200gig HD problems

RTilbury · Sep 13, 2005, 08:53 PM

Ok I built a computer for a friend the other week, It has a 2.8c p4, 1 gig of geil 3500 ram, abit AI7 mobo and a seagate 200 gig hd uata. I had tons of problems trying to get windows xp pro to install on the HD for some reason and it turned out it was because I forgot to run the seagate disk wizard. I figured this out after I had exchanged the HD for a brand new one. So with the new one I started off using disk wizard and it told me I cannot make a partition larger then 137 because I hadn’t installed win xp with sp1 yet. So I made a partition of 40 gig and installed win xp and downloaded sp2 through win update.

Seagate says that once you install the service pack you can then run disk wizard again and reclaim the lost space and make a new partition. Well when I run the wizard it tells me that there is no left over space on the hd. WTH! I am missing 160 gigs! I do not know what to do; I really don’t want to reformat because I basically went through the windows install about 20 times building this computer. I have never had problems building a pc before and I wish I would have never bought the 200 gig HD... Sigh.

Someone please help!

Tipstaff · Sep 13, 2005, 10:15 PM

Do a search on the net for instructions on how to slipstream Service Pack 2 into a Windows Install disc. What this will do is rebuild the install CD with SP2 incorporated into it, and once you burn the CD you will gain the benifits of it right away.

Your other choice would be to use a 3rd party format utility such as Partition Magic, or SmartFDISK, and create a parition ahead of the installing of Windows. Look for downloads of either the Ultimate Boot Disc, or Hiren's All-In-One Boot Disc as these will have those programs on them.

Speaking of Partition Magic, you can also use this tool to repartition/resize the current install, however it can be risky.

RTilbury · Sep 14, 2005, 01:36 AM

well i just think it strange that you must use the disk wizard before installing windows xp but you cant make a partition over 137 without it... so you are basically stuck. The one time windows installed before without sp2 yet i was able to create a 40 gig partition and a 90 gig partition. But now with sp2 installed I can only make a 40! I just dont get it.

Scooper · Sep 14, 2005, 01:42 AM

Hmmm, try deleting the larger partition.
Maybe if the HD wizard sees raw space it'll be able to reallocate.

RTilbury · Sep 14, 2005, 02:19 AM

The thing is, there is no large partition! there is only one, that is what makes it so confusing. I only have one partition that is 40 gigs. When i had the 90 gig partition was with a previous install of windows, I reformated again and now i have this problem.

Its like i have a 40 gig hd instead of 200.

Scooper · Sep 14, 2005, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RTilbury

The thing is, there is no large partition! there is only one, that is what makes it so confusing. I only have one partition that is 40 gigs. When i had the 90 gig partition was with a previous install of windows, I reformated again and now i have this problem.

Its like i have a 40 gig hd instead of 200.

If you boot with the Windows install disk does it not see the partitions?
Seems like you could access it that way as unallocated space...

Is there a low level format option in the HD utility?
*last resort kinda thing

PangingJr · Sep 14, 2005, 03:46 AM

sorry, but i have to cut in. i don't think that new hard drive does not need low level format yet.

with the XP SP2 setup CD as mentioned before... delete every partitions that exists on the hard drive, create a new partition for installing the XP, size it around 20-40 GB (40 GB is not bad at all for a 200 GB hard drive. IMO). and then do the XP setup. once it's up and running you should be able to see and create more partitions within Windows by using the Windows's Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc).

-------------

that would be double negative lol. it should read...
i don't think that new hard drive needs low level format yet.

md5 · Sep 14, 2005, 07:00 AM

Do what PanjingJr or Tipstaff suggested. Without SP2, XP can't access large hard drives (known as 48-bit LBA technology). Just do a normal install on a small partition, install SP2 and make a new partition with the unallocated space. Alternatively, make an SP2 slipstreamed CD and install XP normally (note that there are a lot of SP2 slipstreamed CDs around the Internet... although *cough* not legal)

Resources:
48-bit LBA technology
Slipstreaming XP SP2
Registry hack to enable 48-bit LBA in XP without installing SP2
To resize an existing partition, use Partition Magic or Microsoft's DiskPart

RTilbury · Sep 14, 2005, 11:30 AM

here is the thing. What you guys are telling me to do is the same exact thing that i have allready done. I used the disk setup from seagate and then used the win xp setup disk to create a partition. I then installed windows xp and downloaded sp2. Then when i go to make a new partition for the rest of the space on the hd, it wont let me saying there is no space to partition.

PangingJr · Sep 14, 2005, 11:55 AM

take screenshot and post the pic of the XP Disk Management.

PangingJr · Sep 14, 2005, 02:20 PM

might be something to do with the harddrive utility that you used before setting up Windows.
if the Windows XP is at SP2 level, then it does not require the registry value "EnableBigLba" to be enabled.
the Disk Management will clear some thing up if i see it.

RTilbury · Sep 15, 2005, 02:16 AM

it is at my friends house so I will have to wait till tomorrow or friday to post, Please look back!!

thanks