2nd Hard drive not found in explorer

[nikovdh]

I just put together a new system. The only thing I kept the same was the hard drives.
So I found out I had to reinstall windows to make it work, so I did.
I didn't format my 2nd hard drive though.
My 2nd hard drive just had files on it, not any OS.
My 2nd hard drive is not showing up in windows explorer,
but the computer recognizes it in the system.
Do I need to format the 2nd drive to make it show up?
If so, how should I do it?

 

[rabidbunny]

What os are you using? and what one did you use previously? I am not sure if it needs to be formatted, but that might solve the problem. what drive are you using as your second hd? Just download something like WD tools or Seatools to setup the disk. Either one of those programs will work for pretty much any hd.

What stumps me is that you had the drive for a previous system. Technically if all you had ever on that drive was files, it should be fine. Even if you had an os on it, (i've done the same) you should be able to access it just like a storage drive.
Also, what do you mean by "the computer recognizes it in the system" ? do you mean in the bios, you can see that the drive is there?

 

[nikovdh]

In the system manager in hardware it shows both hard drives, and says that it is working properly. It is only showing my C drive everywhere else though. Maybe because I had it as an "N:" drive on my previous setup?

 

[nikovdh]

Using WINDOWS XP, used windows XP previously.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Right click my computer
manage
storage
disk management
You can make it active here in disk management. It might just need set to active or re assigned a drive letter. Real simple. I've done it lots of times.

 

[chookman]

Try looking in "disk management" and confirm if drive is "mounted" and/or needs to be "imported"

Disk Management can be found by right clicking "My computer" and selecting "Manage". Then from the left pane select Disk Management.

OR

"compmgmt.msc" in "run" dialogue box

 

[roadrunner197069]

^ what chookman said he beat me

 

[nikovdh]

Its not showing the 2nd drive in the white area , but it does show it below:

Disk 0 is the C: drive

Disk 1 is the 2nd hard drive and it shows an exclamation mark next to it
says "Dynamic"
and "Foreign"

 

[nikovdh]

It says I can convert it to "basic" disk.. but will this format it?

 

[nikovdh]

Oh **** I know whats going on now

This is windows XP home edition.. I was using Professional before and home edition doesn't support
dynamic disk. Guess I have to convert it to basic

 

[chookman]

To convert from Dynamic to Basic generally you wipe the disk and start over... however, seems this article might help

http://mypkb.wordpress.com/2007/03/28/how-to-non-destructively-convert-dynamic-disks-to-basic-disks/