Stupid XP/SATA/137GB problem

SiR_dude

SiR_dude

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Mar 5, 2004
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Location
Somewhere in rural Ontario, Canada
Car(s)
2000 Civic SiR
So I finally build my first PC :blink: and I opt for a Western Digital 250G SATA hard drive. First time around - it only shows 131 GB when I go to format it! WTF? So I install Windows XP, do some research, and find out that I need some drivers, maybe a bios update, blah blah blah. I downloaded WD's Data Lifeguard Tools, made a disk, and started over - now the HD showed up as a 250G, but it only seemed to recognize the same 131 as being useable. I did the whole install thing again, fine, and downloaded WinXP SP2 (thinking maybe I needed it). Now - in Computer Management, my hard drive shows up as being 232GB (fine), but that only 121GB free - somehow, only half of my HD's capacity is useable. I've downloaded a BIOS update from Intel (D945PWM mobo) but it did't do anything. I know I could make two partions of 125GB each, but I don't want to and I'm being stubborn - what do I need to do to bring out the other half of my hard drive????
 
What program is telling you the whole drive isn't usable? Some programs just report it wrongly. I've had experience with that problem.

Due to differences in calculating drive space, windows will report less than the manufacturer. Windows bases its theory on 1024k = 1mb whereas the manufacture says it's 1000kb, so there is your "loss" of 18gb. My drives, as well as everyone else's, does that. An inconvenient truth. ;)

This is probably going to annoy you further but, you may have to download some SATA drivers and put them on a floppy/CD. So you can use them when you format and install, again.
 
It's not a driver issue, it's a setting in the BIOS however, I just can't remember which one it is...

The reason only part of it usable is because only part of it was formatted, you can't format the rest in the Comp Management app cause you have to do the whole disk i believe


Ok SiR, Viper said all you need is SP1...it should show up fine.
 
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Well, might as well go all the way and install Service Pack 2.
 
Cruzz563 said:
It's not a driver issue, it's a setting in the BIOS however, I just can't remember which one it is...

The reason only part of it usable is because only part of it was formatted, you can't format the rest in the Comp Management app cause you have to do the whole disk i believe
Click to expand...


Aha, I've just remembered it's called "LBA mode" or something similar. Should be under advanced IDE options or equivalent.
 
Can you post a picture of that program which is telling you that?
 
Usually the hard drives come with a disc that solves this problem.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, guys, but not sure if you've uncovered anything I haven't. I know about actual size vs. reported size, LBA, SP1, and BIOS update issues - I'm running SP2, have LBA enabled (according to the registry) and have the latest update from Intel. The first time around, when I went to do the initial HD format, the BIOS saw 131GB available. After I downloaded the BIOS update, got the HD setup file from WD and made a boot floppy, I went to format all over again. This time, it showed up as 232GB available (the number might be off but obviously it had done the right thing). However, it only was able to create a 131GB partition again. Once Windows had installed, I activated it and downloaded every update available. Through Windows Explorer or in Computer Management, I see it as a 250GB hard drive that is half full - most likely because in the initial setup only half the drive was formatted. I tried using Partition Magic 8.0 to correct it, but it complained about being past the 1024 cylinder point or something. I have a gut feeling it's something I need to enable or a driver I need to update somewhere, but I can't find it. I've searched everywhere in the BIOS, but no luck. Any more suggestions?
 
I'm out of ideas. I thought for sure it would be a BIOS issue but that board should easily handle that.
 
Figured it out. I was using WD's software to do the initial format, which is fine. I did it over again, told it I wanted 1 partition of 250GB (actual is 232), fine. Then I went to reinstall Windows - and I get to the point where it asks you to do a

-Quick Format (NTFS)
-Advanced Format (NTFS)
-Use Current Format (not recommended)

...or something similar like that. I had stupidly been choosing the second option :hammer: causing Windows to create a partition on the 250GB HD - and of course it was hitting the 137GB barrier. If I selected it, it would say "Create C: 131070MB on Partition 1 (238473MB) at ID 0 blah blah blah" and it would re-format the first part of the drive. Once in Windows, the second part that was originally formatted by the WD software would be "full" and thus my 250GB HD would show as being 232GB with 56% available.

Finally, after 3 formats and 3 Windows installs I have tamed my beast :woot:
 
Nice going SiR_dude. I would not figure that out unless I was there doing the install with you...:lol:
 
FYI - 232GB is perfectly normal for a 250GB hard drive.

The difference lies with the way the overall capacity is calculated in Windows (the correct size of the hard disk) versus the way the hard drive is advertised (wrong way, using rounded numbers for calculation ie. 1000 MB vs 1024 MB)
 
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