1. You are viewing our forum as a guest. For full access please Register. WindowsBBS.com is completely free, paid for by advertisers and donations.

Can't format 160 GB HD; XP only sees 132 GB....

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by JoeHerro, 2006/12/08.

Page 1 of 2
  1. 2006/12/08
    JoeHerro

    JoeHerro Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2006/12/07
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hello All:

    I just purchased a Seagate Barracuda 160GB HD and installed it in my home PC. Then, when I inserted the Windows XP Pro OS disk, it only allowed me to format 132 GB of disk space.

    I know (from this forum) that this is because my version of Windows XP (pre-SR1) will only "see" the first 132GB of drive space. What I don't know if how to solve this problem. I want to format the whole 160GB. Do I have to buy another (updated) version of Windows XP with SR1?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you.

    Joe
     
    JoeHerro,
    #1
  2. 2006/12/08
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2001/12/30
    Messages:
    12,317
    Likes Received:
    252
    You'd have to "slipstream" SP2 with your XP cd. Can search here or the internet on how to do this...

    Or you can go into diskmgmt.msc and make a second partition.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #2


  3. to hide this advert.

  4. 2006/12/08
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    Download SP2 from here (DSL/cable essential) .....

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en or order a CD here ....

    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx

    Slipstream it with your existing XP Cd as described here ....

    http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html

    or use Autostreamer which I believe is a lot simpler to use.

    Then boot from the slipstreamed CD and format the whole drive to a single partition if that is what you want or just setup a partition for XP, say 25 - 30 Gb and once XP is installed use Disk Management as Steve posted to create further partitions.
     
    PeteC,
    #3
  5. 2006/12/08
    JoeHerro

    JoeHerro Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2006/12/07
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Do I also need to slipstream SP1 (or will SP2 include SP1)?
     
    JoeHerro,
    #4
  6. 2006/12/08
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    SP2 is cumulative and includes everything in SP1, but you will, of course, need to visit Microsoft (Windows) Update to pick up all the patches since SP2 was released. Edit - when you have installed XP :)
     
    PeteC,
    #5
  7. 2006/12/08
    JoeHerro

    JoeHerro Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2006/12/07
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thanks. I'll try this later today and will post the results.
     
    JoeHerro,
    #6
  8. 2006/12/08
    JSS3rd Lifetime Subscription

    JSS3rd Geek Member

    Joined:
    2002/06/28
    Messages:
    2,221
    Likes Received:
    27
    Joe ...

    First of all, welcome to the BBS.

    You should have received a Seagate Disk Utility Toolkit CD in the drive package.

    I recently installed a Seagate 200GB drive on the secondary IDE bus on my XP Pro SP2 computer, and only 132GB was recognized. Only after formatting the drive using the setup utility on the Seagate CD was the whole drive recognized.

    HTH.
     
    JSS3rd,
    #7
  9. 2006/12/09
    Dennis L Lifetime Subscription

    Dennis L Inactive Alumni

    Joined:
    2002/06/07
    Messages:
    2,557
    Likes Received:
    2
    Not sure if this is relevant. Last December my 200GB external Maxtor drive came preformated with FAT32. My XP/sp2 had no issues seeing the full drive or formatting to NTFS.
     
    Dennis L,
    #8
  10. 2006/12/09
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

    Joined:
    2001/12/27
    Messages:
    15,174
    Likes Received:
    412
    I would never want to use these disk utilities, a lot of times they cause more problems then they solve!

    I would:

    1. Make sure I have the latest BIOS for my motherboard

    2. Have a slipstreamed install CD of Windows XP SP2
     
    Arie,
    #9
  11. 2006/12/11
    JoeHerro

    JoeHerro Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2006/12/07
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hello All.

    I followed Pete C's recommendations and got all the way to creating the iso file. I was able to use IsoBuster to create the image but can't download a version of Nero Burning ROM anything. (I was able to download a copy of NeroNET, whcih apparently runs as a server. The website says that a new trial version of Nero ... 6 will be available soon.)

    Is there some other option for creating a bootable CD? I have heard of IsoRecorder but don't know much about this stuff.

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Thanks again.

    Joe
     
    JoeHerro,
    #10
  12. 2006/12/11
    JSS3rd Lifetime Subscription

    JSS3rd Geek Member

    Joined:
    2002/06/28
    Messages:
    2,221
    Likes Received:
    27
    You're entitled to your opinion, but your solution didn't work for me. I had to use the disk utilities in order to utilize the whole drive.
     
    JSS3rd,
    #11
  13. 2006/12/12
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    PeteC,
    #12
  14. 2006/12/12
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/01/18
    Messages:
    9,072
    Likes Received:
    400
    My 2 cents:
    First of all, why use the entire drive for the xp installation? Boot the cd, create a partition of at most 60 GB and install xp on that partition. You will have 100 GB free space remaining. One booted to xp, install sp2. Once rebooted, xp will now see all of the free space on the drive. partition the remaining free space as you see fit.

    Disadvantages of using the entire 160 GB for the install:
    1. loooooong defrags
    2. virus infection can mean reformat & reinstall.
    3. many many other reasons

    Advantages of multiple partitions:
    1. put os & programs on 1 partition & put all docs (even My Documents) on other partition. If have to reinstall, your docs remain intact on the 2nd partition.
    2. separate partitions enable using programs like Ghost to make disk backups which can restore the os & programs intact in a few minutes rather than a few hrs to reinstall.
    3. many many more reasons to use several partitions.
     
    TonyT,
    #13
  15. 2006/12/12
    JoeHerro

    JoeHerro Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2006/12/07
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    OK. I got Nero 6 ... and made my slipstreamed CD and it doesn't boot. I get an "Couldn't find NTLDR" error. Could s.o. please explain what this means? How do I know that the CD is a boot CD? Or how do I know that this isn't a problem with my BIOS? My motherboard/BIOS settings haven't chnaged since I bought this computer (~5 years). The only thing that has changed is the HD that I installed last week and have been trying to format.

    BTW, installing SP2 on the 132 GB formatted portion did not allow me to finally "see" the remaining space on this 160GB drive. I could only see the originally recognized 132 GB; that's all.

    Also, I didn't receive a utility disk with this HD. I ordered it from newegg.com and they sent no such disk.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Joe
     
    JoeHerro,
    #14
  16. 2006/12/12
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,896
    Likes Received:
    389
    PeteC,
    #15
  17. 2006/12/12
    JSS3rd Lifetime Subscription

    JSS3rd Geek Member

    Joined:
    2002/06/28
    Messages:
    2,221
    Likes Received:
    27
    Joe ...

    I just looked at NewEgg's website, and the Seagate 160GB drive is what is called a "white box" (OEM) package, as opposed to the retail package, which would have contained the utility disk, cables, etc. ... you most likely got just the drive.

    One user comment on NewEgg's site:
    Not the driv's fault but windows xp would only recognise 130gbs of the 160gbs. luckily seagate had a download off their website that created a single partition of 160gbs that windows could recognise.​
    The download he's talking about (DiscWizard) can be found here; it can create smaller partitions on your drive, as well as a single 160GB C: partition.
     
    JSS3rd,
    #16
  18. 2006/12/12
    surferdude2

    surferdude2 Inactive

    Joined:
    2004/07/04
    Messages:
    4,009
    Likes Received:
    23
    Do you have Any Partitioning software, such as Partition Magic? That would be very helpful now that you have SP2 installed. It would be able to pick up and utilize any "Unallocated Space" detected.

    Frankly, I have to agree with TonyT's earlier post on this issue.
     
    Last edited: 2006/12/12
    surferdude2,
    #17
  19. 2006/12/12
    JoeHerro

    JoeHerro Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2006/12/07
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Yes, I followed the instructions on that page. How can I determine if the CD is a bootable CD? When I insert it, the dialog appears asking me what action I would like to take.... I don't get this.
     
    JoeHerro,
    #18
  20. 2006/12/12
    surferdude2

    surferdude2 Inactive

    Joined:
    2004/07/04
    Messages:
    4,009
    Likes Received:
    23
    Confirm that your boot sequence is set to check the CD ROM drive first. Then boot with the slipstreamed CD you created. If it gives you installation options, it's a bootable CD. :confused:

    You want to install a copy of WinXP w/SP2 onto a drive that you will select.
     
    surferdude2,
    #19
  21. 2006/12/12
    JoeHerro

    JoeHerro Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2006/12/07
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hi Pete,

    Yes, I followed the instructions on that web page and burned a CD. How do I know that I have a bootable CD? What's this message about "Couldn't find NTLDR" mean?

    Thanks,

    Joe
     
    JoeHerro,
    #20
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Accept Learn More...