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Changing a hdd with raid 5 to NTFS

Hello!

I have 4 hdd's that were used in a NAS storage unit with raid 5 array that is no longer being used (old OS). I erased all the data, pulled out two of them, disk management shows them with 5 partitions (I want only 1 partition), used command prompt to clear and create a primary partition. Then, I used windows to reformat in NTFS. All went good! However, the other two remaining hdd's are not showing up in disk management with the 5 partitions as the other two did. Instead, they are showing up as "Disk 2 Removable No Media" though they are a CD drive that is empty. What can be done to correct this? 

FYI - I have been using a USB to SATA adapter for this process on all 4 HDD's.

Hi Wayne. I'm Greg, an installation specialist, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, and Volunteer Moderator, here to help you.

Are the drives now plugged in internally? Are you wanting a single partition on each drive, as opposed to RAID with one partition spanning all drives?

Please post a screenshot of Disk Management, which I read like a doctor reads X-rays. Follow the steps here so I can see everything needed to advise you: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/foru...

What are your exact storage needs? What was the RAID needed for and how has that changed now?

Based on your responses I'll have other suggestions.
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Hi Greg! I thought that I answered all of your questions in my 1st post!

The drives are not plugged in because I am not using that storage device anymore. I want to make a single partition on each drive in NTFS, so I can use them for DATA storage as single drives. Two of the drives I have already done and they are fine, but the other two are not. Please look at my 1st post where my explanation is. Thanks

1ST POST: I have 4 hdd's that were used in a NAS storage unit with raid 5 array that is no longer being used (old OS). I erased all the data, pulled out two of them, disk management shows them with 5 partitions (I want only 1 partition), used command prompt to clear and create a primary partition. Then, I used windows to reformat in NTFS. All went good! However, the other two remaining hdd's are not showing up in disk management with the 5 partitions as the other two did. Instead, they are showing up as "Disk 2 Removable No Media" though they are a CD drive that is empty. What can be done to correct this? 


Hi Wayne. I'm Greg, an installation specialist, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, and Volunteer Moderator, here to help you.

Are the drives now plugged in internally? Are you wanting a single partition on each drive, as opposed to RAID with one partition spanning all drives?

Please post a screenshot of Disk Management, which I read like a doctor reads X-rays. Follow the steps here so I can see everything needed to advise you: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/foru...

What are your exact storage needs? What was the RAID needed for and how has that changed now?

Based on your responses I'll have other suggestions.

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1) What options are available if you right click the panels on the left for Disk 2 Removable I and DVD E? You know for sure these are actually two drive letters assigned when you formatted the drives in Windows? Did you use Explorer?

2) Install a Partition Manager like Easeus and post back it's output showing the drives.

3) Type CMD in Search box, Run as Admin, type each of these commands followed by Enter key:

Diskpart
List Volume
Sel Vol # (replace # with problem volume numbers)
Detail Vol

Post back screenshot of output of 1-3 above.
____________________________
Retired 2023, thirteen year daily forums volunteer, Windows MVP 2010-2020

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1) What options are available if you right click the panels on the left for Disk 2 Removable I and DVD E? You know for sure these are actually two drive letters assigned when you formatted the drives in Windows? Did you use Explorer?

2) Install a Partition Manager like Easeus and post back it's output showing the drives.

3) Type CMD in Search box, Run as Admin, type each of these commands followed by Enter key:

Diskpart
List Volume
Sel Vol # (replace # with problem volume numbers)
Detail Vol

Post back screenshot of output of 1-3 above.

Right click on left panels - I remember there being the options: assign drive letter, properties, help and maybe convert to dynamic disk, That's it!

Disk 2 Removable I is the HDD that I have been trying to reformat and I assigned the drive letter I in order for windows to see it. DVD E is a DVD player that window automatically assigned drive letter E. I never did format these drives. The drives that are formatted for Raid 5, came that way in the manufactures enclosure.

When I went back to the computer management screen, the disk was not showing anymore. So, I disconnected/reconnected a two or three times and I could now see it, but with the raid 5 partitions. Must of been a bad connection through the USB to SATA adapter that I am using. 

I have now been able to reformat to NTFS and ALL is GOOD!

Thank you Greg for your time and help!!!!

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I'm glad to help. Let me know if there's anything else.

Also when ready please mark the post which helped most as the Answer (or Resolved), to help others. A rating is also appreciated.
____________________________
Retired 2023, thirteen year daily forums volunteer, Windows MVP 2010-2020

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I'm glad to help. Let me know if there's anything else.

Also when ready please mark the post which helped most as the Answer (or Resolved), to help others. A rating is also appreciated.
I cannot say that there was a specific post that helped the most because the reason why my HDD was showing up as a "Removable Drive/No Media", was because of a bad connection from my USB/SATA Adapter to my HDD. After I unplugged/plugged in the cables, the HDD showed up in computer management as a HDD with 6 partitions which is what it was suppose to do. Having a GOOD and Proper connection is 1st and foremost.

Additionally, I do have a couple of other issues with this HDD that I would like to ask your help on.

Issue 1: After reformatting in NTFS, I installed it into a different computer  in my network where I am using it as a additional backup drive for data only. I am logged in as a User with Administrative privileges. As I have done before, I had to change the "Ownership" of the drive to "Everyone" which windows allowed me to do, but it would not let me to "Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object" because "Access Denied". As a result, I cannot backup DATA to this drive, even though I can see the drive from the other computer. I don't understand why it is denying me access when I have administrative privileges? Do I need to setup/add an Administrator account and log in that way?

Issue 2: While I used cmd prnpt to change the Raid 5 configuration to a single primary partition, I was not able to do the same when formatting. After selecting the volume to be formatted, I entered: format 6 /fs:ntfs /v:DATA /q /a:4096 /:c

I got this from docs.microsoft. Looking again and more closely, are there spaces needed between each letter/symbol?

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If the HDD had an OS then merely formatting is not enough, it needs wiping of bootable code using Diskpart Clean Command before formatting:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/85819-erase...
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-format-new-h...

Then if there are permissions issue issue permissions to Everyone:
https://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/...

For Access Denied see fixes here:
https://windowsreport.com/access-is-denied-wind... (Avoid ad links, especially avoid Restoro ad!)
http://www.eassos.com/how-to/how-to-fix-access-...
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fix-access-denied...

But the disk wipe should fix Access Denied errors usually caused by User account or OS corruption left over in the bootable code in Partition Table, plus there is boot code that isn't supposed to be on any but bootable drives.
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Last updated May 21, 2024 Views 1,832 Applies to: