Solved Problem partitioning a Hard Drive

[Rockrz]

OK, so I got me wife a new Dell with Win 7 Home Premium x64 and I wanted to upgrade the HD to a larger one where I'd have mo room to make two partitions so I can easily use Acronis. I used Partition Wizard to make the new partition.

This is the second time this has happened on the same laptop... things are runing smoothly, I use my external USB drive to load verious programs (Defraggler, CCleaner, etc) that are on my USB drive already.

So, I'm rolling along and it's time to make the new partition with Partition Wizard so I can install Acronis and store the backup file over on that new partition and all that goes well... except for on thing... after I create the new Partition, the computer cannot see my USB drive all of a sudden.

If I go in to admin tools > computer mgmt > disk mgmt... I can see it there, but if I go to start > computer where I can see the C drive and the new partition labeled E (the CD Rom is already labeled D)... but I cannot see the external USB drive.

Before I made the new partition, no problem. As soon as I plug in the USB drive it appears quickly.
It's just after making the new partition, twice now, it can no longer see the usb drive.

Someone told asked me to check in In disk management, to try assigning the USB drive a new driver letter, maybe the new partition stole it and windows failed to reassign one.

Apparently this is a failure on Windows part (or there is some setting for this I just don't know about) because, I went and did that... and it worked... but after you wait a while and plug that same USB drive in again... it does not recognize it automatically, like all my other computers do, and I have to go back to disk management and assign it a letter.

So, needless to say this is not functioning properly and as such this is not acceptable.

If I cannot find a way to fix it so the computer automatically recognizes it, then I'm going to have to go with plan B and re-install Windows fresh since I now have this drive partitioned and it should automatically recognize the USB drive right when I plug it in like it's supposed to.

Anybody have any ideas???

 

[MilesAhead]

What's on the new partition? Is it blank? If so, go into Disk Management and assign that partition a drive letter that doesn't conflict with the one that used to be assigned to the USB drive.

 

[Rockrz]

I've tried experimenting with all that and the bottom line is for some reason Windows is not functioning as it usually does.

None of my other computers do this, and since this is gonna be my wife's laptop I really need for it to work normally.

Normally, all ya do is plug in an external USB drive and it comes on and Windows assigned it a drive letter and you start using it.

It sounds like now that I have the drive partitioned, I need to re-load Windows fresh as this should take care of it... so I'm not spending hours trying to find a solution and not knowing that one will ever be found.

I'm thinking it may make better sense to re-load Windows since at least that doesn't take long and I know where I'm going to end up.

 

[alphanumeric]

I had a similar problem with my external USB hard drive. It didn't show up and didn't have a drive letter assigned to it. I'd give it the next available one and it would be fine until the next reboot, then it would be gone again. I fixed it by giving it a higher drive letter. Once I went up a couple to H it stuck and it works fine now. I can't explain why that fixed it or why it didn't work in the first place though.

 

[Rockrz]

I had a similar problem with my external USB hard drive. It didn't show up and didn't have a drive letter assigned to it. I'd give it the next available one and it would be fine until the next reboot, then it would be gone again. I fixed it by giving it a higher drive letter. Once I went up a couple to H it stuck and it works fine now. I can't explain why that fixed it or why it didn't work in the first place though.

Thanks, I'm trying that... and so far it's working with the external drive I gave her that will stay with her laptop... but when I take another external drive, it doesn't work automatically so I have to go in to disk management and assign it a letter so it can be recognized.

I guess using the Partition Wizard program did something to Windows... cause it was working perfectly before I used that prog to split this drive.

So, since this is gonna be a Christmas present and I'd like for it to work perfectly (everything else is rockin), I guess I'll re-load Windows if nobody else has any ideas.

 

[whs]

I assume you used Partition Wizard because you wanted to shrink more than Disk Management would do. Next time I would only shrink with Partition Wizard but define the new partition with Disk Management.

 

[Rockrz]

Well, now that the drive is partitioned... I won't need Partition Wizard anymore.

I'll just format the C Drive partition, and unallocate the other partition... that way, when I go to re-install Windows it would go on to the partition I want it to go on... hopefully.... otherwise, maybe it will ask me which partition I want to load Windows on to.

Yeah, I didn't know Windows could be used to split a drive in to two partitions.
I've only used Partition Wizard a few times and it has worked great, till now...

 

[tman69]

just some unsolicited info--IF you back up your computer to a disk partition on your primary drive and that primary drive ever fails--you will lose your backup!

 

[Rockrz]

Yes, that is why I have the external USB drive so I can transfer my backup image over to it.

Plus I typically keep a backup image over on my computer as well.
I be backup happy... I have my data on 5 different drives for my system.

