help! Windows 10: Two dynamic volumes and one drive letter? How to revert?

[Steven P. Administrators]

 

So I cloned a smaller SSD to a larger one earlier today, had a few issues which I was able to fix  But when the 120gb SSD got freed up, I am now using it as my docs/pic/app data drive, this meant that I could remove the 500gb partition on my 3TB drive to just have it all as a media disk, but when I deleted the 500GB partition it became unallocated space, then I tried to extend the larger 2.3TB one into the 500GB, all looked good, from the extend disk dialog, but when it completed, it gave an error (forget now what it was) and I ended up with a dynamic disk with two volumes and the same drive letter.

 

It was a "simple" disk before, with a blue stripe like the C:\ drive is now

I am talking about the 2 E:\ partitions

I want the two E:\ partitions to become one without losing any data

 

Can anyone help?

[Steven P. Administrators]

Hi peeps, noone can help me?

[Xahid]

Does it contain data?

you need to remove the dynamic disk 1st and then extend or create the partition.

if its giving you some errors, try Partedmagic it have many good tools.

[Steven P. Administrators]

Thanks for the reply, the issue here is that it's a 3TB drive with 1.4TB already used, so I can't backup the data to other drives, or anywhere else.

 

I started out with a 500GB partition (partition 1) and 2.5TB on the second partition, I tried to extend the second partition into the Unallocated 500GB (I deleted that partition first) and ended up with what you see in the OP screenshot.

[Xahid]

When you extend the second partition into 500GB (unallocated) it change it into dynamic disk (problematic) I don't know if you can change the dynamic disk (without destroying data),  but here is some tutorial try it, change the dynamic disk to basic disk 1st. and then you can extend the partition.

 

[Steven P. Administrators]

Yeah I saw this around the web, but I am worried it'll destroy the data, because it appears to be shared among the two partitions right now (when it was only on the largest one to start).

[Clirion]

I am beginning  to wonder if Spaces took over.  When the drive was formatted, was it GPT or MBR?

If that is the case, you should have some tools available in the Storage Spaces Manager.

 

I have not used it yet for anything. The 2 partitions with the same letter is why I am thinking Storage Spaces.

[Mando]

7 hours ago, Steven P. said:

Yeah I saw this around the web, but I am worried it'll destroy the data, because it appears to be shared among the two partitions right now (when it was only on the largest one to start).

im thinking your spot on the button with your fears, your talking low level formatting and changing partitions, certainbly not soemthing id be willing to attempt with data on the volumes privately or professionally tbh without a snapshot or some form of backup.

 

 

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

Can you change the drive letter in DiskPart by selecting one of the volumes and assigning it a different letter?

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

[Steven P. Administrators]

I ended up adding two 1TB drives and moving the data to them, then I deleted the partitions, created one Basic Disk partition and did a full format (which took hours) then I moved the data back, it took all day

[Circaflex]

3 hours ago, Steven P. said:

I ended up adding two 1TB drives and moving the data to them, then I deleted the partitions, created one Basic Disk partition and did a full format (which took hours) then I moved the data back, it took all day

Well, on the bright side, you now have an additional 2TB of space for backups, downloads, etc!

[Mando]

15 hours ago, Steven P. said:

I ended up adding two 1TB drives and moving the data to them, then I deleted the partitions, created one Basic Disk partition and did a full format (which took hours) then I moved the data back, it took all day

nice one, except you didnt really "have" to use full format, with you deleting the original disk structure and adding a new one, a quick format would have been just as effective, minus the hours waiting  

 

glad its all fixed now though  

[Steven P. Administrators]

40 minutes ago, Mando said:

nice one, except you didnt really "have" to use full format, with you deleting the original disk structure and adding a new one, a quick format would have been just as effective, minus the hours waiting  

 

glad its all fixed now though  

This is true, but a quick format does not check the disk for bad sectors, and since I was already in it for the long haul I decided to go full whack

 

The two spare drives are out of the PC now, and everything's "back to normal dot com"  

 

PS: An online search shows multiple heated debate between quick formatting and full format (mainly for new or restructured disks).

[Mando]

22 minutes ago, Steven P. said:

This is true, but a quick format does not check the disk for bad sectors, and since I was already in it for the long haul I decided to go full whack

 

The two spare drives are out of the PC now, and everything's "back to normal dot com"  

 

PS: An online search shows multiple heated debate between quick formatting and full format (mainly for new or restructured disks).

only time i ever use full format, is when setting up RAID volumes on SANS and NetApp appliances (running hot spares). Aint failed me yet in 15yr of sys admin roles  

 

Within windows on data drives, its far quicker to quick format, then via cmd do a checkdisk /r 

 

what you going to do with the 1Tb disks? ever fancied a raid volume for data or perhaps a RAID based NAS? You can pick up 2 bay buffalo NAS enclosures for around £50. 

 

All of my media and userdata is held on the NAS, leaving the PC RAID volumes for windows, apps and my games installs. 

 

[The Evil Overlord]

Off topic

 

Steven, if the extra drives are required for backup, or data storage, and you don't need them to be fully functioning all of the time, might I suggest an external usb3 / sata drive dock?

I use those when backing up, or any other hard drive related needs that don't require a fully installed and fitted hard drive in my work rig.

[Mando]

11 minutes ago, The Evil Overlord said:

Off topic

 

Steven, if the extra drives are required for backup, or data storage, and you don't need them to be fully functioning all of the time, might I suggest an external usb3 / sata drive dock?

I use those when backing up, or any other hard drive related needs that don't require a fully installed and fitted hard drive in my work rig.

yep ive seen USB 3.0 RAID usb enclosures, you could raid0 mirror them in said external box.

 

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/2-bay-icy-dock-mb662u3-2s-r1-icyraid-aluminium-external-hdd-raid-enclosure-35-sata3-raid-0-1-usb-30-

 

an example.

[Steven P. Administrators]

Hi Guys, thanks for the suggestions, but truly the only data really worth being backed up is on a smaller 120GB SSD of which the important stuff (docs + pics) backup to Google Drive.

 

I work from home so having a quiet PC is pretty awesome, since I swapped my old GeForce 560 GTX for a 1050Ti GTX (rated quiet in reviews, and it is. the fan doesn't spin at all when the GPU is under 45C) and the Toshiba 3TB disk I got also had positive reviews for being quiet, plus it is no longer being accessed all the time because my D:\ data partition isn't on there anymore, it's on the 120GB SSD.

 

I'm also trying to keep the power usage down, and am at 2 SSD's + 1 harddisk right now, with the newer GPU.

 

I think if I start to run out of space on Google Drive I'll just buy extra storage, that way I don't ever have to worry about failing physical drives anymore too