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Thread: new partition not visible in Explorer

  1. #1
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    new partition not visible in Explorer

    I'm running WinXP SP2. I repartitioned the extended partition on my secondary HDD to create another FAT32 partition. The new logical drive (K) shows up in Windows Administrative Tools / Computer Management / Storage / Disk Management. I can even open an Explorer window focused on the new drive by right-clicking on the partition from the the Disk Management partition map. However, K doesn't show in the drive list under My Computer, nor can I access K from any application software (Open, Save As, etc.).

    Just to verify there's no problem with the partition, I installed a 3rd HDD that has four Fat32 partitions (one primary and 3 logical) and none of these show up in My Computer, although all are accessible via Disk Management, as drives L, M, N and O. I turned off my external USB HDD (J) and now the primary partition on the 3rd HDD shows up as J in My Computer, but K (on 2nd HDD), as well as L, M and N on the 3rd HDD aren't listed.

    Any idea what could cause this behavior? Is there a setting within Windows that limits the number of drives that show up in My Computer the drive list? This is my first experience going beyond J, as it were.
    ASUS A8V Deluxe | AMD Opteron 185 | Hyper 6+ cooler | 4GB OCZ Platinum | NVidia 7600GS 512MB | modded Evercase LE4252 | Seasonic S12-II-330 | Barracuda 7200.10 250GB HDD | Plextor 740a | WinXP SP3

  2. #2
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    New information: I removed the 3rd HDD *and* the external HDD. Then, from the Disk Management console, I changed the drive letter of the new partition from K to J, and it instantly showed up in My Computer drive list.

    Is it possible there's a setting in the registry, or somewhere, that limits the number of logical drives XP will recognize? I've never heard of such a thing, but that's about the only thing I can think of that would explain this behavior.
    ASUS A8V Deluxe | AMD Opteron 185 | Hyper 6+ cooler | 4GB OCZ Platinum | NVidia 7600GS 512MB | modded Evercase LE4252 | Seasonic S12-II-330 | Barracuda 7200.10 250GB HDD | Plextor 740a | WinXP SP3

  3. #3
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    There is a 4 Primary limit, but no logical limit. Run 6 hdds in XP for years, Letters C to O.

    Now USB devices get assigned letters and normally those are what cause the problems like you are having.

    This may help.
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315539

  4. #4
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    As turns out, I installed Tweak UI a few months ago, long before I added the new partition. For reasons I can't fathom at present, when I set up TUI and reviewed all the various options it offers, I unchecked all the unused drive letters listed under My Computer.
    ASUS A8V Deluxe | AMD Opteron 185 | Hyper 6+ cooler | 4GB OCZ Platinum | NVidia 7600GS 512MB | modded Evercase LE4252 | Seasonic S12-II-330 | Barracuda 7200.10 250GB HDD | Plextor 740a | WinXP SP3

  5. #5
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    Glad to here you got it sorted out now.

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