Win 10 problem-dynamic drive

[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 ?

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Batman]

Already tried Diskpart. No dice, And yep. On 10 Home now, was on 7 Pro with the old rig.

[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.

[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.

[TheFeniX]

What error does it give you when you try to online it?

[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.

[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>

[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.

[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).

[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.

[Batman]

GHETTO EDIT: And when I try to online the disk I'm told it already is, it just remains 'ungültig'.

[Batman]

Well MiniTools Partition Wizard Pro failed because the disk has more than one partition. Any software recommendations?

[Batman]

AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro's Dynamic Disk manager ALSO failed. This is getting annoying.

[tezunegari]

Have you tried a different SATA cable and/or port?

[Batman]

Laptop. Disk in external enclosure connected via USB. Problem already identified as it being a dynamic disk.

[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/

[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

[Batman]

Thing is this disk has several partitions and AOMEI Dynamic Disk Converter claims it has 2 'spanned' volumes (whatever that means)