DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Vista 64-bit screwed up my hard disk :(

5 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/vista-64-bit-screwed-up-my-hard-disk.64364/

pushkaraj
pushkaraj Original post #1
Jul 31, 2007 at 8:15 PM
I have two hd connected in my cabby. 80gb and 40gb (both sata). I have 4 partitions on 80gb( C: , D: , E: , F: ) and a single 40gb( G: ) partition on the other hd. I have xp installed on the first partition( C: ) of 80gb. I recently installed Windows Vista 64-bit on the second partition( D: ) of 80gb hd.

I booted up in vista. I updated vista thru the windows update feature. The nForce 410/430 networking controller got updated and then my both hds started showing up as removable hard disks. I don't know wat struck my mind and i clicked on
safely remove hardware -> G:

AND THEN THE HD WAS SAFELY REMOVED, LITERALLY.

I mean the icon from G: was gone.

I shut down my pc, removed the data cable and power supply connector from the 40gb hd and then booted up in vista and then again shut down, connected back the cables and then again booted in vista. But no changes. In XP also the G: drive is not showing up. In device manager the device is showin up as working properly. But it isnot showing the volume. I have posted a screenshot of the hd from device manager and from disk management, both in XP.

In vista disk management, the hard disk shows as dynamic and offline. In the context menu it it has 3 options:
1) Convert to basic disk
2) Reactivate disk
3) Help

I tried clicking on the second option but it gave some error.

I don't want to lose all that data coz it contains most of my important documents. Someone please help...
assasin
assasin #2
Jul 31, 2007 at 9:57 PM
try connecting ur hdd to a diff sata port.
wat error did u get when u clicked on "Reactivate Disk"?
pushkaraj
Jul 31, 2007 at 11:52 PM
I tried dconnecting the hdd to a different sata port but it did not help.

I have posted the screenshot of the message box that i get when i click on "Reactivate Disk" in vista.
assasin
assasin #4
Aug 1, 2007 at 9:42 AM
goto Device manager and uninstall the hdd which is not working.then restart ur pc and connect the hdd to another SATA port.this sud solve the prob.
pushkaraj
Aug 1, 2007 at 10:15 PM
Thanx for your suggestions. Unfortunately they did not work.

I think when i had clicked on "safely remove hardware" on this particular hd, the partition had got deleted.

So now ultimately, i converted the faulty hdd from dynamic disk to basic disk. I did this from the context menu in disk management.

I then got 40gb of unallocated space. I created a single 40gb partition on it. And now i am trying to recover the data from the formatted hard disk.