I purchased a mobile rack and three interchangeable trays for storing
data I don't need very often. I installed it first in my Windows 2000
system and it functions just fine--the disks are recognized when
inserted and the powered up, and I can interchange them at will without
problems.

I recently built a new system based on Windows XP SP3. I purchased a
second mobile rack for that unit with the expectation that I could use
the mobile hdd's in either workstation.

On the XPstation I have a C: drive active partition, a D: DVD writer, an
E: partition (on the same drive as the C: drive) and an F: drive on its
own partition (separate drive). I have 6 SATA connectors on my Intel
DP35DP mb with the DVD writer on the first, disk 0 on the second, disk 1
on the third, and the mobile rack on the fourth (as they appear in the BIOS)

When I insert the tray/drive into the internal mobile rack into the XP
unit, one of two things happens:
1. the drive is not recognized
2. the drive is recognized but my drive letter for my DVD writer is
reassigned from D: to G: drive.

I thought it was the cables, but that is not an issue. I thought it was
the connectors, but those are not the issue. It is not the units, as
both mobile racks work in the Win2K station without problem. Thinking
it might be data written to the hdd by Win2K that was causing the
problem, I reformatted the disks, but that did not help.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there something that needs to be
changed in the BIOS of the new Intel motherboard?

Thanks
Ken K

"Ken" <noreply@charter.net> wrote in message
news:%REXj.9$aq.0@newsfe05.lga...
>I purchased a mobile rack and three interchangeable trays for storing data
>I don't need very often. I installed it first in my Windows 2000 system
>and it functions just fine--the disks are recognized when inserted and the
>powered up, and I can interchange them at will without problems.
>
> I recently built a new system based on Windows XP SP3. I purchased a
> second mobile rack for that unit with the expectation that I could use the
> mobile hdd's in either workstation.
>
> On the XPstation I have a C: drive active partition, a D: DVD writer, an
> E: partition (on the same drive as the C: drive) and an F: drive on its
> own partition (separate drive). I have 6 SATA connectors on my Intel
> DP35DP mb with the DVD writer on the first, disk 0 on the second, disk 1
> on the third, and the mobile rack on the fourth (as they appear in the
> BIOS)
>
> When I insert the tray/drive into the internal mobile rack into the XP
> unit, one of two things happens:
> 1. the drive is not recognized
> 2. the drive is recognized but my drive letter for my DVD writer is
> reassigned from D: to G: drive.
>
> I thought it was the cables, but that is not an issue. I thought it was
> the connectors, but those are not the issue. It is not the units, as both
> mobile racks work in the Win2K station without problem. Thinking it might
> be data written to the hdd by Win2K that was causing the problem, I
> reformatted the disks, but that did not help.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there something that needs to be
> changed in the BIOS of the new Intel motherboard?
>
> Thanks
> Ken K


Ken:
Let us set aside (at least for the moment) any problem you're having
relative to your Windows 2000 system and just deal with your Windows XP
setup, OK?

So you're using a mobile rack (removable HDD) with your XP system.

You've fresh installed the XP OS onto that HDD, right?

No problem with the installation of the OS, right? The installation of the
OS went just fine and booted to a Desktop without any problems, right? And
this was a fresh install, yes?

(Apparently) during the installation of the XP OS you also partitioned that
drive so that it has a second partition, right?

And that HDD in your XP system is free & clear of any data carryover from
your Win2000 system since you "reformatted" that disk prior to the
installation of the XP OS onto that disk. And you haven't *since* used that
drive with the XP OS installed onto it in your Win2000 system, right? It
serves *only* in your WinXP system, right?

And you have an optical HDD connected to your system.

So presumably your HDD should boot to a C: drive letter assignment; the
second partition on that HDD (as you've indicated) has been designated with
an E: drive letter assignment, and presumably your optical drive should bear
a D: letter assignment. That's the way it should be, right?

But now you're indicating that sometimes when you boot to that HDD, the HDD
"is not recognized". What exactly do you mean? You can never reach the
Desktop because your receive some sort of error message during the bootup?
What exactly happens when the drive "is not recognized"?

But other times (you say) "the drive is recognized" by the system after
bootup and (presumably) functions without a problem. But somehow your
optical drive is no longer designated with the D: drive letter, but the G:
drive letter assignment. But (I take it) the optical drive functions just
fine even under those circumstances? Are you indicating there's no problem
with that optical drive other than a changing drive letter?

And you're sure all your connections/configurations re the mobile rack are
secure & proper, yes?

So what happens if you install the XP HDD as a fixed internal HDD in your
system? Same problem(s)?

You're reasonably sure whatever problems you're experiencing are not due to
some untoward "mingling" between your XP & Win2000 systems?
Anna