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ShopOpen 7-Zip and starting with the Computer icon, navigate to the location where you downloaded the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Tools (called WindowsXP-KB838079-SupportTools-ENU.exe) and select it.
Click the Extract button and then click OK on the Extract window.
You’ll now see a folder with the same name as the file you just extracted.
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Comments
tratch
Mar 30, 2007 at 4:34 pm
I just wanted to say thanks, I just upgraded to Vista Home Premium and didn’t realize that I wouldn’t be able to use my dynamic disks. I followed the advice and was able to recover everything off of my three supplemental drives.
Thanks again!
Joe
Mar 30, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Awesome. It’s always nice hearing I was able to help someone out!
JLAC
May 6, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Thanks for this very useful tip. I suffered a motherboard failure and switched to new hardware which came with Vista. Trying to connect my 500GB video editing workspace disk (with lots of in-progress projects) resulted in the “dynamic disk problem” described. I was about to fork out $50 or more for a data recovery tool when I found your article. It was worth a try since the disk wasn’t damaged as far as I knew, simply configured as dynamic (from the old system). The steps described here and on the “thelazyadmin” site worked fine for me and I really appreciate your help. Now that I’ve got my data back and copied to a different disk, I’ll reset the 500GB drive back to being dynamic and let Vista convert it to basic “properly”. I don’t know whether I really need to do this but it seems prudent to anticipate and avoid a future issue. Thank-you very much.
PS The link to thelazyadmin.com site needs to be updated to http://thelazyadmin.com/blogs/thelazyadmin/archive/2007/01/17/Converting-Dynamic-Disks-Back-to-Basic-Disks.aspx
Joe
May 6, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Glad to hear it worked. Thanks for the heads-up on the link, I’ve corrected it in the post.
Angus
Feb 26, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Bill Gates needs to be taken out and horsewhipped for this product. I’ve just wasted two days of my life because I’ve been trying to access a USB drive created on a previous Vista Business OS, through Vista Home. How in the name of Christ can he be so mean to let loose such an abomination?
I can’t believe the solution requires having to fumble around in the dark at this level, for something that should be so trivial - and worse, this is a backup drive we’re talking about. BACKUP! That’s stuff we can’t afford to lose.
Apple has one OS: Leopard. No home. No Business. No special directors cut. And that’s the way it should be.
Seriously, this company is detestable.
Angus
Feb 26, 2008 at 4:10 pm
So I’m trying to download this blasted tool and what do you know, it’s making me jump through some idiotic |WGA hurdle.
Jesus Christ I hate this company!
Tobie
Jun 9, 2008 at 3:08 am
Thanks for a great and thorough description! So if I follow this, will the drive only work on the machine that it was connected to when the operation was performed? I am trying to recover a disc for a friend, so I’m wondering if I can do it on my machine, or should I do it on his?
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