Hard Disk Repair | DataRecoveryUnion.com

I have installed a second HDD in Win7 – a WD caviar green. I couldn’t see it at all but have sorted it via diskmgmt.msc and can see it there. When I go into ‘Computer’ it’s not there. I can list the directory using command prompt and can even see it if I go into start:search and usr its drive letter (R. I can even open a word document and save it as Rnnnn and then open it again from Rnnnn. How can I get the drive letter to appear when I go into ‘Computer’? I note that in diskmgmt it is shown as ‘New Volume(R’ and I think that as it’s been intialised, formatted, etc.. it should not be classed as ‘New Volume’.

Go to diskmanagement, and report back the info you see there. In the bottom graphic section, you should have 2 HDD listed, one is Disk 0 which should be your system drive. In the Disk box to the left of the Volume strip, it should say Disk 0, System, Active, Boot, Page file, Primary Partition.

Below that should be your WD Green drive. I’m assuming it has been formatted with NTFS. In the Disk box, it should be Disk 1, Basic, Online.

In the volume section to the right, it should say “New Volume” because you haven’t given it a “Friendly Name” yet, and probably does not have a drive letter assigned to it. Right click in this area, and give it a name, like “BackUp” and then assign it a drive letter, like “K”, one that is not assigned to another drive. If it hasn’t be formatted, you can do it there from the context menu. Formatting places the NTFS file system on the drive, and will wipe out any data you have on the drive. When all done, it should read xx GB, NTFS, Healthy (Pimary Partition).
With the “Friendly Name” and drive letter assignment, it should show up in the Windows Explorer just like you system drive.

All the above has been done -the volume is ‘New Volume (R, Layout simple, Type Basic, File System NTFS, Status Healthy (Primary Active Partition)… capacity 100% free.

Not sure if that solved the problem or not. Is there anything on this new WD Green drive?

The information you list here makes me think this disk was installed as a Dynamic drive. The Layout Simple is a Dynamic Disk Configuration, and this drive should Not be an Active Partition.

Consider disconnecting this new WD HDD, and make sure your Windows 7 works properly without it. With your computer off, just unplug the power plug from the back of the drive temporarily and boot up.

If all OK, consider starting over with it. In DiskMgmt, make sure you selected the secondary drive, then delete the volume, and reformat it with NTFS. It should be a Basic Disk.

When finished give it a friendly name and a drive letter. Don’t mark it as Dynamic or Active.

Then it will show up as a NamedDrive with a DriveLetter in Windows Explorer

I have done as you suggested and started over again – with the same outcome. The Disk Management screen gives me the following :
Drive Layout Type FileSys Status
Disk 0 C : Simple Basic NTFS Healthy, Boot, Page file, Crash dump, Primary Partition
(online)
Disk 1 R : Simple Basic NTFS Healthy, Primary Partition
(online)
I can’t see any reference to ‘Dynamic’ or ‘Active’.
The R: disk is usable but just does not show up in Windows Explorer when I click onto Start : Computer.
Just to prove the point that it is installed, I did the following :
I used DOS command prompt and entered R:\>dir which returns ‘Volume in drive R is New Volume : Volume serial number is 040f- A62B : File not found. So the drive is there and recognisable.
If I click on start/computer I have the title ‘Hard Drives 1’ with just my C drive displayed (no sign of the R: drive), and this is the problem.
While still in Start/Computer, if I click on the top command line (where it says ‘computer’) and enter R: I get the contents of the new volume displayed – ‘$RECYCLE BIN’ and ‘System Volume Information’.
If I create a Word document I can save it to the R: disk (by entering ‘save as: R:nnn) and can retrieve and delete it.
It doesn’t make sense to me.

The new HDD disk status looks good and it does have an NTFS file system. It just does not have the assigned drive letter visible and no friendly name.

When you check in DiskMgmt, in the lower graphic section, does your system drive C: have just one large partition, or when you installed Win-7 did it place the 100MB (system reserved) partition first that says “system, active, primary partition”? There has to be an active partition, where the BIOS looks first for the OS.

