# Solved: External Hard Drive - Deleting partition, but accidently deleted logical drive



## PaveFE (Jan 4, 2003)

Hi all,
I recently bought a WD My Book Essential Edition external hard drive and wanted to change it from FAT32 to NTFS. I was following instructions given on WDs website, however the directions weren't entirely clear (of course only noticed after the fact). I right clicked on My Computer, clicked manage and used Disk Manager. The instructions said to find the drive, right click on it and click delete partition. It didn't mention however, to do that with bottom part of the screen and not the top. So, I think I just deleted the logical drive. 

It shows up on the device manager and the "Safely Remove Hardware" window, but the drive letter no longer shows up under My Computer. 

Is there a way to fix this? Or did I just buy a $120 paper weight?

Thanks,

PaveFE


----------



## PaveFE (Jan 4, 2003)

Anyone?


----------



## Skivvywaver (Mar 18, 2001)

You should be able to format the drive in disk management.

Start/control panel/administrative tools/computer management/disk management.


----------



## PaveFE (Jan 4, 2003)

Should, but the drive does not show up there at all.


----------



## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

It should be in Disk Management. Try rebooting and look again. Right-click the drive and choose your partitioning and formatting options.

How many partitions were on the external? Why was there a logical drive?


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Post a screen shot of Disk Management with the drive connected. You may only see the drive on the left side of the display and not a GUI representation of the space. Right click there for options.


----------



## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

I think we need to get you to Disk management...right click My Computer, choose "manage" and then Disk Management. That is where you format and partition it.


----------



## PaveFE (Jan 4, 2003)

Attached are screen shots of what I see after it is connected. I was in Disk Management when this all happened. I may be incorrect when I use the term logical drive, but here's what happened:

I followed the directions on the Western Digital website which states the following:

"Access Disk Management and delete the existing partition:
1. Right-click on the My Computer icon (on the Desktop or in the Start Menu).
2. Select Manage to bring up the Windows Computer Management interface.
3. Click on the Disk Management folder under Storage in the left-hand panel.
4. Right-click on the partition that you wish to reformat.
5. Click on Delete Partition.
6. Click Yes when prompted to finish deleting the partition and data on it."

Step 4 is the kicker, because if you look at the Disk Mgt pic I have added, it doesn't state to select the drive from the bottom right of the window (something I learned after the fact). Instead, I selected the drive letter from top right of the Disk Mgt window, right clicked, and selected "Delete Partition". Once I did that, the drive disappeared and does not show up anywhere except in the Device Manager. Three pics are added to show this. 

PaveFE


----------



## PaveFE (Jan 4, 2003)

P.S. I tried plugging it into another computer, but it doesn't show up there either.


----------



## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

So it's Disk 2 that you are having the problem with?

All you need do is right-click the unallocated space, create a partition or partitions (primary, I would suggest), and then format with default settings to NTFS, assign a drive letter, and that's it.

Or is there something here I'm missing?


----------



## PaveFE (Jan 4, 2003)

Never mind, I figured it out. 

Remind me again to not do this crap with only 3 hours of sleep. 

Thanks to all for their help anyways. 

PaveFE


----------



## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Deal!


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

*You can mark your own threads solved using the thread tools at the upper right of the screen.©*


----------



## techie142 (Jul 24, 2007)

Hi All, 

I purchased an external hard disk...and went through the steps of creating a partition on it. clicked on Start> Settings> Control Panel > Administrative Tools> Computer Management...

Windows XP, detected my external hard disk as F:/.. FAT now, instead of creating a new partition....I clicked on delete partition. now, neither deos XP detect my Hard disk...nor is a way to find abt how to go abt it....

When I clcik on My Comuter> Properties> Hardware > Device Manager...In the Drives I can see the drive but....there is no way to create a fresh partition..

Can someone help please !!


----------



## Rigman (Jul 29, 2007)

Ok, great to hear you solved the problem, but I am having the same problem with a friends drive here. The drive does not show up at all in Disk Management so you cannot right click it to assign a signature or letter, and as someone suggested earlier in a post, it does show as disk 2 in Partition magic (as much as I hate to use it, I am getting desperate here). Could you please let me know how you solved the problem.
Thanks


----------



## featherpen (Aug 3, 2007)

I just inadvertantly deleted my CD-Rom drive. I seem to have some sort of phantom drive that really isn't there. I was having problems with my CD-rom drive and disconnected it. But needed to hook it back up. When I did...I ended up having every drive bump a letter leaving my external hard drive improperly named G and my computer showing some extra drive that is not there. 
I went to remove the phantom drive which was F...and what my external drive should have been named, but by accident removed my CD-ROM drive. I went back into Computer Management (START>RUN> type diskmgmt.msc click OK) and in the grey area below the drive is still listed, I simply right clicked on it and then clicked add. 
It added the drive back in. 
I renamed my external hard drive back to F, removed the phantom E and made the cd-rom drive E and ALL IS WELL!  GOOD LUCK!
featherpen


----------

