I have multiple partitions and my last partition regularly disappears

There are two workarounds for this phenomenon:

  1. Only use one primary DOS partition.
  2. Using FDISK, follow the steps below when partitioning the drive:
    1. Create a primary DOS partition with the desired size.
    2. Reboot
    3. Create an extended DOS partition using 99% of the available space remaining instead of 100%
    4. Reboot
    5. Create as many logical DOS drives as required, but with a reboot between each logical drive created.
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Microsoft Windows Me FAQs

Windows Me FAQs What is Windows Me?
Windows Me is a new consumer operating system for PCs, and it is intended to replace Windows 98 in the summer of 2000. This new operating system may also come pre-installed on retail PCs as well around the same time.

How is the Windows Me different from Windows 98?
Windows Me, from a software and customer perspective, is not very different from Windows 98. There are some minor differences in networking protocols and locations of certain features between the two operating systems. Newer multimedia enhancements, easier home networking, enhanced stability, and new Internet tools are among the additions Windows Me will provide over Windows 98.

Are there any significant changes in Windows Me affecting storage?
The same file system preparation techniques and installation methods used in Windows 95/98 apply to hard disc storage in Windows Me. The predominant file system used for larger drives, FAT32, has not changed in Windows Me.

What market is intended for Windows Me?
Microsoft is marketing Windows Me to be the replacement for Windows 98 in the home PC environment. Windows 98, and now Windows Me, are the best operating system choice for the all-purpose home computer, as both products are priced similarly. However, Windows 98 is used in home and corporate desktop environments and Windows Me is targeted to the home user only, as Windows 2000 is now being targeted to the corporate desktop and workstation.

What are the differences between Windows Me and Windows 2000?
Windows Me is structurally based on the 16-bit DOS (Disk Operating System) code base, although it is a native 32-bit operating system. The underlying technology of Windows Me is very similar to the software platform on which Windows 95/98 was built. Windows 2000, in contrast, was designed from the Windows NT software platform, and on a completely different code structure. Windows NT and Windows 2000 are native 32-bit operating systems built upon a 32-bit code base. Some customers state that Windows NT-based operating systems, such as Windows 2000, are more stable in important corporate desktops and workstations and critical computing systems than the “Win9x” operating system. Although the “look & feel” of Windows Me and Windows 2000 is strikingly similar, the backend processing of both operating systems and the underlying code is very different between the two.

Are there any networking protocol changes in Windows Me?
As of March 2000, beta releases of Windows Me had shown Microsoft had discontinued native support for some networking protocols which are present in Windows 95/98 and Windows NT/2000. The main reason for this regarded the target market for Windows Me – the home PC. Because the majority of home PCs do not require a full suite of separate networking protocols (IPX/SPX. Banyan Vines, etc.), it is believed Microsoft considered discontinuing support of some commonly used corporate and business networking protocols from Windows Me, as they are usually unnecessary for the home PC user.

However, as of April 2000, a large amount of user feedback swayed Microsoft’s decision to remove some of these networking protocols, and native Novell Netware support was added back to Windows Me. For exact descriptions of the networking support changes in Windows Me from earlier versions of Windows, please contact Microsoft for the most updated information.

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Microsoft Windows Me FAQs (Part II)

Windows Me Is there support for a “rollback” feature that guarantees a working system in case of Windows Me failure?
There is a feature in Windows Me called “System Restore” – this feature allows Windows Me to revert to an earlier “known working” configuration of the Windows Me installation if the current configuration becomes corrupted and makes Windows Me unbootable or unusable. For further information on this feature and how it is used, please contact Microsoft.

Will Windows Me still run my older 16-bit applications and DOS applications?
Microsoft has stated that Windows Me will have complete compatibility for older 16-bit applications that run in DOS, Windows 3.xx, and Windows 95/98.

Will this be the last Windows operating system based on DOS?
Microsoft has stated that Windows Me will indeed be the last operating system based on the 16-bit DOS code base.

How do I make a bootable floppy or bootable hard drive with Windows Millennium (WinMe)?
Right clicking on a drive (floppy or hard drive) in My Computer or Windows Explorer only allows for formatting, WinMe no longer offers an option to copy system files and make the drive bootable. Use the following procedures for making a drive bootable.

Floppy: Making a WinMe Startup Disk is the only way to make a bootable floppy with WinMe. The WinMe Startup Disk is made the same way as in Win95/98 (My Computer-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs-Startup Disk Tab-Create Disk).

