Dynamic Disks in the Windows Preinstallation Environment Are Reported as Foreign

View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q331498

Expand all | Collapse all

SYMPTOMS

You can use the Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) to configure and partition a computer's disks before you start Windows Setup.

If you convert any disks to dynamic disks by using Diskpart.exe before you start Windows Setup after you install Windows Server 2003, Diskpart.exe reports those disks as foreign. Therefore, you cannot access the volumes on those disks.

Back to the top

RESOLUTION

After Setup is complete and Windows is installed, import the disk group by using the import command in Diskpart.exe. If you are using automated Setup, you must script this command to run when the operating system starts for the first time.

Back to the top

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

Back to the top

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft does not support the conversion of the system disk to a dynamic disk before you install Windows. (The system disk contains the boot loader files such as NTLDR.) If you want to convert the system disk to a dynamic disk, do so after you install.

Back to the top