As this topic concern I've to report something has happened to me recently.
Currently I'm running knoppix by 3 years in something as 15 desktops (for personal and working use) and never had happened what some days ago was with a brand new my friend's laptop. The laptop run correctly windows reporting two hard disks (C: and D:, one twice partioned I guess), but when booted with knoppix (vers. 3.7) no hard disks was detected. I repeat, never happened to me before! So what I was drived to think was two scenarios:
1. missed specific hd drivers in knoppix.
2. something locked due to drm stuff or so.

The Crimpshrine case is anyhow strange, too old laptop for both drm stuff and missed drivers in knoppix.