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Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

shutter
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Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

OK... a rhetorical question.... but....
I have a HDD that I am messing about with Linux Mint. and it is in a caddy connected to my lapotp via USB cable....
when I go to "my computer"... the hdd does not show as an additional drive... yet the drive is in use, the light is flashing and the disc is revolving... I know it is there, cos I have just been working on it,.... so is Windows so high and mighty it does not recognize Linux ?
22 REPLIES 22
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

It will probably be in your drive manager (or disk manager or WHY) as an UNKNOWN DISK.
shutter
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

Nope... Windows does not recognise the drive as being there ! ...  (see my original description....  Cheesy  )
DaveyH
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

Windows doesn't recognise EXT 2/3/4 file systems.
There are drivers you can install though, if I recall.
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

If it isn't seeing the WHOLE drive, then check the usb devices and see if it even sees the usb to HDD adapter.
shutter
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

If I were to put windows on the same hdd in the same caddy and the same usb plug hole, it would be recognised as Drive E:/    but because it onyl has Linux on it,  windows doesn`t even see the drive !...
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

Now that is spooky. There is no reason it shouldn't "see" the drive, even if it has a "foreign" OS on it.
w23
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

But it will only assign a drive letter to a drive or partition containing a filesystem that it is able to recognise (FATx, NTFS)
Call me 'w23'
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HairyMcbiker
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

Yes but shutter is saying it doesn't appear in the disk manager as a drive at all, it should appear as unknown fs.
PeeGee
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

HB: I'm not sure that is the case - that has not been stated explicitly and all references are "explorer like"; eg Drive E:, not disk manager.
shutter: presumably it appears as a bootable drive in the BIOS list, as you are "messing about with Linux Mint"?
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shutter
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

Yes, I am "messing about" with Linux Mint.. and have some "spare HDD`s" that I load up with various versions and then I remove the HDD from the laptop and boot into the Linux Mint HDD in the caddy... however, If I have the Windows HDD in the laptop, and a Linux Mint ( or any other linux version) on the Caddy/USB it does not show as a drive at all on the  "my computer" list of drives. If I were to put a windows version on the caddy with the windows in the laptop, then  it would show as an extra drive...as does a USB memory stick....
Haven`t looked in the bios listing....
Except to make the order of boot ups - anything before the HDD !
It is not critical... just "weird" or as HB puts it "spooky"... and I wondered if any of the experts could answer the question ! .
ejs
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

It's not weird nor spooky, and your question has already been answered more than once!
Windows doesn't assign a drive letter to a filesystem (Linux ext4) it can't read. So a drive with the contents of a Linux installation won't appear in "My Computer".
Run diskmgmt.msc (or right click My Computer, choose Manage, then open Disk Management).
shutter
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

Yes it does show on the Disk Management  ....
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

HMM See reply #1 & 2  Angry
shutter
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Re: Where`s my Linux Mint 14 gone?

Don`t understand the  Angry ... as far as I am concerned, if it does not show up as a Drive on my computer... then it is not showing.... and I can`t use it....
just because some part of windows system does see it, does not make it usable, and therefore my original description and question is not oblique. unlike some of the answers...  Cheesy