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XP + 160GB HDD = 125GB recognized?

PCDumbass

Senior member
As the tile suggests, I was in the process of doing a fresh Windows XP Pro install and when I formatted it, it would not pick-up the full size, only 125GB.

I do believe there is a patch for this problem, does anybody have a link to it?

Thanks!

-Rob
robpilgrim@gmail.com
 
I think SP1 fixes the problem.
(Which doesn't help if your disk isn't SP1.)
Could you make a "slipstreamed" cd with SP1 included?
 
Originally posted by: User1001
is the drive formatted for NTFS?

I haven't gotten that far yet...I'm at the blue screen during windows XP set-up when I have "deleted all of the informaiton on the partition". My plan was to format it as NTFS, yes.

It's a Seagate Barracuda 160GB HDD, is it possible that I could get the rest of the space to show up once I install some sort of third party software from Seagate?

Am I way out in left field here?

-Rob
 
Yeah there is a patch... its called SP1 🙂 . I think you can dld the file seperatly but i would advise against it. I would advise againt getting SP1 period as SP2 RC2 is very good. All you need to do is get the V5 windows update download it and then get SP2.

Yes make sure you are using NTFS as FAT32 is unbelievably slow when drives get over i think 36gig. Also NTFS is much more secure.

Edit: Yeah just format it as NTFS and it will do it all right there, right before 1st boot actually. Then do the above steps. No you do not need to install 3rd party software. That is only if your Installation HDD is hooked up to a RAID array, or is SATA ( im not sure on the SATA though).

-Kevin
 
Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Yeah there is a patch.......TA ( im not sure on the SATA though).

-Kevin

Kevin, thanks for the notes...I appreciate knowing the two angles.

The drive is a regular ATA drive, but it is my primary drive.

I am using NTFS, I always do and agree that it's much more stable.

I now have two 20GB partitions and one 95 GB partition created (135GB total). I have XP installed on the first 20GB partition and it's working great. Now I am just inside windows and I'm formatting (i.e. right-click --> format) the second partition in NTFS, after which I'll continue to format the 95GB in NTFS.

Once I try to format the third partition (the 95GB one) in NTFS, will it automatically realize that there is extra space on the HDD and give me 120GB instead of 95GB once it's formatted?

Sorry for the repetitive Q's, I'm just not sure. If my method isn;t good, I *could* hook it up as a slave drive on another PC and just format the entire ah heck from scratch in NTFS...would that be a better option? I have Partition Magic on that other PC as well, would that help?

-Rob
 
Windows will not recognize the extra space. It will leave it as either unpartitioned space or a different drive letter. If you install partition magic on that computer you can combine them though. Right now you will have 3 different partitions and 3 different drive letters. I would recommend 1 partition reformat tell it NTFS and it will show up smaller. Then install SP1 or SP2 and it will recognize the rest 🙂 .

Good Luck
-Kevin
 
Hey, thanks for the responses.

"V5 windows update" could you explain this a little for me? Do I just need to run "Windows Update" on the affected computer? Is there a way I can D/L this SP2 RC2 as a file, throw it on a CD, then load it up on the PC having the trouble?

The reason I ask is b/c the PC having problems is not currently connected to the internet.

-Rob
 
i had the same problem there was 2 partitions on the drive seagate 160 gig there was a 130 gig or so one and a 30 gig one so my disk came up as 131 gig. strange huh
 
Originally posted by: PCDumbass
Hey, thanks for the responses.

"V5 windows update" could you explain this a little for me? Do I just need to run "Windows Update" on the affected computer? Is there a way I can D/L this SP2 RC2 as a file, throw it on a CD, then load it up on the PC having the trouble?

The reason I ask is b/c the PC having problems is not currently connected to the internet.

-Rob

Windows update updates by using software. This currently is V4 (hence v4.windowsupdate.com) But to get SP2 you need V5. So you zip on over to microsoft and do a search for Windows XP, and find SP2 somewhere in there. Then scroll down to the bottim and it will say update using V5. And it redirects you to the V5 update site. Just say you are a beta tester (that you aren't going to screw around with SP2 or V5). Thne when that finishes updating click custom update and SP2 should appear in one of the categories.

Yo mentioned something about burning it to a CD. You just want to instead of going to the V5 update site... just choose network install and download it and you should be set. Just burn that file to CD then.

Good Luck

-Kevin
 
Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Windows update updates by using software. This currently is V4 (hence v4.windowsupdate.com) But to get SP2 you need .....and you should be set. Just burn that file to CD then.

Good Luck

-Kevin

Yes, got that far...SP2 is installed now (went well)....I just re-formatted the third partition (88.9GB) through the regular Windows XP system (right click --> format...etc) but nothing new was picked up.

I'm really not sure how I can get Windows XP to "Magically" pick up the remaining 25 GB's of material. Is it even possible to get her to pick it up without using Partition Magic?

Anyone?

-Rob
robpilgrim@gmail.com
 
Installed Partition Magic 8.0......magic it is! She picked up the remaining space and I formatted the remainder in NTFS + merged it with my 90GB existing partition. What a great tool.

Thanks for all the help guys.

-Rob
 
I am going to give you an alternative that is longer to do, but would work better IMO. You said you just installed XP, correct? Well if you don't mind formatting again and reinstalling XP, then you can do something. I had a similar situation as you. I have a hitachi 160GB drive, and when I wanted to install XP, I realized that without an SP1 install CD, it would recognize at most 130GB. After many hours of deciding what to do, I found out about something called "slipstreaming" windows XP to SP1. Basically what this does, is allow you to take your XP (no SP), and convert it into a cd that is XP SP1a. That way, when you fresh install XP, since it is SP1 (and supports the over 130GB hd) it will detect it properly, as it did mine. Here is the link I used, that gives you step by step procedures, with pics.: http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp1_cd.htm

This is just an idea I was throwing out. I know you already used partition magic, but this is for others with the same question. And also, it would not hurt to go ahead and make your CD SP1 for future use. Good Luck.
 
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