Also, do you have a DVD or CD attached to this computer, that shows up in “Computer”, or in DiskMgmt?

In regard to the new green drive, check on two things. In the Disk status area, where it says Disk 1, right click and see if there is a choice of “change to dynamic disk, or change to basic disk” there. That should tell you if it was set up as a basic (static) disk, or a dynamic disk.

Also I wonder if it could have been set up as a mounted drive, pointing to an empty folder on the C: drive. So in DiskMgmt, click on the volume area of this drive, to the right of Disk 1, and right click for the context menu. Choose change Drive letter or path, and choose a different drive letter for it, like S. Then click on properties, and on the General Tab, give it a “friendly name” like BackUp Disk, or whatever.

See if that will cause proper identification of the drive.

I followed your suggestions. I’ve tabulated the actions, below:
1. In diskmngt the lower graphic section has –
Disk 0, C: and the drive has –
System reserved 100mb NTFS (healthy, active, Primary Partition) and
934.41gb NTFS, Healthy (boot, Page file, crash dump, Primary partition)
Disk 1, R: and the drive has –
4563.63gb NTFS, Healthy (Primary partition)
2. The DVD attached to this computer shows up in “Computer” as – C: DVD r/w drive
and in DiskMgmt as CD-ROM 0 DVD (D: ) No Media
3. In the Disk status area, where it says Disk 1 it says “convert to dynamic disk”
4. As suggested I have successfully changed the drive letter to ‘S’ and the name to ‘General Storage’
……………..AND BINGO !!!!!! I can now see the S Drive!

Hard Disk Repair

How To Format a Hard Drive?

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM12 years ago3 years ago05 mins

I just sold my western digital caviar blue 500gb and I want to know how to clear everything off of it using the same computer its in now? Any recommended programs?

Formatting a PC (really formatting a hard drive or hard disk) in a Windows environment is a pretty easy operation, while formatting at boot with a floppy or CD / DVD, is more involved.

Format a Secondary Hard Drive

Formatting a secondary hard drive can happen from within Windows. Anything that is stored on the Windows drive (the “C:” drive) can remain, though it’s always a good idea to back up (remember that previous section?).

Open up My Computer, from either the desktop or the Start menu. Look for your drive in the list. If it’s the C: drive, you’ll need to move on to the next section. If it’s a CD or DVD drive, or a removable drive, the directions may be different.

Find the secondary hard drive and right-click. Choose the Format option and follow the directions. If there are additional partitions on the drive, you’ll need to first remove them before formatting. A partition separates a physical hard drive into multiple virtual drives.

Like any formatting, you will lose anything on the drive, including all partitions. Make sure you understand what files are on a drive before formatting.

Format Your Main Drive

Since you’ll be deleting your current Windows installation, you are unable to format from within Windows. Intead, you will boot up your computer from the Windows CD.

Turn on your computer and look for options to boot from the CD. There will usually be a message telling you to press a function key. Consult your PC manual if you have trouble booting from the CD.

You’ll feel like you’re being welcomed to DOS, with simple text on the screen. You can use the arrow keys to make your selections. The first thing you’ll need to do is delete any partitions. A partition separates a physical hard drive into multiple virtual drives.

Highlight the “C:” drive with the arrow keys, type “D” to delete, then confirm with the “L” key. Now you’ll no longer see any partitions and instead see unpartitioned space. Highlight this section and press the “C” key to create a new partition, which is where you will install Windows. Give it the maximum amount of space (unless you have the need for multiple partitions, which you probably do not).

To install Windows, select your newly created partition and press enter. You’ll want to format the hard drive as NTFS, but don’t choose the quick option (might as well go all the way here).

At this point, the drive will be formatted and then Windows will install. It will take a long time, but you’ll need to check in on it several times to enter information or reboot.

