250GB drive partitioning, etc (stuck at 127GB space).

[JacksonVFR]

I'll try to make this question thread easy to follow and short, since I've had a lot of problems today.

My new Seagate 250GB hard drive is stuck at 127GB of actual readable, free space. I've read that I may need a BIOS update (I have an Asus A7N8X-X board) and that Windows XP must have SP1 installed in order to use drives larger than this amount. I've been wanting to partition it, so I'm wondering, if I do will these things still be necessary?

Also, what partition spaces would be fair for NTFS file systems? I think I've read that anything over 32GB (?) is suitable. I want about 3-4 partitions, the smallest one being for Windows XP. Will Microsoft's own "Disk Management" program work well for this? I just need to figure out how to start from scratch and reformat my "C" drive without Windows telling me it's in use.

Hoping I can get some help here. Thanks in advance!

 

[electronicsfreak]

If you partition it, it wont give you full amount still if your not showing in the first place, so my advice do a bios update first. As for multiple partitions ill let someone else answer that one.

 

[JacksonVFR]

Thanks electronicsfreak. I went to the Asus site and found that the newest BIOS update for my board is version 1010 (with updated processor support), while I have version 1009. Here is the link:

http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=A7N8X-X

I hope somebody can provide me with more help, because it doesn't look like Asus has it.

 

[JacksonVFR]

By the way, I do have Windows SP1 downloaded and installed, the full version. The remaining space is recognized, but not formatted yet. I've been neglecting it mainly because I do not want my "C" drive to be 127GB (such a large partition).

The Seagate still reads wrong in BIOS, not just size-wise, but it also says my jumper is set to slave. It's set to master though, according to the details on the hard drive panel. Maybe I need to just start over and be certain to set the proper partition for Windows as well as format the remaining space. I still am not sure how to do this "starting over" though. I used to work with fdisk on Windows 98, but I can't use it with this large hard drive.

 

[tazuk]

For formatting your new drive I'd recommend downloading and burning the ISO image of Seagate's DiscWizard Starter Edition - available here.

It offers a wide range of formatting / disk setup / maintenance tools optimised for Seagate drives. I use it at work and home on a regular basis.

HTH

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[tazuk]

OOps - hit submit too soon.
The DiscWizard ISO is a bootable CD so you can experiment with setting up your new drive without impacting any current setups. I'd recommend disconnecting any drives that contain valuable data before booting with it just to avoid accidentally wiping something important.

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[cdogg]

This site will explain more about the space limitation you're running into:

http://www.48bitlba.com

Both the OS and the motherboard/BIOS have to support 48-bit implemetation to see beyond 137GB. Even though the most recent BIOS revision on Asus's site doesn't show what else was updated, I still recommend installing it.

Also, it's possible that you formatted the drive using the Windows XP setup before SP1 or SP2 was installed. If that's the case, then it makes sense that it was only able to handle the first 137GB of the drive.

You could start this drive over from scratch and partition it the way you want using the Seagate utility tazuk posted a link to. Or, you could invest in PartitionMagic which will give you the ability to resize existing partitions without affecting the data already saved on the disk.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[jurgen36]

Why can you not use win98se Fdisk? I regularely format my terrabyte drives with fdisk and win98se. There should be no problems at all. The biggest drive I formated was a Raid0 array of 1.95 terrabytes, no problems at all.
Regards

Jurgen

 

[cdogg]

Jurgen,

This MS article explains why FDISK might not be able to see amounts greater than 128MB:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/327202/en-us

Also, these articles outline other concerns:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q263044

http://www.48bitlba.com/win98.htm

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[BadFrog]

PartitionMagic really is a great utility that would be ideal for this situation. Thumbs up for that suggestion!

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[wolluf]

jurgen36 - just wondering how long it took to actually format 1.95 terabytes!

and what size are the file allocation units!

 

[jurgen36]

It took the better part of 5 hours I believe, as I went to sleep and it was ready the next morning, the bios of course could see the total drive/s, so with a modern bios should work fine, if the bios sees it win98se can format it.
Regards

Jurgen

 

[cdogg]

You know, it's amazingly odd that FDISK in Win98SE can format large drives, but WinXP without any service packs cannot go over 137GB. But like Jurgen says, it's possible with FDISK.

One thing to keep in mind that it is useful to have NTFS over FAT32 these days, so realize that FDISK won't give you that option. And from the original post, I'd say that he/she is looking to incorporate NTFS.

(I would prefer not to get in another debate about which is better - FAT32 vs. NTFS. The "better" choice is a subjective one)

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[jurgen36]

:cdogg
Correct its a subjective choice, I use fat32 mainly for ease of data recovery in case of problems, but as you said its subjective. I had a querry with ms about the limitations of xp in the fat formating, they told me that the fat32 standards were not out as xp was developed. I find that hard to believe as as win98se is much older and does a good job, I believe the limit is a couple of terrabytes but I have not reached that yet.
Regards

Jurgen

 

[cdogg]

Here's a neat little comparison chart I just came across:

http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs_vs_fat.htm

...and what they have in their FAQ:

http://www.ntfs.com/quest2.htm

I really just use NTFS for the built-in file security, but of course, nothing's completely secure.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[dglienna]

Disk manager can conver FAT32 to NTFS in the MMC snap-in. It would probably work with whatever size the FAT32 disk had.

-David
2006 Microsoft Valueable Professional (MVP)
2006 Dell Certified System Professional (CSP)

 

[BadFrog]

You can also convert FAT32 to NTFS by typing CONVERT C: /fs:ntfs If your still running windows it will ask if you want to unmount the volume, say no and the next prompt will say that the volume is busy and cannot be converted at this time, then it asks if you want it converted at the next restart, say yes and then reboot. After restart conversion will commence and all data stays intact.

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[JacksonVFR]

I see the thread has disloged into a little discussion. Anyways, thanks a ton for the info guys and I appologise for not getting back to post earlier.

I came to realize how SIMPLE using Windows XP was to set up partitions and that I just needed to do some trial and error. My first mistake (as stated in the first post) was that since my hard-drive only showed 127GB free space, I just paniced and set the partition up on there.

So, I made more work for myself in the longrun. I used the boot disks again and deleted the partition. I made one for my choice amount (15GB) and then installed Windows XP Pro and SP1 once I got everything running. Then after the SP1 install and my entire 250GB hard-drive was visible, I made three seperate 70GB partitions (roughly). It worked out just fine! I'm still installing programs and personal files, but the hard work is over.

 

[Freestone]

For future reference, you can create a slipstreamed XP with SP1 (or SP2) and then have full 250GB access during install.

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp1_cd.htm

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm

http://www.petri.co.il/windows_2000_xp_sp_slipstreaming.htm