Computer will not recognise drive for imaging

[ICIT2LOL]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[ICIT2LOL]

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]

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]

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.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

 

[ICIT2LOL]

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]

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]

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.

 

[F5ing]

You should be able to do it right there in Disk Management.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

You should be able to do it right there in Disk Management.

Ok I'll try - am not real proficient in this stuff as yet but will do Google and see what I need to do.

 

[F5ing]

You can right click on the item listed in the upper section under the volume name header, or right click the appropriate item in the lower section. Either way you choose a context box appears and allows you to "mark as inactive" and "change drive letter and paths..."

And sorry about that, I should've just added that to my previous post.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

You can right click on the item listed in the upper section under the volume name header, or right click the appropriate item in the lower section. Either way you choose a context box appears and allows you to "mark as inactive" and "change drive letter and paths..."

And sorry about that, I should've just added that to my previous post.

No worries mate and thanks for that.

If it's any comfort I forget things all the time even what day it is LOL!!

Do you mean the disk management window? cos it will only allow convert to dynamic disk is that the same thing?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Do you mean the disk management window? cos it will only allow convert to dynamic disk is that the same thing?

Do NOT say yes to dynamic disks.

Are you unable to mark it inactive in Disk Management? If so, I'd use Diskpart to do that, but I certainly would avoid dynamic.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Do you mean the disk management window? cos it will only allow convert to dynamic disk is that the same thing?

Do NOT say yes to dynamic disks.

Are you unable to mark it inactive in Disk Management? If so, I'd use Diskpart to do that, but I certainly would avoid dynamic.

Sorry late reply I first tested the drive with the Seatools app (pass) then have marked it as inactive using the mini tool disk wizard on my main machine as I couldn't do that on the owners machine. It then marked it as just a Healthy (primary partition).

Have tried system image again - same result doesn't "see" it and goes to D: (optical drive).

So gave it a letter and guess what system image is now picking it up as the drive for the image. So am going to go ahead and try it. Fingers crossed this time it will do the image.

 

[F5ing]

It ought to work fine now. It's likely you were right clicking on the Disk1 button/tab in the lower section of Disk Management to get that context menu with "convert to dynamic". You've got to right click in the partitioned area on the righthand side of that button/tab to get the menu I was talking about.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

It ought to work fine now. It's likely you were right clicking on the Disk1 button/tab in the lower section of Disk Management to get that context menu with "convert to dynamic". You've got to right click in the partitioned area on the righthand side of that button/tab to get the menu I was talking about.

Yeah F5ing I did try both sides - same result - it worked fine my main machine but the owners one a no go.

But anyway problem solved - image done now.

Thanks to everyone I really appreciate the time and patience and I have learned a bit more now

 

[F5ing]

Well, either way, glad it's all working now.

You might try to see if it works on the owner's machine by left clicking first in the partition area (to make sure the OS knows that is what's selected) and then try the right click. I usually do that anyway so that I'm sure the object I'm trying to manipulate is already selected before I make the change (to avoid changing some other inadvertantly selected object) -- if that makes sense.