12 GB harddrive shows as 1.99 GB

[heyblinkin]

Hello,

I received an old laptop, formatted the HD, installed Win98 SE, to help with the low RAM--Win2000 was performing slowly-- and now the HD isn't recognized by Windows as having 12 GB capacity. The model is NEC Versa SXi, with 128 mb RAM, 12 GB IBM-DARA-212000 / Travelstar 12GN HD.

I've been to NEC's website, searched their downloads, there's nothing there of help; I've installed two 'drivers' from various sites for the HD that are of no help; have run the 'Feature Tool Version 2.11' from Hitachi's site which allows ATA changes to the HD... but within this program the drive shows as the correct 12GB capacity...

Not sure where else to turn. The drive is formatted for FAT32.

I know little about computer hardware. I'm assuming the issue is with the HD controller. Under the Systems Properties there's three listings: Intel 82371AB/EB, Primary IDE controllr (dual fifo), and Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo). I've updated the drivers via Windows update button, as well I installed the Intel 815 chipset for laptops, which deleted the Hard disk controller tab on System Properties, then after restarting, re-installed them all again with the new chipset, installing PCI to ISA, etc, I don't really know what all this means. Except, the HD is still 1.99 GB. This process also changed the Disk Drive tab in System Properties from IBM Dara 212000 to IDE Generic. I dl'd a driver that was supposed to be for IBM Dara 212000, but in System Properties the drive is now listed as the generic term 'Disk Drive'.

Any thoughts?

 

[wahnula]

Has there ever been GoBack installed on the disk??? Check out Freestone's post in thread751-1489754

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[Lemon13]

what filesystem do u use, i suppose fat, u should opt. for fat32

 

[wolluf]

How did you format the hard drive? Did you use fdisk from win98 boot floppy? I'd start again with fdisk - remove existing partition(s), create new one (make sure large drive flag is Y). You should see what size it is when fdisk does the create. If still no good, might be worth trying fdisk /mbr to write new master boot record. If no good, try something like killdisk to completely overwrite the drive with binary zeroes, then try again. There have been instances of drive sizes spontaneously reducing - with no apparent solution - in these forums.

 

[cdogg]

I suspect that you have formatted the drive accidentally in the old FAT16 (really just called FAT) format which is limited to 2GB partitions. As wolluf mentions, make sure you say yes (Y) to the "large disk support" option when you first use fdisk.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[heyblinkin]

Hey thanks a bunch. The Fat16 was right on the money. Initially used 'format' command at DOS prompt, that's where I went wrong... Went back with fdisk, erased the partition, wrote a new one, then it formatted fine. Thanks, I appreciate it!