Windows 7 Internal Hard Disk disappears randomly since install Windows 7 Pro 64 bit

DaveBrock

Extraordinary Member
Hello,
2 weeks ago i replaced XP with Windows 7 Pro 64 bit on my PC and since then my D: drive randomly disappears.

I have been using the PC which has 3 internal disk drives with XP for the past 3 years never having problems with the disk drives.

Since i installed Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, the D Drive is dropped from time to time.

When i look under device manager the disk is completely gone, and also if i go to command, diskpart, list disks .... it does not show up.

When i restart the PC, it reappears again.

It is always the 2nd disk Drive D: that disappears.

Have any of you heard of this happening before or know of any possible fix?

Regards,
Dave

PC Spec

Intel® Core™2 Extreme QX9650 (4 X 3 GHz) 1333MHz FSB/12MB L2 Cache
4GB CORSAIR XMS3 DDR3 1066MHz
ASUS® P5K3 DELUXE/WiFi
Drive c: 150GB WD Raptor® X Clear Cover SATA 16MB CACHE (10000rpm)
Drive d: 500GB SERIAL ATA II HARD DRIVE WITH 16MB CACHE (7200rpm)
Drive e: 500GB SERIAL ATA II HARD DRIVE WITH 16MB CACHE (7200rpm)
 
I can now get the disk to drop by the following;

If i go to My Pictures, and click on any of the folders with files in it.... the disk drops.

Thanks in advance for anyone who may know what could be going on, and how to fix it.

Dave
 
Do you have any other drives, such as flash drive, memory card readers on printers, or even DVD drives that might be conflicting what that drive?

Many times the DVD drive is assigned D:

Have you tried changing the connectors to the drives.
 
I have 2 DVD drives. These are F: & G:

They seem to be always F & G and i have not seen them as oitherwise... even after the disk D: has dropped.

I have not changed connectors to drives, and as the machine has been working fine for 3 years using XP i assume the connectors are fine.

This morning i tried to save an old file within My Docxments on Drive D: and received the message "Read Only file". So i wanted to take ownership of all the files within My Documnets and right clicked on My Documents folder from Explorer on Drice D:, clicked Properties, and which i clicked 'advanced' the drive dropped.

Is there some better Forum that i should post this quest, where Microsoft Support people read the topics and provide answers?

Dave
 
If nothing is interfering with the drive, possibly it is having a problem. Have you run a chkdsk on it?

Since only one drive is showing the symptoms, I would not think it would involve the controllers.

And when I say connectors, I am not just the actual connection, but if you were to swap cables and the problem moved to another drive, that would help troubleshoot.
 
I did a chkdsk but nothing found and problem still happens.

The physical connectors on the 3 drives look quite tight, and i can't see any easy way to swap them around.

I am not familiar with 'other connectors than physical' you may be referring to.

Unfortunately i have a job to do which requires access to my photos in My Pictures... but can't get near them....
 
Hi Saltgrass,
Thank you for youir suggestions.

In the meantime i may have found the solution.

I had the SATA configured to AHCI. I changed this back to IDE and have not been able to get the disks to drop.

Early days.... but possibly problem solved.

Dave
 
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