Hello, Zorin community!
My name is Elias, and with the help of the AI Manus, I went through a real ordeal to access my secondary HD on Zorin OS. The goal of this post is to document the entire process, the errors we encountered, and the solutions that worked, so that it can help other users in the same situation.
Main Premise: The Initial Problem
After installing Zorin OS on my SSD (which previously ran Windows), I realized I couldn't access my secondary 1TB HD, where all my important files (photos, courses, etc.) were stored. Zorin saw the disk (/dev/sda), but refused to "mount" the partition, making the data inaccessible.
Diagnosis and Dead Ends
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First Attempt: NTFS Corruption?
Possible Diagnosis: The HD's NTFS file system was corrupted.
Action: We tried using the command sudo ntfsfix /dev/sda1.
Result/Error: The command failed with the message "NTFS signature is missing".
Conclusion: The problem was not corruption. The "signature" that defines an NTFS partition was not there. This led us to the real culprit. -
The True Villain: Windows Dynamic Disk
Correct Diagnosis: The HD was not a "Basic" disk, but a "Dynamic Disk". This is a proprietary Windows format for advanced volume management (similar to LVM in Linux or software RAID). The Linux kernel cannot natively read this format.
Dead End: The only way to access the files or convert the disk was through a Windows environment. -
Conversion Attempt with Free Software
Action: I installed Windows 10 on the SSD (in another partition; I advise following the tutorial in the video attached below in the post to avoid headaches—I tried with Ventoy for 2 hours straight and it didn't work) to gain access to the HD. From Windows, I tried using free partitioning tools to convert the Dynamic Disk to Basic without data loss.
Tools Tested: AOMEI Partition Assistant (free version), MiniTool Partition Wizard (free version).
Result/Error: All tools correctly identified the disk, but the "Convert to Basic Disk" function was a paid/PRO feature in all of them. A dead end for those seeking a free solution.
The Rescue Plan and the Definitive Solution
With the impossibility of directly converting the disk, the plan shifted to a multi-step rescue operation.
Step 1: Prepare a Safe Location (Backup)
The plan was to copy the 143 GB of data from the Dynamic HD to a safe location before formatting it. Since I didn't have an external HD, the solution was to use the SSD itself.
Free Up Space: I deleted unnecessary files from the HD, reducing the total data to 128 GB.
Create the "Vault": In Windows, I used "Disk Management" to format the partition where Zorin was installed (which had ~145 GB free) as NTFS, creating a temporary volume called "Vault".
Step 2: Dealing with Copy Errors and File Names
When trying to compress the files to speed up the copy, I encountered several errors.
Error 1: Invalid Characters. The native Windows compressor failed because of characters like – (dash), ~ (tilde), and • (bullet) in file and folder names.
Solution 1 (Script .bat): We tried using .bat scripts to rename the files in bulk. It worked for simple cases but failed in folders with names like "is-number," due to limitations of the Windows REN command.
Solution 2 (Bulk Rename Utility): The definitive solution was to use the Bulk Rename Utility. With it, I configured a scan of all subfolders and created substitution rules in the "Character Translations" section to remove all problematic characters at once.
Error 2: Fragility of the Windows Compressor. The Windows compressor itself proved unstable, crashing Windows Explorer.
Solution 2.1: The best solution was to use third-party software, such as 7-Zip, which is robust and doesn't mind special characters.
Step 3: Data Migration
With the file names cleaned up, I compressed the folders in batches (using 7-Zip) and copied the .zip files to the "Vault" on the SSD.
The data was finally safe.
Step 4: Freeing the HD and Reinstalling Zorin
Convert to Basic: In Windows "Disk Management," I right-clicked on all partitions of the Dynamic Disk and chose "Delete Volume." This automatically reverted the disk to "Basic."
Format the HD: I created a "New Simple Volume" on the now Basic HD, formatting it entirely as NTFS to ensure full compatibility with Zorin. I named this volume "Ryan."
Move Data to the Final Destination: I copied the backup files from the "Vault" (on the SSD) to the "Ryan" HD.
Create Multiboot Pendrive: Using Zorin in "Try Zorin" mode, I installed Ventoy on a pendrive. Then, I simply copied the Zorin, Windows, and Mint ISOs onto it.
Clean Zorin Installation: I booted from the Ventoy pendrive, chose Zorin, and started the installation.
On the "Installation Type" screen, I chose "Something else" (Opção Avançada).
Final Error: A warning "No EFI System Partition was found" appeared.
Final Solution: On the partitioning screen, I manually created two partitions on the SSD:
A 512 MB partition, type "EFI System Partition."
A partition with the remaining space, type ext4, with mount point /.
I proceeded with the installation, which was completed successfully.
Appendix: How to Install WoeUSB (YouTube Method)
During the process, we considered creating a bootable Windows pendrive within Zorin. The WoeUSB tool is excellent for this. The method I found that works for versions based on Ubuntu 20.04+ is:
Bash
Add the repository
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tomtomtom/woeusb
Update the package list
sudo apt update
Install WoeUSB
The journey was long, but the result is a 100% functional, fast system, with Zorin OS on the NVMe SSD and the 1TB HD fully accessible for data. The main lesson is that the "Dynamic Disk" problem does not have an easy and free solution for conversion without a backup. The only safe way out is to rescue the data, wipe the disk, and start over.
I hope this detailed guide helps others navigate this complex issue!
Sincerely,
Elias.