hard drive too small

[tsarv]

Hey everyone, I just put together a new computer including a "250 Gb" Seagate SATA 2 hard drive. However, when I installed windows, it only recognized about 130Gb of space. Is it possible that my hardware or software are not recognizing all the hard drive space, or are Seagate/newegg ripping me off?

 

[bc4]

Are you using XP install disk without SP1? Older version's of windows did not recognize drives larger than 130 gb.
I've seen other people tell posters to google how to slip stream SP2 onto a new install disk. I've never done it but most likely this is your problem.

 

[roadrunner197069]

BC is correct. Once you install SP2 your system will recognize it but you will have to merge it with your existing partion through disk management under adminastrative tools.

 

[Tierce]

I've got this same problem. I haven't done anything besides install windows, and yeah, it's definately pre SP1, I probably bought the CD 5 years ago. Going to search Google, but thought I'd ask here. Does anybody know exactly what order of steps should be taken? Should I just go run all the windows updates and when I get SP2 on just merge the whole thing together, or should I just wipe the windows installation, reformat, and start over using a program to partition the whole 500 GB together, then install windows again?

 

[roadrunner197069]

Well you have to install then download sp2 and then merge. Its not hard. Only other way is to make a howbrew disk with sp2 on it much harder to do.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Try putting vista on it ?

 

[Jackalope73]

For everyone in need of a Windows Xp sp2 disk: All you need is your original disk a cd burner and blank disk the Windows xp Sp2 offline installer and download AutoStreamer a great free program that does it for you. Just search for Autostreamer and you can download it all over it is totally free.

 

[tsarv]

Thanks for the replies. My windows XP copy is pre-SP1. I am making a new SP2 disk according to instructions I found by just googling "slipstream XP SP2" or something along those lines.