Computer will not recognise drive for imaging

ICIT2LOL · 30 May 2012

I have an external drive for using it as a system image but the machine I want to make an image for will not recognise it in Computer - only in DISKPART.

I set it up as per usual with the clean / create partition - offset / format = ntfs / active and when the machine searches for a hard drive to image to it flicks to D: (optical).

I tried this drive in my main machine and asked it to image and it brought this external up straight away so I am left wondering why the machine I want to image will not?

marsmimar · 30 May 2012

Hi John -

Everything is upside down in Australia so the inverted gravitational pull may be messing around with your system. (Sorry - couldn't resist. Cheeky Yank that I am!)

On a serious note, with the external attached to the machine you want to image, could you open Disk Management and attach a snip? It might provide a clue.

ICIT2LOL · 30 May 2012

marsmimar said:

Hi John -

Everything is upside down in Australia so the inverted gravitational pull may be messing around with your system. (Sorry - couldn't resist. Cheeky Yank that I am!)

On a serious note, with the external attached to the machine you want to image, could you open Disk Management and attach a snip? It might provide a clue.

Ha ha I came from the northern hemisphere so I know what you mean - all the water's down here LOL!!

Now the machine for some reason is now showing up the drive in Computer this morning but I am still not getting anywhere with the imaging.

In the pics the drive shows up as what I think is a normal drive in diskpart but in the other pic is what happens when I try the system image - it searches for a few seconds then that.

Forgot to mention still not showing in Computer though

pbcopter · 30 May 2012

If I might ask, why do you set the external drive as active?

ICIT2LOL · 30 May 2012

pbcopter said:

If I might ask, why do you set the external drive as active?

Only as I use whs 's little tut on making a drive ready for install - the diskpart stuff. Mind you it was for setting up a SSD maybe HDD's don't like it?

marsmimar · 30 May 2012

I'm thinking that the space on your external drive may be unallocated. If so, that means it wouldn't be recognized by system image as being "available". Or perhaps it doesn't have a drive letter assigned to it so system image doesn't "see" it. A disk management screenshot would be able to see how the external is being labeled.

How To Access Disk Management in Windows 7

pbcopter · 30 May 2012

I think setting it to active tells the Windows 7 backup application that it is a system disk and to include it in the backup.
It will then not allow you to backup to one of the drives it thinks you are backing up.

Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

ICIT2LOL · 30 May 2012

Hum here is shot of the disk management it is marked as active and has no letter so I guess that you are right in that it is waiting for an install?

Now that looks to me like a fairly logical assumption - if so I need to get it back into some sort of usable form.

I have the Mini Tool Partition Wizard if that is of any use or is it better to do it through diskpart?

ignatzatsonic · 30 May 2012

I assume you are referring to disk 1, now marked active and with no drive letter?

I'd mark it inactive and give it a drive letter. I assume all you want to do is put data on it---namely an image file?

ICIT2LOL · 30 May 2012

ignatzatsonic said:

I assume you are referring to disk 1, now marked active and with no drive letter?

I'd mark it inactive and give it a drive letter. I assume all you want to do is put data on it---namely an image file?

Yeah thats the one ignatzatsonic and yep I just want it to do that system image.

I'll try the mini tool and see what I come up with. :)