HDD created in Windows XP can't be recognized in Windows 8.1

Until this year, I have used Windows XP SP3 32 bit for a long time. Due to the HDD capacity restriction of XP system, I installed "Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server" to enable HDD support above 2TB on Windows XP. The HDDs are only for data storage, not for system.

This year, I tried to migrate XP to Windows 8.1. I found those HDD partitions created in Windows XP can't be recognized in Windows 8.1. I have "Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server" installed in Windows 8.1, too. Is it possible to make my Windows 8.1 recognize HDD partitions created by Windows XP (using Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server)?

I don't know for sure if my problem related to "Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server". It's just a guess. I guess "Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server", in order to support large capacity HDD, creates private non-standard partition and adopts some virtual image loader to make Windows XP recognize those HDD partitions. In Windows 8.1, the image loader just does not work as it does in Windows XP. It caused my problem.

I can still access those HDDs in Windows XP. For now, I am copying data from the PC running XP to another PC running Windows 8.1 through network. The speed is rather limited.

Do you have any clue about my problem? Thanx for your reply in advance.

The most recent build of HDM 12 Server is 10.1.19.16240. This build is not compatible with Win 8.1. => Compatibility with Windows versions

The mentioned service build 10.1.21.471 is only available for the Suite and Professional versions.

3 TB drives have to be in GPT format to use the entire capacity of the drive. XP is not capable of working with GPT. Thus you may have used our GPT Loader. Win 8.1 is natively able to handle GPT.

A few more background info about my problem:
I have several HDDs (1TB 2TB, 3TB) partitions that are created using Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 in Windows XP. All of them are not recognized by Windows 8.1.
If they are created with GPT, I can't figure out why Windows 8.1 can not recognize them. Thus, my theory is, Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 created those partitions using some private non-standard format.

I think my problem is solved, although I still don't know the right theory.
Yesterday, I found there is a "convert to GPT disk" function in Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12. So, I just did a small experiment. I picked a 1TB HD that is not recognized by Windows 8.1 and copied all its data. Then I convert it to GPT using Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12.

Windows 8.1 can recognize the HD now (I have to assign a drive letter manually). In contrary, Windows XP can not recognize the HD. I guess I have to install Paragon GPT loader.

In summary, if any one have a problem as I did, here is a workaround. To be safe, back up the data before conversion.

another theory:

* XP cannot work with GPT and does not even know it.

* If your disk had a Guid Partition Table before and you created partitions with HDM 12 on XP the GPT was corrupted most likely and the HDM will have created a MBR.

* These corrupted "disk layout" may surely not have been recognized by Win 8.1.

* If you convert the disks to GPT (again) the corruption may have been fixed and Win 8.1 sees the partitions now because it can handle GPT natively.

* Now of course your XP can't handle the disks anymore while it does not know GPT.

* I suppose your disks are externally when you exchange them between XP and Win 8.1? The GPT Loader does not work with external disks. You may just use it on internal disks.

ByTheWay: wtf does anybody need XP for? 2016? Win 7, Win 8.1, Win 10? All of these are much more comfortable and SECURE than XP ever has been. And all of them are able of running virtualizers like VMWare Player or VirtualBox. If you have an advanced version of 8.1 you could activate Hyper-V to install and run XP.

It's good to discuss a problem. Thanx for your reply. I will think about your theory later, though it seems I can't understand it right now.

All my HDs are internal SATA.

I must report more on my experiment. The first HD with successful experiment is a 1TB HD. It's not recognized by Windows 8.1. I have another 1.5TB HD which can be recognized by both XP and 8.1. I guess the difference is that I created their partitions with different software. 1TB with Paragon HD, while 1.5TB with some software that I can't recall.

Today I tried another 3TB HD with only one partition. I converted it to GPT using Paragon HD manager as the previous 1TB HD. No luck. Windows 8.1 can't recognize it correctly. Windows 8.1 saw the 3TB HD as a 2TB partition and a 750MB partition. The good news is, I still can convert it back to MBR for XP to recognize.


As to the need for XP in 2016, I must say, most people have a better choice than XP nowadays. But, sometimes you just don't have a choice and have to live with the only choice.

I am back again.

Today, I did an experiement and found maybe I have mistakenly thinking "Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server" has anything to do with my above problem.

I move my old Windows XP system (using a few tricks) to another PC (ASUS P5KPL-AM & Intel E5450) and found my old 3TB HD can't be recognized (it's listed in Device Manager but can't be accessed from File Manager). Then I came out the idea that it was not "Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server", it's another software helped me access 3TB HD on my old Windows XP. After further thinking, I have a new theory now.

My old PC is Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H and AMD X3-435. After I bought the first 3TB HD 3 years ago, I tried to find a solution for my Windows XP system, which includes a software "3TB+ Unlock" provides by Gigabyte. But I totally forgot it, and always thought it's the "Universal Image Loader" of "Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server" helped me out.

Sorry for wasting your time with the wrong direction.

Hi, I am back again. Now, I am stuck with the problem not able to access my 3TB HD (previously ok to access).
Although I said maybe the problem has nothign to do with Paragon software in the last post, I tihnk I was wrong. I found a proof. Please see the three screen snapshots.

The 1st snapshot indicates there are 3 HDs attached to the PC. Hard Disk 0 is a Seagate 320GB HD. Hard Disk 1 is a 128GB SSD. Hard Disk 2 is a WD 3TB HD. I have used and stored much data in the WD3TB HD before the prolbem occurred. Red lines are added to the images for highlighting.
Attachment 237
The 2nd snapshot is the sector view of Seagate 320GB HD on sector 2066. It is the same with Hard Disk 1 (128GB SSD)
Attachment 238
The 3rd snapshot is the sector view of WD 3TB HD on sector 2066. You can see the BIG difference and it shows PARAGON SOFTWARE.
Attachment 239

I really want to find out the answer. If not bothering, please cousult Paragon's software engineers and see if they can provide some inisight on which Paragon product (I thought it's Paragon Hard Disk Server 12 because it's the only one I have) write such data on sector 2066.

Thanx for your patience and support.

Just in case the long story boring, I'll re-state my problem in short.

several years ago, I used a Windows XP SP3 PC and several internal 3TB HDs for data storage. To enable 3TB HD support on XP, I installed Paragon Hard Disk Server 12, and I have no problem with it.

Recently I have a new Windows 8.1 PC, and I found those 3TB HDs are not accessible on Windows 8.1. I installed Paragon Hard Disk Server 12 on Windows 8.1 but it's not working. I think the 3TB HDs are not using GPT. If it's GPT, Windows 8.1 will recognize them with problem.

I can still access the 3TB HDs using old PC with Windows XP. But two days ago, after unknown events, the old PC (Winidows XP) lost the ability to access 3TB HDs. I tried to recover the system from previously cloned partition and reinstalled I want to re-install Paragon Hard Disk Server 12 but it doesn't help. I don't know if it's really Paragon Hard Disk Server 12 that enables 3TB support on Windows XP.

I tried to read the sector data on HD and found some proof (as the previous post shows). But I still don't know what am I missing. Please help me find the answer. Any insight or ideas are appreciated.

In case other people having the same trouble as I am and don't have a asnwer, try some data rescue software, such as GetDataBack, all files on the 3TB HDs can be copied without any loss.
The time required for rescuing a 3TB HD is 6 hours deep scanning and 12 hours copying files to another HD.

3 TiB can only be handled successfully when partitioned with GPT. XP doesn't know GPT. HDM 12 Server does not provide GPT for XP as well. As far as your screenshots are readable for very young people with a very strong magnifier it seems that all disks are in MBR partitioning scheme. The area beyond 2.2 TiB will not be available this way. I'd suggest: Use a 21st century OS, try to copy as much possible data in Windows explorer to other places, kill the partitions on your 3 TiB drive, convert it to GPT and create new partitions. If your OS is 32 bit create only partitions < 2.2 TiB.