unsure of. And since the program was DOS based I
would never pay more than $10 for it.

Onto some more info about my evil hard drive partition

Windows XP Service Pack 2 is installed.
And I have no idea about the IDE and am not really sure how to figure
that out.

As for backing things up, I have no more space on my other hard drive
partition or my other hard drive to consider this (yeah I screwed
myself there).

BUT

I've ruled out a virus, because our Unniversity has a few firewalls
in place and it has a log in that requires a virus scanning program
before you log into the internet. If a virus slipped thorugh, my
computer would have caught it. I've tried fixing the MBR through the
windows recovery disk, but that didn't do anything. So basically I
have no idea what is wrong other than the fact that I can't get into
the drive.

I installed a computer game (Guild Wars BETA) that could have done
something to the boot record of my 90GB partition.

any more thoughts?

Now to respond to both..

darksydeavenger,

Can you use the Windows XP CD, boot into recovery mode and see both
partitions?
Can you put the hard drive (as a slave) into another system and see it to
get the data off?
Might I suggest you try the last FREEWARE version of Drive Rescue (1.9d):
http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/page5.html

shortroundj,

Same questions/suggestions.