Hard Drive: Using the SETUP command contained on the Distribution CD is the only way to make a bootable hard drive with WinMe. Although the WinMe Startup Disk still includes the FORMAT and SYS commands, you will receive the following notices when trying to use FORMAT C: /S or SYS C: “Microsoft Windows no longer supports the FORMAT /s command” or “Cannot find the system files in the standard locations on drive c:. SYS can only be used on drive c: to attempt repair of an already existing installation of Windows. Use Windows SETUP (Distribution CD) to make drive c: bootable”.

Will my Windows 95/98 programs run under Windows Me?
Because Windows Me shares so many common features and inherent programming structure with Windows 95/98, most, if not all, programs and applications from the previous versions of Windows 95/98 will work under Windows Me. However, contacting your software vendors and/or Microsoft for software application compatibility before purchasing Windows Me is a good idea.

Will Windows Me be available to purchase in retail stores, or will it be available only pre-installed on new PCs?
Windows Me should become available in retail stores sometime during the late Spring or early Summer months of 2000. It is believed that during this same time, many retail PC manufacturers will begin offering Windows Me pre-installed on many computer systems.

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How to disable power management settings in Windows XP/Vista/7?

Power Management Settings In some systems it is necessary to disable Windows default power management settings in order for a drive or program to function properly. The steps below will assist in disabling, or re-enabling these settings.

Disable power management settings in Windows XP

  1. To begin, right-click on any unused portion of your desktop.
  2. Click on Properties
  3. Select the Screen Saver tab at the top of the window
  4. Click on the Power button near the bottom of the tab
  5. Select the Power Schemes tab
  6. Change the Turn off hard disks setting to Never
  7. Set the System standby setting to Never
  8. Now, click on the Hibernate tab
  9. If checked, uncheck the Enable Hibernation checkbox
  10. Click on the OK button in the lower right corner of the window
  11. Back on the Display Properties window, click on the OKbutton
  12. Your power management settings have now been set to disabled

Disable power management settings in Windows Vista

  1. To begin, open your control panel from your Start menu
  2. Double-click on Power Options
  3. Find your current power plan (it should have a bullet next to it) and click on Change Plan Settings
  4. Click on Change Advanced Power Settings
  5. Find the listing for Sleep and expand next to it until you find the setting. Click on it to modify and click on the down arrow until it changes to Never
  6. Choose Apply and Ok to save the changes and close the window.

Disable power management settings in Windows 7

  1. To begin, open your control panel from your Start menu.
  2. Click on Hardware and Sound
  3. On the left side of the screen, select Create Power Plan
  4. Select the High Performance radial
  5. In the name field, call your plan whatever you would like
  6. Change the Put Computer to Sleep field to Never
  7. Click on the Create button to create your custom plan.
  8. Once back on the main Power Options screen, select Change Plan Settings
  9. Next click the blue Change Advanced Power Settings link
  10. Open the hard disk power options, by clicking on the + next to Hard Disk
  11. Change the time listed under Turn Off Hard Disk After to 0
  12. Under the Sleep options you should change Sleep and Hibernation both to 0 as well
  13. Click on OK and close the window.
  14. Your power management settings have been set to disabled
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I can read and write from my SCSI hard disk, but I can’t boot from it

SCSI Hard Drive Sometimes, the master boot record(MBR) on a hard disk may become corrupted as a result of installing other operating systems or through infection by a boot-block virus. When this happens, you can boot from a floppy (you must have the necessary files) and attempt to re-write the Master Boot Record (Microsoft Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP only) by typing “FDISK /MBR” (leave out the quotes). If that doesn’t work, there are other ways to purge the MBR through the use of debug routines, SCSI low-level format routines, or the zero-fill utility in your SCSI controller BIOS. Consult your operating system vendor for assistance with this to determine if this is an operating system issue.

Or try these troubleshooting steps:

  • Check all cable connections.
  • Verify twisted-pair cable on any LVD SCSI drives.
  • Test the data cable by trying a different cable.
  • Try the cable on a known working drive.
  • Check the jumper settings.
  • Check the SCSI bus termination.
  • Check the host adapter card default settings.
  • Test the card by either trying a known good card or a known working drive.
  • Check host adapter settings.
  • Set the SCSI transfer mode to asynchronous negotiation and the transfer rate to 10MB/s (or the slowest setting).
  • Make the offending drive the only device in the system and re-test.
  • Run the “low-level” format (SCSI Format) routine if it’s provided by the host adapter manufacturer (data destructive).
  • Try drive in a different system to see if the same results follow.
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What Do the Mac System Beep Code Mean?

