Solved Change a Dynamic/Invalid Hard drive to Valid

[daniellouwrens]

Hi


I have new PC and when I attach my 2TB external USB attached hard drive it does not show up in explorer, it does show in Disk Manager where it says it is Dynamic and Invalid.

How do I make it Valid?

This Hard Drive works fine on another PC, both with Windows 7


thanks


Daniel

 

[bigmck]

Hi


I have new PC and when I attach my 2TB external USB attached hard drive it does not show up in explorer, it does show in Disk Manager where it says it is Dynamic and Invalid.

How do I make it Valid?

This Hard Drive works fine on another PC, both with Windows 7


thanks


Daniel

Could you post a screenshot of the Disk Management. Here is a tutorial on how if you are not familiar. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[daniellouwrens]

Okay,


I'm not sure when I will get back to my PC but I will do it as soon as I can.

Cheers

Daniel

 

[daniellouwrens]

Hi

here is my screen shot, the disk is Disk 2

Cheers

Daniel

 

[bigmck]

You need to change the partition from Dynamic to Basic. Here is the tutorial. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26829-convert-dynamic-disk-basic-disk.html You can get Partition Wizard at this link which you will need to change.
Best Free Partition Manager Freeware and free partition magic for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista and Windows XP 32 bit & 64 bit. MiniTool Free Partition Manager Software Home Edition. Let us know how it goes.

 

[daniellouwrens]

Hi

thanks, will I lose the data on the drive?

Cheers

Daniel

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You shouldn't lose data, but you would be foolish to assume that. Back up the data on that drive to some other location.

 

[daniellouwrens]

Hi

just to clear up a point, the disk is not only dynamic it is invalid, Windows 7 should read a dynamic disk, as stated in the link you gave me.

Will making it basic going to fix the invalid thing.

Thanks

Daniel

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Frankly---I've never before previously seen an "invalid" disk.

All you can do is try. But copy the data elsewhere if at all possible.

 

[whs]

Was that disk part of a spanned partition on another system?

 

[bigmck]

I also have not seen the "invalid" tag. It might have to do with the disk being external, just a guess.

 

[daniellouwrens]

Was that disk part of a spanned partition on another system?

No, it was attached through a eSata port and used as a backup Disk. On a different PC but with the same OS W7 Pro

Cheers

Daniel

 

[whs]

Hmm, then this is completely beyond me. Maybe there is a hardware problem in the disk - but that is only a guess.

 

[daniellouwrens]

Hi all

I have this sorted, or at least fixed.

I have no idea why W7 on my new PC saw the disk as Dynamic (and Invalid), my Vista Ultimate machine had no problem with it, VU works with Dynamic disks, I believe W7 Pro does not and called it Invalid because it was Dynamic.

Here is what I did, I used a free hex editor called HXD and followed the advice given here.
How to fix “Invalid Disk” error in Windows 7 | Mike Norman's Blog

Cheers

Daniel