New OS: HDD has to be formated before use!

[Megaman1]

Hello everyone!

I have three hard drives in my PC:
C:\ - My OS and programms are on this drives
D:\ - My data is stored on this drives
G:\ - My games are on this drive

I regulary make Images/Backups of my PC for the case that it goes unstable or I want to try out stuff. So recently I wanted to install Windows 8.1 on my PC. It worked as intended, but when I opened the Windows Explorer I noticed that my C and D drive were fine but my G drive was not. Whenever I clicked on the drive it said that I have to format the drive before accessing it. Though when I roll back to Windows 10 it works as if nothing happened and all of my games are still on the drive.

I'm not aware of any software on my PC which encrypts my hard disk or something similar. Did anybody else experience this or has a solution?

Regards

 

[Ancalagon44]

Could be that Windows 10 upgraded the drive to a newer version of the NTFS filesystem which Win8.1 cannot read.

Do you have any other machines that already have windows 10? Or, an external drive caddy that you can put this drive into? You could test it that way.

Sounds unusual but at least your data is intact.

 

[mikeymikec]

Could be that Windows 10 upgraded the drive to a newer version of the NTFS filesystem which Win8.1 cannot read.

Considering I read Win10 partitions on Win7, I doubt this is the problem.

OP, I'm not sure what to suggest at present. Disconnecting the drive and connecting it via USB is the first thing that springs to mind, but IMO it's a long shot.

Running a program that will give you SMART diagnostic data on the drive seems prudent. CrystalDiskInfo is the one I normally use (just download the zip version, not the installer). Checking the event viewer for errors relating to ntfs or disk or iastor/amdsata might be a good plan too.

 

[jkauff]

I don't know if this has any relevance to your problem, but Win 8 and Win 10 will install some of their boot files on another disk if you have more than one connected. I've learned to disconnect all drives except the system drive when I have to install Windows.

 

[Elixer]

I don't know if this has any relevance to your problem, but Win 8 and Win 10 will install some of their boot files on another disk if you have more than one connected. I've learned to disconnect all drives except the system drive when I have to install Windows.

That isn't always the case. That only happens if you pick another drive besides what the BIOS has as the 1st drive to boot from.

As for the OP, how is that partition/drive formatted?

 

[Megaman1]

That isn't always the case. That only happens if you pick another drive besides what the BIOS has as the 1st drive to boot from.

As for the OP, how is that partition/drive formatted?

NTFS file format. SMART scan tells me all drives are fine

 

[VirtualLarry]

A long time ago, I had XP on a WD 1TB Green drive. Then I installed Win7. I partitioned the drive into a C: for OS, and a D: for files. I then, some months later, had reason to re-install the OS partition. Using the Win7 installer, I re-formatted the C: drive (or may have deleted the partition and re-created it). I then installed Win7 again to that first partition, and then when done, I found that my D: partition was RAW. Sometimes it happens. Always keep backups.

 

[Ranulf]

That isn't always the case. That only happens if you pick another drive besides what the BIOS has as the 1st drive to boot from.

I've had that problem with win7 installs and the install drive was the first boot drive/first sata port.