Once Windows is installed, the harder part will be getting everything set up the way you want it. You’ll need to install drivers, programs, and recover the backup of your personal files. Of course, the good news is that you’ll be doing it from a computer that is as fast as it will ever be.

Hard Disk Repair

WD Drives Caviar Blue vs Green vs Black

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM12 years ago11 years ago04 mins

A coworker asked me, and other than the cache size and power consumption, i wasn’t sure what else to answer… What is the difference between the colors of Caviar drives? I’ve been under the impression it is primarily the power consumption but I have to assume there are other things as well.

Performance. The Black is optimized for performance at the expense of noise and power consumption, the blue is a general use drive, designed to be a good balance of performance, power consumption, and noise, and the green is designed to use as little power and make as little noise as possible at the expense of performance.

I’m having a dilemma of choosing which version of Caviar for storage/backup purposes.
I need a HDD which is stable, durable and can last for a longer time.
I’ll only use this HDD for backing up my important data once a week, which means I’ll just leave it unplug at the rest of the time.
I plan to go for an internal HDD with an external dock, which I think it will be more flexible switching between IN/EXternal usage and getting emergency backup when the HDD encounters any bad sector issues.
For my understanding, a LOW RPM HDD will definitely be more stable than a HIGH RPM HDD. Is it true?
Through my experience, I’ve a 2009 Caviar Blue, which doesn’t has any issue until today, while I have a couple units of Caviar Black 2009 FALS & 2010 FAEX which encountered with some issues (through checking via HD Tune). Beside that, I’ve also used Caviar Green before, but I felt it is slow when the drive turns from idle to active due to the energy saving technology in it? Correct me if I’m wrong.
So, based on my requirement, which version of Caviar suit me most and which should I go for? Green, Blue, or Black ?

Any of those HDD’s will be stable, each are as likely to break as each other. Only difference is price and performance.

Greens – slow, minimal energy savings (nowhere near worth the loss of performance), generally same price.
Blue – Mid-range, average performance.
Blacks – Faster and more expensive.

There are also Red drives, which are a mix of Green and Blue and optimized for mass storage (talking large scale business server stuff). They have no real use in desktops though.

Hard Disk Repair

IDE To SATA Controller

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM12 years ago11 years ago01 mins

Do you know what the IDE to SATA Adapter is for a dimension 4600, or if there is one?

Here is an adapter for everything lol:

KINGWIN ADP-06 SATA to IDE Bridge Board (Newegg.com)

Suitability: All SATA devices
Interface: 7 + 15 pin SATA
OS Compatibility: Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Vista
SATA to IDE Bridge Board
Convert all SATA devices to IDE
Support all SATA devices (H.D.D.)

Sometimes they phrase it different just read description which way it converts.

Hard Disk Repair

SSD for Primary Work HDD?

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM12 years ago3 years ago01 mins

I wanted to get another year or two out of my work laptop so I bumped the RAM to 8 GB and purchased a small (64 GB) SSD. In preparation for the install, I have been browsing the internet, reading up a bit.
I notice a fair amount of discussion on SSD concerning data loss and drive failure. I cant have that… I back up as much as the next guy (every several months), but I need it to be as reliable as a spinning HDD… Should I be nervous?
About the system:
HP G72 Laptop with 8 GB DDR3, 64 GB Patriot Torqx2 SSD (Windows 7/64 bit), Western Digital 500 GB (data drive)

I have used my OCZ Vertex 2 for a year and a half as my primary drive and have had no issues with it. Newer drives are even better. Here is a good place to start. Best SSDs For The Money

Hard Disk Repair

Install OS on SSD and HDD for Storage

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM12 years ago11 years ago01 mins

Building a new system here. My question is simple,: I think, it’s just that I have never used Sata controllers. It’s been that long since I’ve built a system. I am using a Gigabyte X58-UD3R mobo. I have an OCZ agility 2 SSD and a Spinpoint F3 1TB HDD. My plan is to install the OS on the SSD and the HDD for storage. What is the best way to configure these 2 storage devices? (which ports and will this be raid 0 or not raid at all) I also have an external hot swap dock on my case, can and how would this be connected?

