odd problem with DM9+ on new OS install

[wigwam]

have built my system:
2100+xp on a7n8x deluxe [rev2], 1gb pc3200 ram, 120gb DM9+, radeon 9500pro and so i did a clean OS install of XPpro. 1 partition with ntfs file system. After formatting i got a message telling me there is a problem with this partition and XP cannot install on it, so i need to select another partition. When i pressed return i notice that i had a formatted 117GB partition and 8MB of unformatted drive which i presume is what XP had a problem with.
The rest of the installation then continued smoothly.
Even though i am surely not going to miss 8mb, i am concerned this might reflect a more sinister underlying problem - after all: all the components are brand shining new. Aww who am i kidding - i just want my new toy to work flawlessly or at least know why it didnt!
I know that there is sometimes a problem with large drives but i thought this was only a problem above 132gb and havent come across probs specific to 120gb drives so far. At any rate my bios correctly identifies the drive and i wasnt sure if maxblast3 is to get the bios to rcognise the correct size or to help os install [i wanted to avoid using it if possible based on earlier negative comments about it in these forums].

Your input is greatly appreciated

 

[david__t]

I would always recommend manually formatting a new drive using the good old tools of Fdisk and format. They will not report the drive size correctly but you will find that when you get in to Windows your full space will be available.

I have 2 Seagate Barracudas in RAID mode coming to 120GB and it only shows about 80GB in DOS I think but Windows shows the full capacity fine.

From experience I would suggest starting again and getting everything just right because otherwise it will always be at the back of your mind bothering you (I know from experience of other probs) and every time you get a problem with your PC you will always think that it is related to the phantom 8MB.

Starting from a perfect setup makes trouble shooting in the future easier.

4.77MHz to 4.0GHz in 10 years. Imagine the space year 2020

 

[elzt]

The 8MB part of your HD is reserved by the system which users should never format or use it. Just leave it there. Also it's better to make several partitions than just 1 big partition coz in case you need to reinstall o/s, you don't have to reformat the whole 120GB again and also to backup any data.

 

[Teq]

For some reason I've never understood NT systems always leave 8mb unformatted on every drive I've ever installed. It's never been a problem yet.

The way to get around it is to partition the drive with FDISK from a DOS boot disk before you begin the NT/2k/xp install and then just accept the existing partitions and format with NTFS when you install your OS.

Also... it's usually a better plan to make 2 partitions... a smaller one for your OS and proggies (C and a bigger one for your data files (D. That way if you blow up the OS you don't have to wipe out your data to reinstall, you can just format C: and go for it.



---><font color=green>It ain't better if it don't work</font color=green><---

 

[Teq]

Actually that 8mb doesn't appear to be reserved for anything... at least the OS makes no use of it whatsoever. Yet every windows installer I've run on any disk bigger than 250megs automatically leaves 8mb you can't partition.

It really isn't an issue on bigger hard disks, but there was a time when 8mb would have been dearly missed!



---><font color=green>It ain't better if it don't work</font color=green><---

 

[unoc]

As David wrote, you should start with Fdisk to make the installation partition. It will be a FAT32 because the setup program MUST find a DOS partition where copying the installation file (unless you boot from the CD). Then you can choice to convert the partition in NTFS which will be performed during the XP installation itself. You should NEVER make only one partiton. At least leave one partition for data and drivers.
It will be VERY usefull in case you need to reinstall the OS and format the system partition.
Personally I prefer to make three partitions on such big disk.
I was never able to fill a 30 GB partition only with system and application, so you can create 30+30+60(NTFS).
You should consider also the possibility to access the system files from a DOS diskette. Consequently it can be usefull to install the OS in the FAT32 primary partition (DO NOT FORGET TO ACTIVATE THE PRIMARY PARTITION WITHIN THE FDISK PROGRAM) without converting it in NTFS.
I have also made a system absolutely "not space saving" where I installed W2K and WinXP on two different partitions (both primary and the second created with Win2k). In this way I have always a system to boot even in case of corruption of system files. I also maintain an updated backup of the two system files of both the OS in an other partition. But this was made on a system with 480 GB of total disk storage.

______________________
<font color=red>you don't need a faster computer, you need faster fingers for your hand</font color=red>

 

[wigwam]

many thanks for the replies but as it happens the real situation is even worse than i outlined above.
sorry about the mistake but it is 8GB than windoes cannot see and not 8md [it says the drive has a 114gb capacity]
also i ran the maxtor powermax diagnostic utility and it failes on every test after identifying correct installation. it also mentions failing to see any partitions [in a system i can load up and run!] and so i think i am gonna have to rma the drive.
just so i know and can hopefully sidestep any avoidable probs: is there any known problem installing a 120gb maxtor DM9+ on asus a7n8x boards? i didnt come across any.
I would have thought xp could format and load itself so i dont have to use the maxblast software to format the [hopefully new!] drive

 

[unoc]

__________________________________________________________

is there any known problem installing a 120gb maxtor DM9+ on asus a7n8x boards? i didnt come across any.
__________________________________________________________

Not for the size, I have two IBM 120GB 120GXP working flawlessly on an A7N8X DLX since a year (when the big question on the 11 h/day arose), installed as master/slave on an IDE channel.

Try to rma the drive, and hope to be more lucky because the Max dm 9+ seems to be a very nice unit.

______________________
<font color=red>you don't need a faster computer, you need faster fingers for your hand</font color=red>

 

[elzt]

I C. When I installed Win2000 (the first NT based O/S I've ever installed) the first time, I was puzzled to find the 8MB partition sitting there, and I couldn't do anything to remove it. I always thought it's reserved by the system for partition info or something. Anyway, thanks for clarfication.

 

[Teq]

It's not actually a partition, just wasted space.

It's a bug in the MS installer... You can get around it by using FDISK to partition under DOS, then accepting the existing partitions and formatting during install. That will give you 100% usage.





---><font color=green>It ain't better if it don't work</font color=green><--- <P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by teq on 05/10/03 01:43 AM.</EM></FONT></P>