lost harddrive space..... please help!!!!!

[michael18284]

lost harddrive space... please help!!!
Ok, I have the ST3500320AS, it has been a pretty stable drive, no problems so far.

So I was reformatting the other day, I created two partitions, one ~400gigs for XP and one ~100gigs for Vista. So while windows setup was formatting the 400gig partition, I accidentally hit the eject button on my DVD drive when it was about 99% done. --seems to have been a huge mistake, don't do this! so setup interrupted the format and informs me that it couldn't complete. So I thought "crap, I have to format again." So I restart, enter setup, and where you edit your partitions, it says there are only 133gigs on the drive. That is all it can access, I can add and delete partitions as normal, but I’m missing 367gigs of storage.... it just doesn't show up, and I was wondering if anyone has any idea what to do...
--oh and above where it shows your partitions and size, it says “unknown disk” or something to that degree, I can add a pic of the screen if someone needs it.
The drive should still be under warranty, so if I can't get the problem solved, I’ll just try to exchange it, but I’d just rather fix it.

Thanks in advance for any help!!!!

-Michael

 

[BadBigBen]

This is not a HARDWARE issue, but rather a software issue...

somehow your 48 bit lba adressing got scrambled and needs to be reactivated...

see:

How to enable 48-bit Logical Block Addressing support for ATAPI disk drives in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303013

skip on down to the section that talks about the REGISTRY and EnableBigLba...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[Lemon13]

test tool from seagate for ur hdd

http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/seatools

if seatools wont get the space back, use this tool

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/HDD-Low-Level-Format-Tool.shtml

 

[michael18284]

Ok, so I tried seatools again, none of my input devices work once it loads... I can't interact with the program at all.. That is booting into DOS.. I'll try the windows in a few and post the results of that.. I put the harddrive in my roomates computer and ran the low level format, nothing.

I also tried the LBA stuff, I don't have the LBA entry in my registry, I acutally did a clean reinstall today, updated to service pack 3. I have the directory it says to navigate to, just not the "enable LBA" thing.

When I was reading the MS article, it was talking about how you have to have a BIOS that supports it, I do, but do you think it was possible that somehow it got messed up and a reflash is in order?

Also, I was thinking.. when it crashed, it was formatting the 400 gig section. 31 gigs is ~.98% yes, .98% of 400. it was at 99% when it crashed, so theoretically it could have been at exactly 99.02% and left 31gigs untouched.. any chance the stuff that already got formatted was "lost" and that 31 gigs got added to the other 100gig partition totaling 131gigs after i recombined the partitions? ...instead of LBA stuff, or maybe that is exactly what the LBA stuff is, this is the first time I've heard of it.


Also, I'm including a pic of the windows setup show exacyly what the drive looks like in there

 

[Freestone]

What service pack is your install CD at? If it's not at least SP1 then a clean install will always result in the inability of addressing your full drive, and your best bet may be to create a slipstreamed SP3 XP install CD and start over.

One of many slipstream creation sites:

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/xpsp3_slipstream.asp

 

[michael18284]

this install cd is sp2, but i've run all windows updates. i'm running sp3 now. i might try the slipstream, i've heard of it before. but i'm not sure that'll fix my problem. thanks!

 

[Lemon13]

when u run setup, did u try 2 delete all partitions, also the unknown disk?
go into bios and activate usb leagacy support, then ur usb input devices should also work in dos.

if u cant delete the partitions during setup, get a fdisk boot disk or a live linux boot cd/dvd and try it from there.

 

[BadBigBen]

If the suggestions did not work...

then NUKE that drive with the use of DBAN (Darik's Boot And Nuke) Hard Drive Disk Wipe found:

http://www.dban.org/

That will wipe the drive of any messed up stuff that might make XP dislike that drive...

Please post specs of the PC, so that we might have a look from another ankle...

e.g. Name of Board, Manufacturer, RAM, CPU, etc...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[cdogg]

Yes, I agree with Ben that you would want to clear the drive of all partitions.

However since this is a SATA drive, I have to ask. Are you making sure you hit F6 at the beginning of XP's setup to load the proper SATA driver for your motherboard? Usually this is required for SATA drives to be detected properly.

Also, realize that a full format is not really any better than a quick format under the Windows setup. Just go with "quick" next time.

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

 

[kjv1611]

Just in case there is still any doubt, I say just DBAN the thing.

Download DBAN CD image, burn to CD, boot from CD, type 'autonuke', hit <Enter>and walk away - preferable to do this just before going to bed, so you don't have to wait on it to complete.

Next day, eject the CD (if you didn't shortly after typing 'autonuke' and <Enter>), insert Windows CD, start installing again. Should be no more issues.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me