Author Topic: Computer nerd question (Read 594 times)

SteveBailey · « **on:** January 22, 2007, 10:04:56 PM »

Hey guys, I just added a 300 gig SATA to one of my computers. When I loaded it w/ the utility provided it said the max partition was 137 gigs until I ran....* mind blank*. I added HD's many times, build my own computers but I'm having a dementia moment. How can I add the rest ot the disk space. I don't mind if it has to be partitioned but I'd like to have it as one large drive for now. If I add a partition, won't I lose all the data currently stored?

For now, only Windows XP Pro is loaded on this drive. The message I got said I could add a partition AFTER loading windows.. that doesn't seem right to me.

Suggestions?

Thanks a lot for helpign me out.

Steve

Chairboy · « **Reply #1 on:** January 22, 2007, 10:08:51 PM »

If you formatted it as NTFS, you should be able to expand the volume to fit the rest of the drive using Drive Manager once in Windows. Right click My Computer, select 'Manage', navigate to Disk, and go from there. Shouldn't break anything.

AWMac · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2007, 10:41:02 PM »

Yeah what Chairboy said....remove it first.

Rinse and Repeat..

Mac

SteveBailey · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2007, 12:24:39 AM »

remove it?

I did format for NTFS

SteveBailey · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2007, 01:21:38 AM »

ttt

I tried to extend the partition in diskpart and failed. here is step by step:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Steve>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565

Copyright (C) 1999-2003 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: ARIZONA-3U1LVIM

DISKPART> list volume

Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info
---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
Volume 0 D DVD-ROM 0 B
Volume 1 E NTFS Partition 93 GB Healthy
Volume 2 C NTFS Partition 128 GB Healthy System
Volume 3 F Removeable 0 B
Volume 4 G Removeable 0 B
Volume 5 H Removeable 0 B
Volume 6 I Removeable 0 B

DISKPART> select volume 2

Volume 2 is the selected volume.

DISKPART> extend

DiskPart failed to extend the volume.
Please make sure the volume is valid for extending.

DISKPART>

eagl · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2007, 01:30:00 AM »

I wouldn't use the utility. I'd partition and format it completely under windows.

Use the windows disk management utility, delete all existing partitions, and then create a single new one using the full available space. To get to this utility, go to programs, administrative tools, computer management, storage, disk management.

I've found windows to be much better for partitioning and formatting hard drives than the third party utilities.

SteveBailey · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2007, 01:30:23 AM »

"You cannot extend the current system or boot partitions."

This is my problem isn't it? How do I get aorund this?

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2007, 01:34:18 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by SteveBailey
"You cannot extend the current system or boot partitions."

This is my problem isn't it? How do I get aorund this?

You might need a bios update or a completely new motherboard. If you see this problem and you have XP SP2 installed, it's a bios limitation most likely. In theory you could have 48-bit LBA disabled in XP but I can't see why that would be unless you're using an upgraded XP and it inherited some crap from the old system.

SteveBailey · « **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2007, 01:40:51 AM »

Mother board is brand new ASUS P5N32-SLI Premium.

Hmmmm

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #9 on:** January 23, 2007, 01:51:45 AM »

Well if the mb is new you really shouldn't witness this problem. AFAIK there aren't so old XP installation disks that wouldnt support large harddrives as default. Windows2000 pre-sp2 had the problem, so did W9x.

SteveBailey · « **Reply #10 on:** January 23, 2007, 01:52:56 AM »

I get to this screen:

I want to move the partition on C but the "remove parttion" option is greyed out when I right click on it.

edit: yes I am signed on as admin.

~Caligula~ · « **Reply #11 on:** January 23, 2007, 02:04:09 AM »

why move c? delete the others and make c fill the space left

SteveBailey · « **Reply #12 on:** January 23, 2007, 02:13:05 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by ~Caligula~
why move c? delete the others and make c fill the space left

there is only one partition (the C) on the drive. The rest is unallocated space.

I have to figure out how to enable 48-bit LBA I think

edit: i am running win xp SP 2

eagl · « **Reply #13 on:** January 23, 2007, 02:13:38 AM »

The computer is booting off of the new drive apparently. Did you use a utility to copy your installation to the new drive already? If so, that is part of your problem.

Whenever I get a new larger drive, the first thing I do is put it in the computer and partition/format it as a secondary drive, not the system drive. Then I'll do whatever I need to do in order to get the system copied over to the new drive, whether using norton ghost or windows backup or whatever.

From that screenshot, you're screwed and are going to have to start over if you want to use the entire 300 gig drive as your c: drive. You basically installed windows on an improperly formatted hard drive and now you can't change the main system partition.

You might be able to change a setting in bios or in the windows disk manager to have it boot from your old drive again, and then you can mess with the new drive's partitions. But as it is now, you're already booting from the new drive so you won't be able to do anything to the boot partition.

SteveBailey · « **Reply #14 on:** January 23, 2007, 02:16:28 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by eagl
The computer is booting off of the new drive apparently. Did you use a utility to copy your installation to the new drive already? If so, that is part of your problem.

Whenever I get a new larger drive, the first thing I do is put it in the computer and partition/format it as a secondary drive, not the system drive. Then I'll do whatever I need to do in order to get the system copied over to the new drive, whether using norton ghost or windows backup or whatever.

From that screenshot, you're screwed and are going to have to start over if you want to use the entire 300 gig drive as your c: drive. You basically installed windows on an improperly formatted hard drive and now you can't change the main system partition.

I did not copy my installastion. It is a fresh XP install. The old HD seems to have some driver conflicts so I started from scratch on the new HD. The format utility that came w/ the HD told me that the 137 gig was as high as I can go until; i did something(forgot) so I did not have the option to format to 300gig. MyXP is an upgrade from win 98.

Do I need to enable 48-bit lba? how?