Drives May Appear to Be Missing When Using DriveSpace

• Microsoft Windows 95

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SYMPTOMS

After you perform a DriveSpace operation (such as compressing an existing drive) or make a change to your computer's hardware configuration (such as adding a new hard disk), one or more of the drives may no longer be available.

CAUSE

The drives that are no longer available have been hidden by DriveSpace.

RESOLUTION

To make the drives available again, use one of the following methods:

• If the hidden drive is a host drive for a DriveSpace compressed drive, you may be able to make the drive available using DriveSpace. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories,

        point to System Tools, and then click DriveSpace.
  

  2. Click the compressed drive for which the hidden drive is a host

        drive, and the click Properties on the Drive menu.
  

  3. Click the Hide Host Drive check box to clear it.

  4. Click OK.

• If the hidden drive is not a host drive for a DriveSpace compressed drive, you must modify the value for the "NoDrives" DWORD in the following registry key to make the drive available:

        HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
        \Explorer
  

  To make all the drives available, change the value for NoDrives to 00. If you want to hide specific drives, you can do so using DriveSpace.

  For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

  WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.