Windows Explorer showing double partitions since new drive installed.

SOLVED!
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PC setup:
WIndows 10: 22H2
Drives: 1: SSD - Windows 10 only
2: 2TB drive - 8 partitions
3: 2TB drive - 8 partitions.

I recently had to replace a defective WD drive recently with a nice new Seagate one and then had to spend time copying over data from one to the other so there was a lot of drive swapping going on for a few days. I couldn't do a full copy as I didn't want everything moved over and also didn't want to stress the WD drive further by having it undertake a lengthy process it might not have survived. Plus I was impatient!!

SO all's gone fine but I've now got a strange issue whereby Windows Explorer is showing the partitions on the new Seagate drive in duplicate. Once as expected at the top of the screen, and then once again at the end of the folders listing. Very odd & it didn't matter when I swapped the old drive in & out - still showed all partitions in duplicate.

It's obviously not a vital issue but just curious where it originates from as I've done drive replacements before without it occuring?

TKR99 said:

I've now got a strange issue whereby Windows Explorer is showing the partitions on the new Seagate drive in duplicate. Once as expected at the top of the screen, and then once again at the end of the folders listing. Very odd & it didn't matter when I swapped the old drive in & out - still showed all partitions in duplicate.

Please post a screenshot of File explorer showing this so your situation can be understood.
How to Upload and Post Screenshots and Files - TenForumsTutorials

And please post a screenshot of Disk mgmt showing your disks and partitions.
How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management - TenForumsTutorials

I'm not sure what you are describing. It might be as simple as this setting having changed.
Add or Remove Duplicate Drives in Navigation Pane of File Explorer - TenForumsTutorials


All the best,
Denis

I don't know what that is a screenshot of. It looks like some equivalent of Disk mgmt but it does not have the informative top half that Disk mgmt has - C:\Windows\System32\diskmgmt.msc
And do please include the File explorer screenshot that shows the problem so there can be no misunderstandings.

Just out of interest, why have you made so many partitions?


Denis

I understand now.

It is just this [not a fault but a changed setting]. The remedy takes 2.5768 moments to complete.

Try3 said:

It might be as simple as this setting having changed.
Add or Remove Duplicate Drives in Navigation Pane of File Explorer - TenForumsTutorials

All the best,
Denis

---

Oh, and welcome to TenForums.

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I think you've fixed it now and it was just that setting.
Good.

There are some similar customisations of File explorer that I thought were worth mentioning in case you notice further differences:
OneDrive - Add or Remove from Navigation Pane - TenForumsTutorials
Add or Remove Folders from This PC - TenForumsTutorials
Hide or Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives - TenForumsTutorials
Add or Remove User Folder from Navigation Pane - TenForumsTutorials


All the best,
And thanks for the rep,
Denis

TKR99 said:

reason for so many partitions is just because I like to have all my info easily found plus have always thought it was safer in that you could more easily backup just one partition because everything related to it would be grouped. Bad habit perhaps?

I don't suppose it's a bad habit but I've just never noticed anybody else doing that.

I have
- a partition / disk for my OS, installed applications together with my own scripts & with postable apps
- a partition / disk for my own files
- a partition / disk for miscellaneous files [such as internal backups, various application log files, installation files & large audio-video files]. I used to have to do this because of limited size disks for the first two and only continue to keep it separate from my own files out of habit. I could just as easily make them all folders on my own files' partition / disk.

I backup my OS partition / disk monthly as well as before & after major changes. I make system images of it.
I backup my own files as simple copies made using RoboCopy. I do this at least weekly but have a similar script that backs them up to my other computers so I can work on different ones when I need to.
I backup worthwhile files from my miscellaneous partition / disk as simple copies made using RoboCopy at the same time as my own files' backup.
I have two large external backup disks and I alternate between them. This is intended to protect me from concurrent computer & external disk failures.

My most important files are all MSOffice Excel & Access files and I use VBA scripts to back them up to my miscellaneous disk / partition every time I close Excel or Access.

I also backup a large proportion of my own files to an SD card that sits in the otherwise unused SD card slot.
- This runs automatically every hour.
- I started doing this because I lost about four hours work once because of a disk failure.
- I limit the choice of files to back up depending on the size of the SD card in use.
- My main computer has a 512GB SD card but the others have smaller ones reflecting the smaller range of jobs I do on the others.
Actually, it's now a MicroSD card in an SD card adapter. Despite its size, I format it as Fat32 and have a USB adapter for it so I can read its contents on my phone in an emergency. I also take it out and slip it into my wallet whenever I leave the house.


I only mention what I do as an example. You do not have to do the same as me.


All the best,
Denis

One basic problem with using so many partitions is when you run out of space on one.

Creating your own data partition with folders for each category is much more flexible- and since you have folders as categories, finding things by browsing to them, for example, is just as simple as having multiple partitions.

Best to mark the thread as solved by clicking the button at the top, then that status is visible in the list of threads. Thanks.