This is going to be my wife's new laptop, so she'll have an external drive to back up the back up.

On her laptop, this is the first time I've used the free Western Digital version of Acronis and it's the same program as the paid version I use on my main system. I've never had Acronis fail me, great prog.

 

[whs]

On my wife's laptop I also always keep a recent image on the one and only HDD. She travels with the laptop and if she has a system problem, she can restore from there.

That will not help when the HDD fails, but it avoids her lugging and external disk. And when the HDD fails, that is a bigger operation anyhow for which we have external images at home.

 

[Rockrz]

They have really small drives now days.

I make my own... I buy a 2.5 laptop hard drive, and then put in an external case made for 2.5 drives.

I always restore right before leaving z hotel... that way, I'm getting rid of any bugs I may have picked up.

Can't wait till they have 500gig thumb drives!

 

[MilesAhead]

I believe there's someplace in the registry that stores recent drive letter assignments. I have docking stations and plugging in a drive the OS is "used to seeing" usually gets the expected drive letter assignment. But if I plug in one from the drawer I haven't used in quite a while, I have to assign it. Likewise I used to Net Use to assign drive letters to shared folders. Lately I haven't bothered. But I notice if I click on a folder shortcut in Explorer favorites in Navigation Tab that's on the other machine, it will do the drive letter assignment for me. The things are developing a mind of their own!!!! Woooo Haaaaaa Haaaahhhhh!!!!

 

[gregrocker]

Always use Disk Mgmt to do operations that it can do more safely than any other. In this case Partition Wizard should only have been used if Disk Mgmt could not shrink C enough after defrag, then you should only use the PW boot CD because any other manager besides Disk Mgmt and PW boot CD can fail with data loss during resizing..

The anomaly you're experiencing sounds typical of the kind of built-in corruption which comes with factory preinstalled Win7, which is why most tech enthusiasts will not run such an install but choose to Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 without the bloatware that throttles Win7 from its native state, or at least Clean Up Factory Bloatware .

One thing that might help in your situation where a drive not seen in Explorer is seen in Disk Mgmt is to run Partition Wizard Check File System, since Disk Check requires Explorer.

You can also move the data off on another PC or using Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console to wipe the external with Diskpart Clean Command, then repartition in Disk Mgmt which almost always solves these issues.

I would also keep your Acronis image on External in case of HD failure. The second partition is popular to keep data in copied User folders linked to Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums so the image is kept smaller, only the OS and programs. But the data should also be backed up or sync'd to external or cloud.

 

[Rockrz]

But if I plug in one from the drawer I haven't used in quite a while, I have to assign it.

I’ve never had this problem with Windows.... when functioning properly, you should be able to plug and play automatically.

Yes, I just did a clean OE install... and this still happened

The problem is not with my USB drive and I tried several different USB drives that all function perfectly on other computers.

 

[gregrocker]

Did you wipe the HD first before following the steps to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7?

There may be anomalous boot code that's interfering with another drive as seen rarely.

Can you post back a screenshot of your maximized DIsk mgmt drive map with listings, using SNipping Tool in Start Menu?

 

[Rockrz]

It was a brand new drive that I had just installed...

I'm not going to continue chasing this issue.
I'll be re-formatting and installing fresh tomorrow.

I just someone might have knew what this was and had a quick fix.
Never hurts to ask...

 

[Rockrz]

Wasn't trying to be rude... I'm just running out of time and installing again fresh without needing to run the partition program again will solve the problem, which at least there's an end that won't take hours and hours like continued diagnostics will take and not provide a known outcome because it may never be fixed going that route.

 

[gregrocker]

Well what happened when you ran the Partition Wizard Check File System?

It's frustrating to type out a list of everything that's worked for others over the years and have it just ignored, asking instead for a "quick fix."

That said I think the Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 is a great idea especially if you wipe the HD first with Diskpart Clean Command as suggested. Formatting is an inconsequential step that would be done on its own if you forgot it.

 

[Rockrz]

It all checked out fine and the computer is working great, no issues with the other partition either.

But, when you plug a USB drive in... Windows doesn't automatically pick it up like it normally does.

Since Windows is already on the drive, it would put all existing Windows files in a separate folder when installing... and I don't want that, so I'll format the drive so it's a true clean install.

 

[gregrocker]

A Clean Install is done from boot, not running the installer so that it would put windows in a folder as you describe. During Custom install choice, use Drive options shown in Steps 6-7 in Clean Install Windows 7 to delete all partitions, create and format new as you wish.

In addition I suggested to wipe the HD first using Diskpart Clean Command from the Command line accessed by pressing Shift + F10 at first screen after installer boots.

If you're inclined at all to take other's advice you could benefit greatly by reading Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 which has helped countless thousands of users get a perfect reinstall.