'puter woes...XP tips please

[Freq Band]

2 problems....

1) I have one IDE slot configured for a removable hard drive. I have backed up my system onto 3 removable drives. However, it's been a long time since I updated this backup. A year ago, I configured this drive's port, to be "hidden", so it does not show up in my list of drives under "my computer".....but I forgot what I did to "hide" it. Now I want to do a backup again, and I can't figure out how to "un-hide" it. The
I have "Partition Magic 8.0", and my backup software is Acronis True Image. Nowhere in these programs, can I find where I might have been able to "hide" a drive.
I think I may have hidden it by editing my registry or bios.....but maybe not ....dammit.

2) I have not updated to SP 2...I still have XP Home sp1a. Should I "prepare" my system in any way, before updating this to sp2 ? (yes, I've been lazy on this subject !!)

thanks,
=FB=

 

[Kingston]

Go to Windows control panel -> Administrative tools -> Computer Management -> Storage -> Disk Management

The hidden file system should show up here, and there are some actions available for it (format, mark active, change drive letter, etc).

 

[Freq Band]

Thanks Kingston, but I don't see the hidden drive listed there. There is no drive + drive letter that corresponds to this drive.

BTW....XP sp2 and sp3 updated successfully,....all programs seem to work after this 3 hours of updating.

=FB=

 

[Freq Band]

I wonder if the darn thing (the removable drive bay) ain't plugged in at all, inside the tower case....I'll have to move some stuff, to check that.

 

[Mbira]

Do you see it listed on startup?

 

[mathsieve]

In Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager select the View menu and click show hidden devices.  Maybe. 
But if it's not showing up on start up as Mbira says, or it's not showing in the BIOS, it's either not plugged in or a bit dead.