WinPE Doesn't See My Hard Drive!

My laptop is running Windows 7 SP1 x64 and as stated in the thread's title, Windows PE boot disks (I've tried 3 different ones) do not see my laptop's hard drive! On the other hand, DOS and Linux boot disks see my hard drive and its partitions just fine. Can anyone shed some light as to what could possible be the cause and how to remedy the problem?

Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to all US members.

Wendi

 

It may help if you post more information.

What laptop? Does it have a 32 GB mSATA SSD? Are you referring to the internal disk, or to an external disk? What WinPE disks did you try? ...

 

Hi Robin,

First of all, thanks for replying to my 'distress call'. My laptop is an HP 6000*. It has a 750GB hard drive (that's the one that Windows PE doesn't see) and it does have that 32GB SSD drive which (according to the feature sheet) serves as a cache drive.

I have tried booting an Active@ Boot Disk (on USB flash drive), Paragon Hard Disk Manager Pro (on CD), and one other whose name I forgot. Those disks don't belong to me; I borrowed them from a friend because I wanted to partition my hard drive and was having difficulties doing it with Windows 7 Disk Manager.

I was concerned why WinPE doesn't see my 750GB drive when I have DOS and Linux boot disks that don't have any such problem?

Wendi

*Oops, my laptop is actually an HP Pavilion DV6 (I got confused because my older laptop is a Dell Inspiron 6000).

 

Computers that have a 32 GB SSD connected to an mSATA port and use it as a cache operate in RAID mode and use some particular Intel drivers and software. I think the WinPE disks don´t see your hard drive because they don´t have the particular Intel drivers required.

I can´t give you precise recommendations to solve this problem, but two general routes to follow would be:

- To determine what the exact drivers are and add them to the WinPE (as 32-bit INF files).

- To disable temporarily the operation of the cache before using the WinPE, using the Intel software. I don´t know if this would work.

 

Robin,

If that was the reason, can you explain why 3-year old DOS and Linux boot disks see the hard drive (and its partitions)?

Wendi

 

Sorry, I can´t explain that.

See this thread for a discussion of a similar problem with an HP mSATA cache computer:

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=331212

The thread is long and confusing, the pertinent part starts in post #19.

Additional information: the Intel software is Intel Rapid Storage, the required driver may be iaStor.sys.

 

Robin,

From that thread I gather that those of us with an mSSD configuration may experience image-backup issues but I didn't read anything there that sheds light on my problem.

However, I do appreciate your time (and honesty).

Wendi

 

Hi Wendi,

I have the same (or very similar) laptop and I have the very same problem with my Active Boot Disk (Windows PE). The Active Boot Disk works great on my other PC but not on my laptop!

It's hard for me to accept that the Active (PE) Boot Disk is missing the required HD driver when my IFD (DOS) and IFL (Linux) boot disks have no problem recognizing the hard drive.

I too would love to learn the solution for this (but not at the cost of disabling the HDD-mSSD RAID configuration).

Cruise

 

If you want to add Intel RST drivers to a WinPE to see it the hard drive is recognized, you could try the following procedure:

1. Go to http://downloadcenter.intel.com/con...730/eng/f6flpy-x86.zip&lang=eng&Dwnldid=21730.
2. Download the f6flpy-x86.zip file.
3. Connect a USB key to the system and extract the files to it.
4. Boot with the WinPE, go to the add-drivers function, and add the drivers, pointing to the INF file in the USB key.

 

Thank you Robin, I'll try doing that. Does it matter whether I use Active@ Boot Disk or Paragon Hard Disk Manager Pro (both are WinPE)?

At what point will it allow me to add the driver?

Wendi

 

The procedure to add the drivers is available after you boot with the WinPE, and is different in each WinPE. Usually is easy to find it, or there is a prompt.

I haven't used Active@ Boot Disk. In the Paragon HDM WinPE: in the main interface, Tools > Add drivers.

The drivers must be added every time the WinPE is used. (There are other procedures to add them permanently).

Check that all the individual files included in the ZIP are in the USB key. Point the program to the INF file.