Second hard drive keeps disappearing

[Wakenaam]

Friends: I am running a Pentium III computer, 650 MHz, 512MB RAM, Windows XP Pro. I have two 80 GB hard drives configured as master and slave. This is the second time I have noticed that after a CCleaner scan, my second hard drive has disappeared from My Computer and Control Panel, even though it shows up in BIOS. I have to do a System Restore to see it appear again, but when I shut down the computer and reboot, it disappears again. I imagined the first time was a co-incidence it happened, but the second time I ran CCleaner it happened again proves it is no co-incidence. Please advise what I can do to fix this problem. Thank you.

[fireryone]

The drive may be damaged...

 

Try this: Run a chkdsk on the drive :

Open My Computer, right click the offending drive, click properties

Click Tools, Click Check Now, tick both checkboxes, click Start.

Agree to doing a restart if requested.

 

Test out CCleaner again.

[Andavari]

Maybe also post a HijackThis log in the proper forum area just in case to make sure it isn't malware related.

 

I also know there's some registry "tweaks" to hide and un-hide drives.

[Wakenaam]

Maybe also post a HijackThis log in the proper forum area just in case to make sure it isn't malware related.

 

I also know there's some registry "tweaks" to hide and un-hide drives.

 

Thanks for your replies guys. Both drives are brand new. Last time it happened I removed the CMOS battery and re-inserted after 1 minute. That fixed the problem until I ran CCleaner again last Thursday and it happened again. I tried the same trick but this time came up blank. Why this happens every time I run CCleaner beats me. I would be happy if I knew some Registry tweaks to "unhide" my drives. Thanks.

[Andavari]

I would be happy if I knew some Registry tweaks to "unhide" my drives. Thanks.

Well there's Microsoft's Tweak UI for WinXP. In Tweak UI make sure under My Computer->Drives that nothing is unticked.

 

There's also http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm, the only one I've ever seen on there was to hide/unhide a floppy drive, don't really know if they have others, and even if they don't the script may be editable to make an HDD reappear.

[hazelnut]

I have to do a System Restore to see it appear again, but when I shut down the computer and reboot, it disappears again.

 

 

So the second drive disappears after a reboot, but without running CCleaner?

 

It's a really strange problem you have and I am sure very annoying. Andavari and Firery are both very experienced users and have come up with very valid things to try.

 

The only thing I can come up with is to try Dial-a-fix in case something with permissions or windows are mixed up.

 

When it disappears, can you see it in safe mode?

[Wakenaam]

Hazelnut, Andavari and Fieryone: Appreciate your responses folks. That's right, it disappears after a reboot without running CCleaner. By the way, what is dial-a-fix and how do I do it? It gets even more juicy because I find if I unplug the power cord for 1 minute during shut down and then reboot, all drives appear as normal. Weird stuff indeed!!!!!!!!!

[foxyshadis]

You might be able to get it to show back up without a bios reset by loading up disk manager, part of computer management (you can get to it by right clicking my computer), an reassigning a drive letter. As for why, I have no clue, must be some crazy spyware/rootkit/drm/corruption; whatever the cause, it sounds like it's time to reinstall.

[Andavari]

You may also want to contact the drive manufacturer or PC manufacturer as soon as possible so their typical 90 days warranty (or whatever it is) doesn't run out, and get a RM number to return the merchandise since after all it could just be a faulty drive.

 

Although it's possible for malware to cause havoc on a system I just don't think that's the cause of your disappearing HDD.

[Wakenaam]

I don't believe it is a hardware issue because if I switch the drives around, the original master now disappears and the original slave now appears. Also both drives appear in Safe mode. I changed cables umpteen times. ???????

[tregdftreter]

Yah ive got the same problem but instead of hard drive my mp3 keeps showing then dissapeering any help great

 

CHEERS

[Wakenaam]

I found if I unplug the power cord for 1 minute then reboot both drives appear as normal. I then created a restore point here. When I boot up normally and my second drive does its disappearing act I then do a System Restore to this point. Why this is working I have no idea, but it works. Only time will tell. Thanks guys.