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XP 3TB disk installed ok but disappeared

Thread needs solution

Hello,

- I bought new 3TB WD disk for my old XP SP3 32 bits PC, dell gx280, (only one SATA port)
- downloaded True Image WD edition
My ultimate goal was to use it in an USB enclosure.

- at first, tried to connect the USB box to PC : windows device mgr recognize the disk, but TIWD didnt see nothing
- tried to SATA connect HD directly in a newer PC (with 2 SATA internal ports), also XP SP3 32 bits
- windows device mgr recognize the disk,
- TIWD recognize the disk, => follow path "add new disk",
- create 2 TB partition, "proceed"
- next : Acronis Extended capacity manager : unallocated 0.73 TB => allocate space -> Apply
- create 746 GB partition, proceed
- exit WDTI
- windows disk mgr can now recognize and affect letters to the 2 new partitions
- windows explorer can see the 2 new partitions : they are fully functional : write / reread files OK

Next step : reboot.
- windows device mgr always recognize the disk,
- WDTI doesnt see it any more
- windows explorer doesnt see the 2 new partitions any more

Checked :
- the 2 new Acronis new devices always appear in device mgr, & seem activated
- the new Acronis services are started

What did I miss please ?

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Hello beginner
I have problems with 3 TB drive too. You neglected to mention important stuff.

I installed a Seagate USB 3 TB drive. HP Win 7 Desk top w/ Acronis Home 2010 installed.
I had a 1.5 TB USB drive and a 2 TB USB drive that I used alternately as the archive location. What I mean by alternately is that on ODD number days, Acronis used drive F: as the archive location. On EVEN number days, Acronis used drive G: as the archive location.
I replaced the 1.5 TB drive with a 3.0 TB drive. Win 7 recognized it as an un-partitioned expansion drive. Acronis went nuts proclaiming it was an incorrectly formatted drive. But it did write to the 3 TB drive.

BUT-- I use a differential backup and the file sizes of the differential backups are 10 times larger on the 3 TB drive than the file size of the differential backups stored on the 2 TB drive. 5 GB file on 2 TB drive is 52 GB on the 3 TB drive.

Seagate has no clue. Anybody got a guess?

missing3tbdisk,
New partitions must be formattted after creation by TrueImage Add new disk.
XP only needs the extend capactity extra if the partition size is larger than 2.2TB.
If smaller than than size, the two partitions should act as normal, after partitioning.

Larry,
TrueImage mates a backup task and a specific storage disk as a unit based on the disk ID.
If you add a new storage disk to an existing working task, it will not function correctly and will either not work or the new backups will be full backups. An existing task cannot work with two different target disks. Each target disk needs its own individualo backup task.

To add a new disk to a working task, you will need to use the "Move" optoin to make the new disk work with an existing task.

GH6. How to use the MOVE backup option to relocate storage folder.

Grover,

OK But can you explain how to retry now, because XP disk manager, nor TIWD can see the 3TB disk ?
(I Suppose to have to delete the existing 2 partitions before trying your tips)
And Should TI be able to control this HD from the USB enclosure, please ?

Thank you.

YOu should be able to see the disk in Windows Disk Management regardless.
Try using a different usb cable and a different usb connector on computer.

The largest partition size XP will see is 2.2GB. I make mine either 2 and 1 or 1.5 & 1.5.

GroverH,

In order to try your ideas ("New partitions must be formattted after creation by TrueImage Add new disk")
I have to be able to access the disk again, via XP, maybe by resetting the 3tb disk :
=> connected it in another PC, a new one (2008 R2) with plenty of SATA ports
- this PC can see the partition previously created by TIWD under XP (see 1st post)
- => delete partition
- connected 3TB disk back disk in the XP machine (SATA port) :
- windows device manager can see the disk (WD30EZRX)
- windows disk manager cannot
- TIWD cannot

Any idea to get out this trap please ?

thx

Another option would be to download the free partitioning tools from Mini-tool.
This is available on bootable CD so no installation is necessary.

http://partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html

Download the file and create the bootable CD from this link. CD much easier to create if done on Win 7.
If using Win7, right click on the downloaded file and choose the "open with" option and choose Windows Disk Burner,
Ifd using XP to make the CD, you will need to use a tool such the free ImgBurn.

Boot to the Mini-Tool Partitioning utilityCD.
Select the 3tb tool and delete all partitions on the disk so the disk is blank.

Create 2 partitions. Partition 1 to be 2 tb and partition 2 at be 1 tb. Set both partitions as primary.
Format both partitions.

Reboot. Now check if TrueImage and Windows can see then. As both partitions are less than the max allowed, you do NOT need the extended capacity driver and both partitons should be seen by xp or Windows 7-8.

I tried :

1 downloaded minitool partition wizard 8.1.1 ISO image
2 burnt it on CDRW
3 CD boot XP machine (SP3 32bits) with 3TB disk on SATA port
4 deleted all partitions + apply : ok
5 created 1st partition 2048GB, primary + apply : ok
6 tried to create 2nd partion on unallocated 746GB space (right click + create)
=> "error : this disk uses MBR format, the disk beyond 2 TB will be unusable"

- retried 4+5+format 1st partition before 6 : same result

Sorry about that, but I doesnt see what more I can do with that tool.

Let have a 2nd look at my 1st post, if you please : what could happen in Acronis devices, or services, or whatever..., that could explain why the 2 fully functional 2TB & 746GB partitions precedently created disappear after reboot ?
Suppose I can reach that state again (maybe with a very low level & complete disk formatting before repartitioning with TIWD), is there anything I can check after reboot to better understand the situation ?

Many thx for your help.

If using usb3, try plugging into a usb2 portor use a usb 2 cable.

Sorry, I do not have a XP any more and do not have a 3 tb tisk to try.
Hopefully, someone else can help you.

missing3TBXPDisk

I obtained a new 3TB disk and even using Win7 ( I have no XP now),
only two choices were offered
If using MBR, only 1 partition allowed and it was 2Tb. All other 746 gb space lost.
If using GPT (not readable by XP), full size allowed.

So my prior advice appears to be wrong and my memory even worse as to what I was able to with XP.

My advice (for what its worth) would be to clean the 3TB disk to remove any botched settings and create one 2TB partition and XP should see it after it is formatted.

missing3TBXPDisk,

I believe your problems are a result of your attempt to use a new Advanced Format Drive. These drives use 4K sectors and thus are aligned as 4096 bytes. Windows XP does not recognize these drives correctly because XP uses 512K bytes. I am attaching a link here that should help you in using this drive with Win XP Hope it answers most of your questions:

http://www.wdc.com/global/products/features/?id=7&language=1