How do I recover unallocated hd partition?

[Willowhoop]

Hi guys
I've spent nearly all day on this problem.
I recently upgraded to a larger SSD, ran a fresh install of Window7 Prof. I noticed that the Terra-byte drive now has half of its size partitioned. I do not remember doing this and have been unsuccessful in trying to get it undone. I have browsed this forum and read all that I could find relevant. I am unable to get any response from the unallocated partition of D drive. Any right click command is greyed out. All the advice I have tried has had no remedy... please help!!!!!!!
Hope the image below works and helps.
Thanks
Cheers, Willow

 

[Shootist]

I hate to tell you this but your install is IMHO all screwed up.
You say you did a fresh/new install of Win 7 Pro.
Well it seems you left the other hard drives in the system when doing this and you did not move the new SSD to the top of the drive list in the bios before you started the install.
Which made the install routine see the TB drive as the first drive in the system. Windows ALWAYS copies files to the FIRST drive in the system when installing. In this case it created the 100MB system reserve partition on the TB drive where it should of been placed on the new SSD drive.
What all this means is if you remove the TB drive the system will not boot.
I would suggest you start over making sure either the new SSD drive is the only drive in the system when doing the OS install or that it is listed in the BIOS as the first drive in the system and connected to SATA port 1 with the other drives also connected.

I personally would do a new fresh install with only the SSD in the system connected to SATA port 1.

 

[Willowhoop]

oh fudge... I'd be a bright spark wouldn't I... NOT. I've never done a fresh install, always done an upgrade. Have to admit that when I was asked to choose a drive the SSD didn't show clearly in the list to install the OS to. Wow I've really made a bad mash of things haven't I.
OK... so what do I need to do to start all over, coz it looks to me like I might need step by step instructions... hang there is a tutorial for that isn't there. ok... I'll try that first and keep this thread alive for questions if that's ok... I have my laptop for connecting to the net. I'll do all this fresh up tomorrow its nearly 9pm here in Australia and I think I'll just play with other stuff tonight.
Thanks so much and like I said, I'll add to this thread if I strike a problem.
Cheers,
Willow

 

[Willowhoop]

OK I have just discovered that the numbnut who installed my new SSD has made the tb internal the master and the SSD the slave... sigh, can I change that and if so how please

 

[Shootist]

OK I have just discovered that the numbnut who installed my new SSD has made the tb internal the master and the SSD the slave... sigh, can I change that and if so how please

There is no Master/Slave settings/jumpers on SATA drives or ports. It is controlled by a setting in the BIOS.
Best is to put the drive you want the OS to boot from on SATA port 0 (zero).


The Manual for your motherboard can be downloaded from here.
http://download.gigabyte.eu/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-p55a-ud3p(ud3r)_v2.0_e.pdf

In the BIOS you need to set the drive you want the OS to boot from as the first boot device, "Hard Disk Boot Priority". And then the First/Second/Third Boot Device.

 

[Orbital Shark]

Hi,

You may want to read the following and see if it can help recover any data that may have been on the unallocated partition

Partition Find & Mount

 

[gregrocker]

Here is how to fix it:

Swap the Disk0 data cable to Disk1, making sure in BIOS setup the DVD drive is set to boot first, SSD is set to boot second.

Next boot into the Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, mark Win7 partition Active: Partition - Mark as Active

Now boot back into DVD Repair console, accept any offered Repair. When Win7 won't start, boot back in to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times to write the System boot files to WIn7 partition.

Once Win7 boots, power down to plug 1tb drive to Disk1 cable, delete System Reserved partition in Disk Mgmt.

Make sure Win7 remains set to boot first in BIOS, and all other data partiitons are marked Inactive.

 

[whs]

Willowhoop, there is nothing lost. The most elegant solution is what Greg suggested. That way you loose nothing since you are only moving the bootmgr to the C partition thus making the 100MB partition unneccessary.

If that solution sounds too geeky to you, reinstall Win7 with ONLY the SSD powered up. Pull all power or mobo cables from the other disks. Before you install, I would switch the mobo cables so that the SSD is on port0 and deactivate the 100MB partition.

 

[mjf]

If your now unallocated partition was previously a partiton with data on it you could try
Partition Wizard (free) - Partition Recovery Wizard
or
Recuva to recover individual files.

You can install a system reserved on your new SSD. It facilitates use of F8 repair, bit locker and multibooting. You can probably live without these and take the simple route as suggested.

 

[Willowhoop]

OH wow, you guys are just amazing, thank you all.
But, as the SSD is under warranty, I can't touch it... grrrrr. So I'll have to take the PC back to the techie.
The SSD is not on port 0, the internal D tb drive is, that's what I meant about master & slave. I would change them myself, especially as you guys have explained things so well, doesn't faze me to do it at all, but I don't wish to null out my warranty, as its possible I could do something incorrectly.
I can't thank you enough. You guys rock.

You guys need never wonder why people keep coming back to this forum, I recommend it to everyone.

Cheers, and have a great day, Willow

PS... we can consider this thread completed.

 

[Shootist]

OH wow, you guys are just amazing, thank you all.
But, as the SSD is under warranty, I can't touch it... grrrrr. So I'll have to take the PC back to the techie.
The SSD is not on port 0, the internal D tb drive is, that's what I meant about master & slave. I would change them myself, especially as you guys have explained things so well, doesn't faze me to do it at all, but I don't wish to null out my warranty, as its possible I could do something incorrectly.
I can't thank you enough. You guys rock.

You guys need never wonder why people keep coming back to this forum, I recommend it to everyone.

Cheers, and have a great day, Willow

PS... we can consider this thread completed.

If changing a drive to a different SATA port would void whatever warranty you think you have then you need to find a new tech to take your system to.
In the first place a warranty is useless except for component failure. It never covers software, user error in software or basically anything else.
In fact the component manufacture has probably a better warranty on there components then what this repair shop has given you. The only time that isn't true is with major system builders like Dell, HP and the like. No matter what parts are used in there systems the original manufacturer of those parts put all warranty claims back on the system builder becasue in the most part all those part are specifically made to the system builder specs and sold to them at a lower cost in bulk then anyone can buy them for.

You've probably already voided the warranty by taking the case cover off.
Maybe it's time to start doing your own work instead of taking the system to a repair shop.
All they do is replace pre-made parts. It not like they take those parts apart and fix a bad component inside those parts.
In fact the repair shop you took your system to F it up by not placing the SSD on SATA port 0. My god how dumb/uncarrying/unknowing are they not to place a SSD that you're going to use as the OS BOOT drive on some other port then the first one in the system.