Problems with secondary HDD

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

I have just upgraded my motherboard, processor and graphics card. I am
using Win XP HE and am having problems partitioning and formatting the
secondary HDD. I manage to partition it normally by booting from a
floppy and running FDISK. I then go into Windows to format it NTFS and
after appearing to complete the format, it tells me that it was unable
to format the disk. The only difference for the disk is that its drive
letter has changed from F to D. If I go into FDISK again it tells me
that there are no partitions on the disk. Any help appreciated.

Ian

 

[Jim]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

You need to convert it, presumably FDISK created a FAT32 partition, so go to
a command line and execute the following:

convert d: /fs:ntfs

(or use whatever the appropriate drive letter is)

Jim


"Ian Pollard" <m1flc@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:iq3d80hoc6fkd70ljl04uadb2gqkl75vnl@4ax.com...
> I have just upgraded my motherboard, processor and graphics card. I am
> using Win XP HE and am having problems partitioning and formatting the
> secondary HDD. I manage to partition it normally by booting from a
> floppy and running FDISK. I then go into Windows to format it NTFS and
> after appearing to complete the format, it tells me that it was unable
> to format the disk. The only difference for the disk is that its drive
> letter has changed from F to D. If I go into FDISK again it tells me
> that there are no partitions on the disk. Any help appreciated.
>
> Ian

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 08:50:18 -0700, "Jim" <null@null.com> wrote:

>You need to convert it, presumably FDISK created a FAT32 partition, so go to
>a command line and execute the following:
>
>convert d: /fs:ntfs
>
>(or use whatever the appropriate drive letter is)
>
>Jim
>
A further problem just noticed, Windows reports the disk size as
7.75MB when it is actually 75 MB. Does this point to anything
significant?

Ian

 

[Jim]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

I assume you meant 7.75GB, not 7.75MB.

If you have an older motherboard, it may not support larger HDs, or may
require a BIOS update, or require enabled LBA for large disks in the BIOS,
or software provided by the HD vendor to make it possible to "see" the
entire HD. I'd first check the BIOS to determine if at least the BIOS is
detecting the full capacity. If so, the problem lies in Windows. If not,
you have a BIOS issue, of the type I listed above. You do have to be
careful though to make sure that if you have existing data on the HD, you
save this data before mucking w/ changes to the HD config in BIOS (e.g.,
enabling LBA), or possibly even a BIOS update. Certain changes can result
in a alteration of the HD geometry, which then clears your current
partitions and/or formatting. Just be careful and determine where the
problem lies first, then determine the appropriate action and the potential
problems (if any).

Also, FDISK usually asks if you want to enable large HD support, I assume
you did, if not, you won't see the full capacity. Again, FDISK will delete
current partitions and formatting, backup data *first* if this is an issue.

Jim


"Ian Pollard" <m1flc@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:l27d80lofco14kac5khlgjirarjg9ufe27@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 08:50:18 -0700, "Jim" <null@null.com> wrote:
>
> >You need to convert it, presumably FDISK created a FAT32 partition, so go
to
> >a command line and execute the following:
> >
> >convert d: /fs:ntfs
> >
> >(or use whatever the appropriate drive letter is)
> >
> >Jim
> >
> A further problem just noticed, Windows reports the disk size as
> 7.75MB when it is actually 75 MB. Does this point to anything
> significant?
>
> Ian

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 16:20:58 +0100, Ian Pollard <m1flc@yahoo.co.uk>
wrote:

| I have just upgraded my motherboard, processor and graphics card. I am
| using Win XP HE and am having problems partitioning and formatting the
| secondary HDD. I manage to partition it normally by booting from a
| floppy and running FDISK. I then go into Windows to format it NTFS and
| after appearing to complete the format, it tells me that it was unable
| to format the disk. The only difference for the disk is that its drive
| letter has changed from F to D. If I go into FDISK again it tells me
| that there are no partitions on the disk. Any help appreciated.

If your main HDD is OK and XP is already installed on that and working
with no problems, your secondary drive should be partitioned and
formatted from within Windows. Right click on My Computer (or
whatever you've changed that obnoxious term to) and select Manage.
From the window that pops up, select Disk Management. By right
clicking on the image of your secondary HDD in the resulting Window,
you can partition and format.

