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Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-03-30 05:12pm
by Batman
Due to my PC croaking a while ago I'm on a new PC .Since I unsurprisingly want to save as much of my old data as I can I bought storage enclosures for the HDDs. Worked first go for the old boot HDD (which I couldn't care less about but nice bonus) but my old data drive doesn't work, apparently because it's a 'dynamic' disk (whatever that means). Now I'm looking for a way to access the data on that disk, either by making Windows read it again as-is or by converting it to basic without data loss. Google so far says I need pay-for 3rd party software for that which I unsurprisingly would prefer to avoid as this is pretty much a single-use issue. From what I can tell this CAN'T be done with Windows on-board features. Any freeware or limited time Trial version that lets me do that? Or is there a way to do this manually ?
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-03-31 04:58pm
by TheFeniX
NOTE: I haven't done this in more than a few years.
You need to connect the disk and Import Foreign Disk in Computer Management > Disk Manager
Then you need to use DiskPart from the Command Prompt.
Use List Disk to determine the Disk in question
Select Disk <X>
Import [noerr}
Here's a link with some instructions that match up to how I used to do it. NOTE: If this does not work, merely using the Import command on Disk Part and the Windows GUI
shouldn't destroy any data. But perform these commands at your own risk. Also, if your version of Windows doesn't support dynamic disk, you'll need software to convert it back to basic.
I have no idea why your disk would have been converted to Dynamic. That's mostly used to create Software RAID arrays in Windows.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-03-31 05:59pm
by Batman
The disk isn't labeled 'foreign' but 'invalid' (probably, german Windows). The import option is greyed out. And I don't know why it's dynamic either. Until I started looking into this problem I didn't even know the term.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-01 10:46pm
by TheFeniX
You on Windows Pro or greater? I don't believe Dynamic disks are supported in Windows Home.
The other option is to use Diskpart to online the disk.
Run diskpart as admin
select disk <x>
online disk
If that doesn't work, you're going to need some kind of partition recovery software.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-02 01:33pm
by Batman
Already tried Diskpart. No dice, And yep. On 10 Home now, was on 7 Pro with the old rig.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-03 03:17am
by TheFeniX
That would do it. Home does not support dynamic disks. You could cheese it by downloading a W10 installer for pro, skip the key code phase when installing on a junk PC, import and recover, them trash the install. I mean, you could even do it on the same PC if you had a trash HDD laying around.
Outside spending some money, your only other option is to find someone with a copy of Pro, and get them to recover the data.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-03 05:18pm
by Batman
WTF? I decided to play it safe and bought an update to Win 10 Pro rather than chance a 3rd party program that may or may not work and the situation remains completely unchanged.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-03 06:02pm
by TheFeniX
What error does it give you when you try to online it?
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-03 06:26pm
by Batman
'Arguments specified with this command are invalid' or something to that effect. Drive is still labeled as 'invalid' in disk manager, 'import foreign drive' is still grayed out.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-03 08:03pm
by TheFeniX
That should only happen if you put the command in wrong. If you're on W10, can you post a SS? Windows Key + SHIFT + S will allow you select a section of desktop space to paste. Alternatively, just drag select, copy, and paste the CMD prompt output here.
Such as:
Code: Select all
DISKPART> offline disk
Virtual Disk Service error:
The operation is not supported on removable media.
DISKPART> list part
Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 Primary 7388 MB 4032 KB
DISKPART>
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-03 08:09pm
by TheFeniX
If you're making sure to run CMD.exe as Administrator. You should have something like this:
Code: Select all
C:\WINDOWS\system32>diskpart
Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.18362.1
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.
On computer:
DISKPART> list disk
Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 447 GB 0 B
Disk 1 Online 931 GB 0 B *
Disk 2 Online 3726 GB 1024 KB *
Disk 3 Online 931 GB 16 MB *
Disk 4 Online 7392 MB 2048 KB
DISKPART> select disk 4
Disk 4 is now the selected disk.
DISKPART> online disk
Virtual Disk Service error:
This disk is already online.
Except yours shouldn't error out. If it does, I have no idea what's going on.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-03 08:51pm
by Batman
German Windows. I can give you a screenshot to be sure but I don't think that would help much. It looks pretty much like what you just posted except the disk in question is listed as 'ungültig' (which I extrapolated to be 'invalid' in english).
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-05 06:45pm
by Batman
Okay, apparently the default for dynamic disks is write protected and offline and I need to set it to read/write before I can online it. Except neither the DISKPART help not Google tell me how to do that.
EDIT: Except 'detail disk' says it ISN'T write protected. I'm running out of ideas.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-05 06:59pm
by Batman
GHETTO EDIT: And when I try to online the disk I'm told it already is, it just remains 'ungültig'.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-08 05:11pm
by Batman
Well MiniTools Partition Wizard Pro failed because the disk has more than one partition. Any software recommendations?
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-14 09:35pm
by Batman
AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro's Dynamic Disk manager ALSO failed. This is getting annoying.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-14 10:48pm
by tezunegari
Have you tried a different SATA cable and/or port?
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-15 08:00pm
by Batman
Laptop. Disk in external enclosure connected via USB. Problem already identified as it being a dynamic disk.
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-15 08:58pm
by Dominus Atheos
Did you find and try this during your searches?
https://windowsforum.com/threads/dynami ... alid.3906/
!!!FIXED!!!
I downloaded HxD, a disk hex editor and opened the disk in it. In sector 0, location 1C2, the value read "42." This means dynamic drive, so I changed the value to "07" and saved the changes and rebooted.
Upon reboot I went back to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management and there it was, no longer 'invalid' but instead said 'healthy, NTFS, basic.' Glee!
https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-16 06:31pm
by Batman
No, I did not, so thank you. And that certainly sounds like an easy fix-IF it works. I'm just wary of meddling at that level because if you do and something doesn't work as intended things tend to go seriously south
Re: Win 10 problem-dynamic drive
Posted: 2020-04-19 10:51pm
by Batman
Thing is this disk has several partitions and AOMEI Dynamic Disk Converter claims it has 2 'spanned' volumes (whatever that means)