Missing hard drive partition NOT really missing

[ChrisGreaves]

Code: Select all

"C:\Program Files\TRUECrypt\TRUECrypt.exe" /q /lY  /v\Device\Harddisk2\Partition1

This line from my Backup.bat is supposed to mount a TrueCrypt partition which (partition) occupies an entire 465GB USB external hard drive. This drive and it's twin have been doing a regular job every night for, oh!, two years.
The twin is still behaving.
I suspect that **I** have misbehaved and pulled a plug a little too quickly.

Partitions001.png

When I mount the partition manually, TrueCrypt shows that the "Device\Harddisk2\Partition1" bit is not visible in the TruCrypt screen.

Partitions002.png

I also get a message telling me to fix things up.

Partitions003.png

If I manually select "Harddisk 2:", then TrueCrypt does its thing and "Device\Harddisk2\Partition1" appears (and the backup.BAT runs perfectly).

This is not a critical problem for me. I could re-partition the USB drive, reformat/encrypt it and then RoboCopy its twin overnight.

Question 1: Should I initialize the disk, and if so MBR or GPT (I suspect MBR since I haven't really heard of GPT before)
Question 2: Should I just bite the bullet and re-partition as above?
Question 3: Since these matters don't often affect me, is there a simpler option that I don't know about?

Thanks
(signed) "Confused" of Toronto

[viking33]

Chris,
I would think, just initialize the disk as MBR as it asks you to do.

[ChrisGreaves]

Chris, I would think, just initialize the disk as MBR as it asks you to do.

You mean
:gasp:
:incredulous:
Trust Microsoft ?
:astounded:


OK :resigned: I'll try it when I get home tonight.

[viking33]

Chris, I would think, just initialize the disk as MBR as it asks you to do.

You mean
:gasp:
:incredulous:
Trust Microsoft ?
:astounded:
So it shouldn't hurt! :pat on head:

OK :resigned: I'll try it when I get home tonight.

[viking33]

Chris, I would think, just initialize the disk as MBR as it asks you to do.

You mean
:gasp:
:incredulous:
Trust Microsoft ?
:astounded:
So it shouldn't hurt! :pat on head:

OK :resigned: I'll try it when I get home tonight.

So it shouldn't hurt! :pat on head:

I was speechless in that last post.

[ChrisGreaves]

I was speechless in that last post.

Oh I am relieved to hear that.
I thought you might have lost a partition, or a part of a frontal lobe

[ChrisGreaves]

I would think, just initialize the disk as MBR as it asks you to do.

Hi Bob.
OK, I re-ran the Computer Management/Disk Management screens last night and chose "MBR".
Nothing bad happened, but there again the situation seems to be unchanged:-

Partition004.png

The weekend is coming, so maybe I'll take this opportunity to play around with a Partioning utility ...

[viking33]

I noticed that one of your screenshots shows that the drive is "unallocated."
I take this to mean that there is no drive letter yet assigned to it.
I would go into disk management again and try to assign a spare letter to the unallocated space.

On another note, I noticed that all of your other drives have just a drive letter and no name?
It's very handy to also have a name for each drive, making it much easier to identify what's in that drive. rather than C,D,E, etc. ( C: Windows 7 for example )

Capture.JPG

[ChrisGreaves]

I noticed that one of your screenshots shows that the drive is "unallocated."
I take this to mean that there is no drive letter yet assigned to it.

Thanks Bob; that is by design.
I "remove" drive letters from encrypted partitions to free up the letters.
I am in the habit of using SUBST to associate a mnemonic drive letter with a project's path, and like to have a wide range of letters in hand!

The other night I re-partitioned the USB external drive, the "Hardisk1\Partion0" showed up just danfy.
A quick TrueCrypt reformatting (8 hours) and a RoboCopy/Create (30 minutes) and a RoboCopy (5 hours) later and I'm back in business.