Once you get into Disk Management, I'd suggest deleting any
partition(s) you've already created on the secondary so you can start
with a clean HDD.

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 09:44:00 -0700, "Jim" <null@null.com> wrote:

>I assume you meant 7.75GB, not 7.75MB.
>
>If you have an older motherboard, it may not support larger HDs, or may
>require a BIOS update, or require enabled LBA for large disks in the BIOS,
>or software provided by the HD vendor to make it possible to "see" the
>entire HD. I'd first check the BIOS to determine if at least the BIOS is
>detecting the full capacity. If so, the problem lies in Windows. If not,
>you have a BIOS issue, of the type I listed above. You do have to be
>careful though to make sure that if you have existing data on the HD, you
>save this data before mucking w/ changes to the HD config in BIOS (e.g.,
>enabling LBA), or possibly even a BIOS update. Certain changes can result
>in a alteration of the HD geometry, which then clears your current
>partitions and/or formatting. Just be careful and determine where the
>problem lies first, then determine the appropriate action and the potential
>problems (if any).
>
>Also, FDISK usually asks if you want to enable large HD support, I assume
>you did, if not, you won't see the full capacity. Again, FDISK will delete
>current partitions and formatting, backup data *first* if this is an issue.
>
>Jim

The HDD is quite a recent one and the Mobo is brand new. The only
difference between the old and new drives is that the letter has
changed from F to D with the Mobo change. I did use FDISK and enabled
large volume support. After partitioning the drive, I checked and no
paertition existed. I partitioned again, went back into FDISK and
again, no partition. I checked again and found that the drive is
around 75GB and is showing as 7.5GB. It was fine yesterday! before the
upgrade. Everything else is working fine.

Ian

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 18:07:11 GMT, Larc <larc-news@jupiterlink.net>
wrote:


>
>If your main HDD is OK and XP is already installed on that and working
>with no problems, your secondary drive should be partitioned and
>formatted from within Windows. Right click on My Computer (or
>whatever you've changed that obnoxious term to) and select Manage.
>From the window that pops up, select Disk Management. By right
>clicking on the image of your secondary HDD in the resulting Window,
>you can partition and format.
>
>Once you get into Disk Management, I'd suggest deleting any
>partition(s) you've already created on the secondary so you can start
>with a clean HDD.
>
>Larc
>
>
>
> §§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§

That is where the problem lies, I can only see the secondary hard disk
as 7.75 GB when it is a 75GB disk. If I try to make a partition it
appears as OK then when I try to format it I am told format failed.
Can you still low level format a hard disk? If so, would it help?

Ian

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Ian Pollard wrote:
> On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 18:07:11 GMT, Larc <larc-news@jupiterlink.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>>If your main HDD is OK and XP is already installed on that and working
>>with no problems, your secondary drive should be partitioned and
>>formatted from within Windows. Right click on My Computer (or
>>whatever you've changed that obnoxious term to) and select Manage.
>
>>From the window that pops up, select Disk Management. By right
>
>>clicking on the image of your secondary HDD in the resulting Window,
>>you can partition and format.
>>
>>Once you get into Disk Management, I'd suggest deleting any
>>partition(s) you've already created on the secondary so you can start
>>with a clean HDD.
>>
>>Larc
>>
>>
>>
>> §§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§
>
>
> That is where the problem lies, I can only see the secondary hard disk
> as 7.75 GB when it is a 75GB disk. If I try to make a partition it
> appears as OK then when I try to format it I am told format failed.
> Can you still low level format a hard disk? If so, would it help?
>
> Ian
Boot from a Knoppix LiveCD, and start the 'install', and look at the
hard drives in either 'CFDISK' or the Linux 'FDISK'. you have 132
format choices there, but, in this case, I would use the Linux utilities
to look, and see the partitions; and then go over to a DOS 'fdisk' (much
less control, fewer choices, and weaker than even Partition Magic 8.0).


I use Knoppix for most of my hard drive troubleshooting, repairs, and
work. http://knopper.net/knoppix