"No space to create partition" message?????

[Jack2003]

When trying to fdisk a new drive (which will eventually be my slave drive) and I select "Create Primary DOS Partition" -I get response back - "No space to create a DOS parition" -
Can someone help tell me what I may be doing wrong?
Thank you.

 

[smah]

There's probably already partitions on the drive. I think option 4 lets you view the existing partitions.

 

[Jack2003]

If there is already a partition, should I not be able to format it?
When I try "format c:" - I get "invalid drive specification"
Thx -

 

[mainegeek]

Try fdisk and do option #4 View as SMAH suggested.
See what you have for partition info. Drive may already have
an unformatted non-dos partion on it. Make sure your bios is detecting the proper drive size as well.

 

[edfair]

Or you could have a partition created with an operating system that is invalid for what you are using.
You may need to go to an earlier version OS to use fdisk from it to delete a non-dos partition. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Jack2003]

Sorry to sound so ignorant, but I was trying to fdisk w/ a W95 start-up disk. Should I try a DOS (think I have 6.1) disk?
And if it accepts it, what do I need to do to fdisk the HD so I can format it?
Thx - Jack

 

[smah]

I think win95's fdisk makes fat16 partitions. You don't want to use the dos disk. Here's a tool that will completely remove all partitions from the primary master drive

http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3000-2094-8838570.html?tag=lst-0-1

Make sure you have the drive set as master when you boot with this floppy.

You will still have to fdisk afterwards though. What OS will this drive be used as a slaved for? Many OS's have included tools to partition and format a slave while the OS is running.

 

[edfair]

If the DOS will see something there, use it to delete the existing. Then use the version you are trying to install to do the partitioning.
All versions will use the DOS partitioned hard disk if you use it. But your limit is FAT16 and 2gb on the primary.
Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Jack2003]

SMAH -
Once this file is downloaded, am I to understand that I use wreckit.exe to create yet another floppy with the command
"wreckit /t a:"
OR
Do I put wreckit.exe on a floppy (seperate system) - then boot up the the computer with the questionable hard drive with a w95 floppy and then insert the floppy witht he wreckit.exe file and run the command - "wreckit /t/a:" ???

Sorry for the confusion on my part & thanks.

Jack

 

[lewat]

STOP!
You are about to really mess-up here!
Key information given to You. You should not attempt to put win95 on any new hdd.
MS nor current manufacturers support win95.
WIN95 cannot read/supply the new ata/atapi information nor the buffers on new hdd.
so in lies your problem.
The new hdd should have come with partition software.
if not go to the hdd site download it.
Second issue-the older hdd will probably not function as primary to a new hdd.
you will need to reverse that.
Put new OS on new hdd-put primary.
Slave the current drive

 

[Jack2003]

This is an old HD (1.5GB) that I'm simply trying to set up as a slave and need to fdisk and format. However, I can't seem to get past the response "No spacce to create a DOS partition."

 

[smah]

Put a formatted floppy in the drive then run wreckit a:. This will extract the files to the floppy.

Then with the questionable drive as the primary master (in a different computer preferred), boot to this newly created floppy. You will be promted to remove all existing partions. Afterwards, you will still have to find a way to partition and format the 'cleaned' drive.

 

[lewat]

1.5-sounds like an old ibm hdd
1.2 or 1.6/7 were the universal
could have ibm buffer -
or your motherboard is unable to define current mbr.
are you sure that not a compressed hdd under dos

 

[digitalmaster]

HOLD ON

I think everyone getting confused...if Jack2003 is trying to fdisk a SLAVE drive all he needs to do, assuming the system is seeing both drives, is run fdisk and select option 5 to change the disk he is working on.

Then he will be able to delete any existing partitions on that drive and then create a new one.

The first question must be "is the system seeing both drives as Master and slave" if not there are other issues with HDD and BIOS.

Hope this helps Jack2003