HDD appearing as less storage than label

[Chapbass]

Alright guys, kind of a weird question.

I've got a toshiba 80gb laptop SATA drive. At least it says its 80gb on the label. Also, when i check the model number in windows, it corresponds with an 80gb model.


The question is that on every program i can find, the drive is appearing as only 40gb. (well, around 35gb). This includes BIOS, partitionmagic, windows (if you hit populate under the drive properties, as well as disk management), etc.


The drive is one that dell had sent me to replace my old 80gb.

Any ideas on things to try to try and find the "lost" 40gb?

 

[n7]

Can you post some pics/screenies of this?

I'd check the drive physically...make sure there's no jumper that's set to limit the size (never seen it on notebook HDDs myself, but who knows).

 

[Chapbass]

Yeah, i looked on the drive for a limiter or somethin, but thers nothin. I'll see if i can take a picture, but it might not be for a while.

 

[Andrew1990]

Maybe most of it is used by the restore partion?

 

[Chapbass]

if it was a partition id see it on disk management or partitionmagic. The BIOS part is what totally baffles me. If BIOS sees the total drive size as 40gb....


I really think dell/toshiba is just trying to mess with me.