Windows XP Hard Drive Formating/partitioning

[speedy58]

Ive been a win98 and older user up to this point. I recently installed XP. Both my 27 gig HDs XP detected and partitioned at 8 Gig a piece. XP works great but I need my HD space. I cant even get to a DOS prompt in XP to run fdisk again. In fact I dont even see Fdisk or Format as programs in XP. Do I have to use some old Dos disks to try the partition and format again? Ive been told I might need a bios update but I doubt that since the HD detected fine in win98. Is there a trick to the xp install so I can have more options or control during the partitioning and formating?

Thanks

(an old geek trying to catch up)

 

[satrow]

Sounds like you need to check what your Bios detects these drives as.

If you resize, you will lose your current data....

Andy.

 

[speedy58]

In the bios it detects at 27gig.. I guess I dont need the bios update. right now I dont have any data.. Just a fresh install on a 8gig HD.

Good advice... thanks

 

[Freestone]

XP, by default, does not partition and format drives during an install, so those two 8GB partitions must have existed prior to the install of XP, or you created them during the install.

Disk Management is XP's replacement for FDISK and FORMAT (Start, Run..., diskmgmt.msc). I'm real curious to see how that tool is currently seeing your two hard drives.

 

[speedy58]

XP did default to creating a partition because the HDs were formated already. I created the 8 gig partitions (one on each drive) because that is all that xp would allow. Disk Management now shows 7.86gig partitions on each drive, NTFS file system. However the format and Delete partition menu options are greyed out.

 

[AckNack]

That's odd that XP only allowed 8GB partitions during install.
Were there already 8GB partitions and you just re-did them?

As for the options to format and delete in Disk Management, are you logged in as a user with administrator rights?

AckNack

http://www.diypctech.com

 

[Freestone]

What size partitions existed prior to the install of XP? You stated "XP did default to creating a partition because the HDs were formated already". This sounds to me as if you chose to use an existing partion during the install rather than deleting then creating a new partition.

Is Disk Management showing the other 19GB or so as Free Space on either drive?

 

[speedy58]

No the format was a single 27 gig partition. XP defaulted to repartitioning and reformating at 8 gig. Yes freestone the drives were already formated but not at 8 gig, at 27.

Thanks for the help guys... as of now I am updating the bios on my M830LR motherboard to see if that helps. A microsoft tech bulletin sugested that as the next step even though the bios sees it fine at 27gig. I dont understand it but its my last hope I guess.

Speedy

 

[Freestone]

I think then the next step would be a fresh install of XP, from which you will delete the current partition and create a new 27GB partition.

Refering to Black Viper's site, at this point of the install (be it XP Professional or Home):

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPHome/images/image1_5.html

I suggest you try the option of deleting the partition, and follow the prompts to create new. Be aware that you will lose all data on that partition so back up anything you want prior to deleting the partition.

I don't wish to sound combative, but unless you have a recovery CD or running some kind of automated script, XP does not default to creating and formatting partition. You should be presented with the above screen during a fresh install.

 

[wolluf]

Speedy - hope the bios upgrade works - though I'd have expected that board to support up to 32GB drives without an upgrade. What Freeestone says is correct - its a bit odd to understand what's happened.

You haven't formatted the drives previously using drive manufacturer's overlay software (used to overcome bios size limits)?

Some drives have a limiting jumper for backward compatibility (eg, for a 27GB drive it would limit drive to 8GB - which is the next common bios limit below 27GB) - but you said 98 running on 27GB and bios detecting as such.

If after bios upgrade and doing fresh install as per Freestone's instructions you still have a problem - you might need to completely wipe the drive(s) - using someting like

http://www.killdisk.com/features.htm

 

[speedy58]

Thank you for all the wonderful help.. However the bios update seemed to do nothing for the problem. And Neither did the numerous attempts to reinstall windows xp and get it to format at 27 gig at the beginning of install. I did get some advise from a friend that told me if the HD had not been formated since I had windows 95 that it may have been formated on an old file format like FAT16. In that case maybe wolluf's advise of using killdisk will work. The only mystery left is how it ever worked on win98se at 27gig. At this point I am going to spend the 50 bucks and buy a 40 gig drive new. Im more curious than anything.

again thanks
speedy

 

[bluemeyer]

I have an old computer with windows 95 on it,and I want to donate it to a friend so I want to completely erase or format the hard drive..what is the best way to do this?

 

[speedy58]

Hey bluemeyer,

Before we start I need some more info. Do you have a cd to reinstall windows 95? do you have a rescue disk made for win 95?

First step.. Make the rescue disk
second step.. since the HD is already formated for win95 you dont have to format it you just have to delete everything on it (make the rescue disk first)

Insert a blank disk... right click on A: in my computer and select format... click on the box that says make system disk.

when you get this far get back to me.. Or you could just give the computer to your buddy blank and let him do all this. If your installing a newer version of windows let me know which one and Ill walk you through it.

Speedy58

 

[garebo]

Actually, Bluemeyer should be making his or her own thread as my guess is he or she will need quite a few posts to get thru all the ins and outs. Suggest a new post, thats the proper way to go.


Speedy58, everyone is baffled and so am I. On a standard install of win xp it will not make anything other than one large hard drive, it will not partition on its own, that is all true.

One question that is important, and im surprised it hasnt been asked, but then i can see why.

What are the makes and models of the hard drives and what are the jumpers set at right now?






Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[speedy58]

Hey Garebo,

Yeah he did eventually start his own thread.

And I did finally get the 27 gig drive to show up.
I used killdisk to wipe it clean.

My best guess as to what happened is that the file system that win98 uses ( fat32 ) was somehow not jiving with the NTFS that XP uses. It could have even been formated at one time in fat16. I think that 98 will work on both fat32 and fat16 so that is a real possibility. Anyways killdisk did the trick and XP saw the whole drive and formated it NTFS for me upon install.

Speedy

 

[garebo]

Great, i will have to remember that one. I have killdisk but never have used it.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips