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ShopClose 7-Zip and find the files you just extracted. Double-click on dskprobe.exe and it opens up, ready for the task at hand.
So, now that we have the tool we need, what is the task at hand? Well, we need to use Disk Probe to change a small setting that lets Windows know what kind of a disk you’re dealing with. So how do we do that? The website TheLazyAdmin.com has an excellent post called Converting Dynamic Disks Back to Basic Disks. Since the post includes easy to follow, step-by-step instructions with pictures, (and since I don’t have the setup necessary to show you the process) it’s best that you head over there to continue on your journey towards a converted disk. Just remember, you are risking your data, this process should only be used as a last ditch effort to save data that would otherwise be considered lost!
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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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