Dual Boot Issues

I have XP x32 and Win x64 set up as a dual boot. All works well for what it is. Only issue I’m having is that I have a few additional internal HDs. XP formats as MBR and Win7 as a GPT. All HDs are 2TB or less so thats not the issue. How do I get Win7 to recognize an MBR drive without reformatting/losing data?
Answer #1
Afaik Win7 formats as MBR just the same, the only drives that by default get formatted as GPT are drives ABOVE 2GB
Answer #2
Afaik Win7 formats as MBR just the same, the only drives that by default get formatted as GPT are drives ABOVE 2GB
I made the mistake of formatting all 5 extra drives, 1 500GB; 3 750GB and 1 2TB in Win 7 x64 and they all formatted as GPT, which made them unrecognizable in XP in the dual boot setup. So I have all the data now set up as an MBR, and Win 7 wont recognize them. I would think if there was any backward compatibility issues, it would be easier for Win 7 to see an MBR than an XP to see a GPT.
Answer #3
What your saying doesn’t make sense. Win7 supports both MBR & GPT and should have
no problem recognizing em. Provide a screenshot (full-screen) from disk management.
Afaik Win7 formats as MBR just the same, the only drives that by default get formatted as GPT are drives ABOVE 2GB
2TB you mean.
Answer #4
idd lolz. 2TB and above ^^, and idd. You must have done something wrong. MBR has been arround for decades and is supported just fine.
A quick google did result to this
http://www.partition-tool.com/resource/GPT-disk-partition-manager/convert-gpt-disk-to-mbr-disk.htm
but even they say this
2. Before you convert a disk, be sure to backup anything on the GPT disk that you want to convert to MBR disk. Converting the disk requires that all partitions and volumes are deleted on the disk first.
So you’ll lose it all i’m afraid. Though technically, if you do a quick format, it only “marks” the drive as being empty. You could then set filre recovery software at work on it.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/gg463525.aspx
Why does the GPT have a Protective MBR?
A. The Protective MBR protects GPT disks from previously released MBR disk tools such as Microsoft MS-DOS FDISK or Microsoft Windows NT Disk Administrator. These tools are not aware of GPT and do not know how to properly access a GPT disk. Legacy software that does not know about GPT interprets only the Protected MBR when it accesses a GPT disk. These tools will view a GPT disk as having a single encompassing (possibly unrecognized) partition by interpreting the Protected MBR, rather than mistaking the disk for one that is unpartitioned.
Why would a GPT-partitioned disk appear to have an MBR on it?
A. If this occurred, you must have used an MBR-only-aware disk tool to access the GPT disk. For more information, see the following questions:
Can a disk be both GPT and MBR?
What is a Protective MBR?
Why does the GPT have a Protective MBR?

this one may have been your problem.
Answer #5
All the data is on MBR formatted HDs that were used with an XP machine for 4 years. When 7 x64 was installed on a separate partition, XP continues to use the HDs just fine. But when booting to 7×64, NOTHING shows up as afar as additional drives in disc manager, but does show in device manager. Properties in device manager say they are working fine, but they cannot be accessed in Windows 7 (x64). I’ll happily lose Win 7 before I give up the data.
Answer #6
You know, I really thought you learned from your past mistakes, But I see now that I was wrong. You are once again being uncooperative (Just like you were on your previous topics that were very similar to this one) if your not gonna follow the advice given to you, Or just don’t care, Why bother making a topic about it in the first place? You haven’t provided what I asked for in my previous reply.
Answer #7
You know, I really thought you learned from your past mistakes, But I see now that I was wrong. You are once again being uncooperative (Just like you were on your previous topics that were very similar to this one) if your not gonna follow the advice given to you, Or just don't care, Why bother making a topic about it in the first place? You haven't provided what I asked for in my previous reply.
I work for a living Roberto and am on the road right now so dont have access to the PC. Sorry to put you out so much. Would like to have your help but you’re almost too b*tchy for me to stomach anymore.
Answer #8
I work for a living Roberto and am on the road right now so dont have access to the PC.
You could have mentioned that before and say you’ll provide it at a later stage, But no, You choose to make no reference whatsoever to what I said, And that’s just rude! Would like to have your help but you're almost too b*tchy for me to stomach anymore.
You really should work on your manners!
You shouldn’t talk like that to someone’s who trying to help you (Something I will never do again)
Next time I see one of your topics, I’ll just choose to ignore it. No point trying to help someone who doesn’t wanna be helped.
Answer #9
Got back to it last night and believe its figured out. In 7 there is NOTHING showing in disc manager, but in device manager, it shows all the HDs. After 3-4 reboots, Win7 did show “foreign drives” present in disc manager with no letters or access. Right clicking on the drives allowed me to import them and they were now accessible and active. Going back to XP now, it too shows the drives, but now also as “foreign drives”. Once they were imported in XP, they are now accessible in both 7×64 and XPx32. Makes no sense and I have seen nothing like this mentioned anywhere, but it is what it is.
So you see Roberto there was nothing to show you – you can easily picture “nothing” without a screen capture. And it is YOU who needs to work on “manners” or at least take a Midol before typing. Whiners like you can help by not helping. Good riddance.