Windows 7: Marks data drive with system attribute cannot delete

windows is marking a data drive with a system attribute. Think it is happening in backup.

I was hoping that someone would have an idea of what I was doing wrong. Or at least how to turnoff system attribute on the data drive so I could delete volume.

I have reinstalled windows 7 (twice) and gotten the same results.

1) primary boot partition is 140 GB on C. Fresh install of Windows 7. I reformatted the install directory. No Windows.OLD directory after installation.
2) create a backup --> all user files and system image to DRIVE E (2TB)
3) after image is created --> Drive I (1 TB drive) is marked with a system attribute. Drive I has not been accessed at all and is clean.
4) Drive I is still empty. At no time was any data ever place on it. Also the partition on it was deleted and reformatted immediately before the reinstall of windows 7.

Future system images want to include DRIVE I

There are no files on DRIVE I -- unless Backup put them there. I have used GPARTED to delete the partition on I and reformat it, but same behavior reoccurs on backup.

I have windows 7N running on a normal motherboard (6 sata ports) no raid running. Motherboard is using standard intel ICHXR SATA RAID controller with most current drivers.

Thahks for your ideas
-glenn