format hard disk but i dont want to! just want my info!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lex
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Lex

Lex

Lex

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i recently installed a new hard disk with windows OS on it (80gig). Then i put my other ide hard disk in as a slave. I checked its been displayed in the bios which it has been. So i went onto boot up windows. It displayed succesfully in device manager and in windows explorer as drive F:\. HOWEVER when i click on it, it asks me "do you want to format". Why is this? I have so much information on it and i used this disk as a backup for reasons just like this so why not is it not letting me have access to it and giving me the only option to format. this disk is also 80gig. Please help.

[also i'd paste a picture but i dont know how to upload a picture in overclockers it gives me the insert image button but has
or something.

help!
 
Lysander said:
So do you have two hard drives with windows on? Windows should only be on the Master. If I were you I'd back up ALL your data from your old drive then wipe it. Your slave drive doesn't need to have Windows on it, it just needs to be recognised by Windows. I'd use a program like Partition Magic for that.

Make sure you have the master/slave jumpers set correctly. Neither drive should be on Cable Select.
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i got two hard disks plugged in right now. One with the windows OS and the other with just music and word docs etc no windows OS is on that disk. How can i backup the data from this 'data' hard disk if when i click on it, it just says would u like to format? i need to get in there. i got so much stuff in there. It calls it a 'logical drive' within the disk management. i dont understand.
 
Lysander said:
Right, as far as I'm aware a logical drive is one without an operating system on it, the other kind is called primary. Someone may correct me on this though.

It sounds like your system's getting confused between the two drives. Did you say the jumper was on cable select? Like I say, set the jumpers correctly before you do anything else.
Click to expand...

yes the jumper is on cable select
so i should make it primary slave? or slave?
 
Lysander said:
As long as your master is set to 'master' and your slave is set to 'slave' it should be OK.
Click to expand...

well its all set and it STILL asks to format the second hard disk!
i'm really worried i might have lost my stuff. basically the winodws operating sytsem doesnt like the hard disk.
 
Day03 said:
have you tried disconnecting and reconnecting the hdd a few times? I happens to me sometimes from time to time for no apparent reason, usually disconecting and reconnecting the drives makes it work again.
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right im gonna try doing this tonight coz last night i was busy. So you disconnected your hard disk and turned the machine on then turned it off then reconnected? Or you disconnected it and reconnected whilst it was turned off?
 
ByteJuggler said:
Hate to say it Lex, but it sounds like whatever partition you had on that disk is not there anymore (in the partition table.) Hopefully it's only the partition table entry tha'ts gotten nuked, and should is still there... you're goint to have to use some sort of partition recovery tool that can look for "lost" partitions to recover it. Might try this:

http://www.sharewareplaza.com/Partition-Table-Doctor-download_24711.html

HTH
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i swear i'm gonna be so upset if it doesnt work! i got sooo much stuff on that hard disk! I even thought let me backup using norton backup! That apprently has bugs in it and i cannot even recover my stuff from MY OTHER DRIVE. Complete HORSE du du!

tonight is the night im gonna sort it out but first gonan meet up wit girly:) and drown sorrows
 
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