Win7 -can't access previously accessible 3tb partition

makit3d · Nov 11, 2016

Recently Win7 pro x64 became corrupted. The data is still there but windows became unbootable.

I installed win7 pro on a new disk (to preserve old data), spent the many lifetimes necessary to get everything back to where I need it (minus my programs) but am having an issue with accessing a 746bg partition on a 3tb drive.

I had gone through this process before when trying to allocate the space. For the life of me I can't remember what I had to do to gain access to it without losing the data contained on it.

So, to make it short I have a 3tb drive partitioned as 2tb (accessible) and 746.52gb (unallocated). With a previous build both drives were accessible but now that I have reinstalled windows the 746.52 gb space shows as Unallocated. I need to access it again without losing the data on the 746gb drive.

It should be noted that I have another 3tb drive that is fully accessible (2.5tb and 2 smaller drives) without issues.

I have also been scouring the web trying to find a solution but so far have some up empty even when installing Seagate software.

Some data:

Seagate 3tb model ST3000DM001
Win7 Pro x64
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H mobo

ArtPog · Nov 12, 2016

Well it seems apparent your 3 TB HDD has been MBR-partitioned. So the system will recognize only about 2 TB - roughly 2048 GB of disk-space. The remaining 746.52 GB of disk-space becomes "unallocated" since the system will not recognize it.

The solution is to have the 3 TB disk GPT-partitioned. That should have been done BEFORE you installed the OS + all your other data onto that disk.

We have not found a program or any reliable technique to convert a MBR-partitioned disk to the GPT partitioning scheme when the disk contains an OS. If the disk contains only non-OS data (programs, personal data, various apps, etc.) then usually (but not always!) a third-party partition management program can effect the conversion without losing data.

You would do well to do some research on MBR & GPT partitioning.

makit3d · Nov 13, 2016

I should have made it more clear. The disk in question isn't the boot drive. It is only a storage drive. It was a storage drive before the new install but when reconnected to the system after (I always disconnect storage drives during an OS install) the 746gb partition became 'unallocated' while another 3tb drive (with a 2.4tb partition) is perfectly fine.

ArtPog · Nov 13, 2016

I understand the 3 TB HDD is functioning as a secondary drive. I assumed that from your original query. However, since the Win 7 x64 system appears to be detecting the disk as an MBR-partitioned disk that would seem to account for the 746 GB unallocated partition since only about 2 TB of the disk is being recognized.

Are you indicating that the disk is partitioned GPT? And furthermore that the 3 TB HDD was NOT the recipient of a clone of some drive than had been MBR-partitioned? And have you checked the disk in Disk Management to determine its partition scheme?

makit3d · Nov 13, 2016

Disk management shows it as MBR partitioned. Looking at it again the other drive I mentioned was set up as a GPT partition, so it wasn't necessary for me to post about that drive since it has no relation to the existing problem.

I have been trying to think back to the original install. I have the old OS drive and there was a 3TB+ software from Gigabyte installed. This is possibly the method used to create the partition and also why it is now showing as 'Unallocated'. However, every attempt I make to find that program through the company site comes up empty. When researching my motherboard the damn program doesn't even register as available. What I do find requires me to install some central app that causes Win7 to show the BSOD.

EDIT: Just found the 3tb+Unlock program, installed it, rebooted with no change.

My other option would be to set it up as a GPT partition which would delete the data on both partitions.

Both options will cause me to lose the data. That is the one thing I cannot afford to do. I've been trying software that can save data from a lost or deleted partition but each time I try the software takes approx. 12 hours to complete. So far one program crashed at the very end of the process and the other didn't provide the result of showing the contents or even the partition of the partition in question.

I admit to some ignorance in the matter since this is the first time it has happened. I can probably stand to lose the data on the 2tb partition (but would really like to prevent that) but the 746gb part. is incredibly important to me.

Also, I have tried the MiniTool Partition Wizard and can see the contents of the partition which gives me hope. Problem is I have no idea how to access and save the files. Aside from this I am unsure if this problem qualifies as a lost partition or as something else.

Thanks for your help so far. Any little bit that I can get alleviates some of the stress of this problem.

makit3d · Nov 13, 2016

One option I am considering, although it scares the hell out of me, is to set the drive up as GPT and use data recovery software to retrieve the lost/deleted files. But since that option scares the shit out of me it's left as a last resort.

makit3d · Nov 13, 2016

I believe I have found the solution. I bought MiniTool partition wizard and data recovery software. Between the two I was able to access the lost partition and am currently copying files to an external drive now.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

ArtPog · Nov 13, 2016

Please try to understand...

If the 3 TB is a secondary drive and does not contain an OS there's a better than even chance that the disk could be converted to a GPT-partitioned disk by using a third-party partition management program. This, of course, would free up the 746 GB of unallocated disk-space presently on the disk.

Now if the HDD did contain OS files (even though the disk is not being utilized as a boot disk) it's possible that the p-m program will balk at converting the disk from GPT-to-MBR. We've experienced this anomaly a number of times. So it's necessary to delete the Windows folder and the files within the folder prior to undertaking the conversion process.

Do you understand all this?

I POSTED THE ABOVE BEFORE SEEING YOUR LAST POST. SO IF THAT PROCESS RESOLVES THE SITUATION THAT'S FINE. GOOD LUCK.

makit3d · Nov 22, 2016

The problem is solved now.

I was able to find the right Gigabyte program (3TB Unlock) for getting windows to accept the 3tb drive. I had tried using the program before but it failed or wasn't meant for my board or some other problem because it just would not work. This is in large part what contributed to my concern for saving the data.

Once that was done I used a couple of programs from MiniTool to save the data. Partition Magic (probably not necessary) and Data Recovery. I was going to try a free or open source option but the data was too important to risk.

After all that I moved the data to another drive and converted it to GPT to prevent this from happening again. There were a few unnecessary steps in all this I'm sure. In the end the only thing that I cared about was the saving of the data.

Thank you very much for your help. It may not have completely solved it but it was reassuring to have another voice in the mix besides my own trying to find a solution.

EDIT: I checked your earlier answer as being the correct one. That's not entirely accurate but it was the best answer for reasons that didn't necessarily pertain to my exact problem. It did help me to focus on the partition type (I though it was GPT) which ultimately led me to the solution.

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