Install the OS with just the SSD installed. After completed install shut down and then install your HDD.

Hard Disk Repair

32MB VS 16MB Cache

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM12 years ago3 years ago02 mins

I’m building a new rig, and need to know if theres really any noticeable, real-world performance difference between a 500GB hard drive with 16MB cache or a 500GB drive with 32MB cache. both would be running on Sata III 6GB/S. 16MB vs. 32MB cache – any difference?

Of all the factors that affect a drive’s performance, cache is by far the least important. The most important factors are the spin rate (RPM) of the drive and the platter density. More spins per second = more data per second, and higher platter density means more data per spin = more data per second.

Cache is important, but once you get beyond a certain amount it doesn’t really give you any better performance. Since cache memory is cheap, all the manufacturers include enough of it to optimize the performance of the drive. As a result, differences between one drive and another don’t really make a noticeable real-world difference.

In fact, the most common reason for different cache sizes is because the platter density is different and so the drive needs more cache to hold “x” tracks worth of data. In this scenario the drive with more cache will perform better, but it’s because of the higher platter density, not because of the extra cache.

Hard Disk Repair

Removing HDD Partition Without Reformatting

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM12 years ago11 years ago01 mins

I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and Im gonna get an extra hard disk, question is can I delete my partition on the old hard disk without reformatting so that I can make that whole drive for programs and the new hard disk for storage?

There are programs that are supposed to be able to do this like partition magic. What you want to do is format the new data drive and backup all your important files to it. Once you have your back up safe, go ahead and run your partition program. They *SHOULD* work, but in case it doesn’t you have your files safe. I don’t know of any free ones, try a google search.

Hard Disk Repair

External Hard Drive Speed

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM12 years ago11 years ago02 mins

I am going to be housing large data sets on an external hard drive. From it I will be doing a lot of reading/writing as I process data from my laptop via a USB 3.0 port.
what should I get to make this run fast when using it. Will there be a bottleneck caused by using a USB cable that will make other factors relevant to speed inconsequential?

USB3 has a higher transfer rate than any mechanical HDD so there is no bottleneck from it.

Other choices would be an external HDD with eSATA and if there are multiple devices that may need access to the data sets, NAS with Gigabit would be recommended as well, I’ve found that Synology makes great performing NAS Devices with single to 8 HDD units. They are expensive but worth every penny and perform better than most other NAS boxes out there.

But in terms of USB3, Your HDD will be the bottle neck on this so if performance is really a critical piece to your puzzle, find a USB3 enclosure and throw in an SSD for the max performance.

Hard Disk Repair

Disk Read Error: Press Alt Ctrl Del to Restart

DATARECOVERYUNION.COM12 years ago3 years ago03 mins

I’ve been trying to fix my brother’s computer for several months now. This problem comes and goes as it pleases. Right when we think it’s fixed, it comes right back. At first the computer was freezing and locking up and becoming completely unresponsive, then when restarted would pop up with an error message before the loading screen saying “A Disk Read Error Has Occured Press alt, ctrl, del to restart“. And when you restart it goes back to the same error message.
I have made sure everything is plugged in and connected well on the inside, I have replaced the hard drive, tested each stick of ram, and reformatted several times. This happens on XP and Vista. We cannot figure it out and it’s frustrating because right when we think it’s fixed it comes back after a couple of weeks. The only thing on the computer is a game or two, updates, and some misc programs. We’ve tried using Windows start up repair on the Vista disc and it says it can’t repair it automatically and asks to send an error report.

You replaced the HDD already, that leads me to believe the problem resides with the mobo connection, the cable itself or the controller on the mobo. Try replacing the cable(s) to that HDD to begin with, make sure both the data and the power cables are well secured in place both on the mobo and at HDD’s end. You could try to switch to a different power connector from the PSU, as well (if that particular “line” from the PSU is defective, switching it could solve the problem).