If a fault is detected during the test, you will not hear a normal startup chime. Instead, the system will beep as explained below. If you experience one of these beeps, you should call your Apple-authorized service provider for additional troubleshooting assistance.

1 beep = No RAM installed/detected
2 beeps = Incompatible RAM type installed (for example, EDO)
3 beeps = No RAM banks passed memory testing
4 beeps = Bad checksum for the remainder of the boot ROM
5 beeps = Bad checksum for the ROM boot block

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UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME Error Message

UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME After installing or upgrading Windows XP from Windows 95 or 98 an error message:
STOP 0x000000ED (0x aaaaaaaa ,0x bbbbbbbb ,0x cccccccc ,0x dddddddd ) UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME appears when Windows tries to load.

This error is generated by design through Microsoft to prevent any data loss during operation. By design this error can incur when:

  • A 40-wire cable is used to connect an Ultra ATA hard drive to an Ultra ATA hard disk controller.
  • Improper BIOS settings
  • A file system may be damaged and cannot be mounted.

To resolve this issue:

  1. Replace the 40-wire cable with an 80-wire Ultra ATA Cable
  2. In the BIOS load the “Fail Safe Default Settings”.
  3. Restart the computer. If it doesn’t correct the problem a file system may be damaged.

Repairing a Damaged File System

  1. Restart the computer with the XP install disk.
  2. Press R to select the Repair Option at the “Welcome to Setup” screen.
  3. Enter administrator password if prompted to do so.
  4. At the next prompt press 1 and Enter .
  5. This should bring you to the command prompt “C:\” or “C:\Windows”.
  6. Type chkdsk /r and press enter. This will scan the disk and repair any errors.
  7. Type fixboot X: where “X” is the drive that you are installing the operating system on.
  8. Restart the system. If Windows still errors repeat steps 1 thru 5.
  9. Type fixmbr at the command prompt.

If all the above steps fail you may run a low-level format on the drive using SeaTools. Run the Write Disk Pack. This process may take several hours depending on the size of the drive.

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After switching master/slave roles, the drives still will not work together

After switching master/slave roles, the drives still will not work together… what else can can be done?

At this point, it is recommended that the user separate the hard drives and connect them individually to the different interface ports of the system. If the system does NOT have a Secondary IDE interface, it is recommended that the user install an Ultra ATA PCI Adapter card. By doing this, each drive would then be able to individually communicate with the system. Ultra ATA PCI cards benefit your system by adding support for large capacity drives and enhanced support for data transfer rates by Ultra ATA devices.

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Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition 5.0.1

Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition 5.0.1 Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition is a comprehensive file recovery freeware which can recover deleted files or folders even when they have been emptied from Recycle Bin, recover data due to format, lost partition, system crash, and virus attack. Compare with other data recovery freeware, it can restore files from formatted disk, dynamic disk, deleted or lost partition with original file names & storage paths.

Publisher: Easeus.com

Key Features:

  • Recover deleted or lost files emptied from the Recycle Bin.
  • Recover from lost/deleted partitions.
  • Recover files from Dynamic Disk.
  • Recover from Linux file system under Windows.
  • Recovers from formatted partitions with original file names & storage paths.
  • Compatible with Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7

Note: Data Recovery Wizard Free edition 5.0.1 only allows you to recover less than 1 GB of file.

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No drive letter assigned after installing a new hard drive

Disk Manager Why is my new drive recognized in the system BIOS but has no drive letter assigned to it in Windows?

Before the operating system can recognize the drive and assign it a drive letter, you must partition and format the drive. New hard drives are rarely pre-partitioned by the manufacturer. There are three options to formatting and partitioning the drive:

  • Disk Management is compatible Windows NT, 2000, and xp.
  • FDISK is compatible with Windows 9x, Me. Please refer to Microsoft’s knowledge base article Q255867 for instructions on FDISK.
  • Seagate’s MaxBlast and DiscWizard utilities are compatible with all Window operating systems. The MaxBlast and DiscWizard utilities are fast and easy ways to format a drive.
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