New Hard Drive Help Needed!

[Keebler Elf]

So I bought a Hitachi 250 GB Deskstar hard drive. Win XP (fresh install) only recognizes 137 GB of it. I know my motherboard will work with 250 GB hard drives b/c that's what my old one was. I've updated my motherboard drivers and all Windows updates (including SP2) have been installed. I had this problem once before but I can't remember how I fixed it.

Can anyone help!

p.s. when I reboot my computer, the load screen doesn't detect any primary or secondary drive but BIOS does and Win XP loads just fine. Windows also detects the drive, just not the full 250 GB capacity.

 

[papasmerf]

Sounds as if you might have to flash your bios

 

[Keebler Elf]

How I do that?

 

[papasmerf]

Check out the morther boards books. Or get the BIOS info at start up. Head off to the BIOS manufacureers web site. They will have directions for flashing.

 

[Esco!]

How I do that?

You flash your bios like this:

http://www.houseofguinness.com/images/flasher t.JPG

 

[papasmerf]

You flash your bios like this:

http://www.houseofguinness.com/images/flasher%20t.JPG

I knew I shouldn't but I had to look. LOL

 

[tboy]

You might have to also look at hitachi's hard drive utilities. I had the same problem with my western digital but my drive came with a utilities cd that enabled my puter to recognize the full capacity of the larger drive....

You can probably find them at the hitachi website....

 

[Keebler Elf]

What a shitty website Hitachi has. Finding help is such a pain in the ass. I've gotta install Adobe just to read their bloody installation guide.

ARRRRGH!! This is such a pain in the ass!!!!!!!!!

 

[Keebler Elf]

BIOS recognizes the drive as being 250 GB but WinXP doesn't...

 

[Keebler Elf]

Interesting. Computer Management under My Computer shows 127.99 allocated to C: drive and another 104.89 unallocated.

So how do I allocate it?

 

[Esco!]

Interesting. Computer Management under My Computer shows 127.99 allocated to C: drive and another 104.89 unallocated.

So how do I allocate it?

You allocate it by unallocating the unallocated parts.
This will allocate the parts that need to be allocated

 

[Keebler Elf]

I'm looking for some help here Esco. I realize this may amuse you, but this problem is really pissing me off. Please keep your jokes to yourself if you're not going to help.

 

[Preferred]

Use Partition Magic to make one partition only of the entire drive. It can be downloaded for free at Download.com

 

[Esco!]

I'm looking for some help here Esco. I realize this may amuse you, but this problem is really pissing me off. Please keep your jokes to yourself if you're not going to help.

OK seriously, give Joebear a PM, last time he really helped me with some software problems I was having.

He really knows his stuff

 

[joebear]

Interesting. Computer Management under My Computer shows 127.99 allocated to C: drive and another 104.89 unallocated.

So how do I allocate it?

check out:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;303013

This article describes the Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) 48-bit Logical Block Addressing (LBA) support for ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI) disk drives that can increase the capacity of your hard disk to more than the current 137 gigabyte (GB) limit.

Note Windows XP does not support 48-bit LBA support unless you are running Windows XP SP1. If you want to use 48-bit LBA support, you must apply Windows XP SP1 or later. Windows XP Media Center Edition and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition already include SP1.

For additional information about the latest service pack for Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322389 How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack



also:

Here are some reference
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;303013
http://www.48bitlba.com/winXPhb.htm
http://www.48bitlba.com/winXPhnb.htm
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/1115/

Read up on Q303013

1. Install Windows XP SP1
2. Make sure Atapi.sys in your %systemroot%\system32\drivers folder is version 5.1.2600.1135. If not go to Q331958(I had to do that)
3. Regedit. Add [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Atapi\Parameters]
EnableBigLba Dword 1

That's it If you have problem with my instructions read the references

Addition:
A) Check #2.
B) Before installing OS make sure your patitions are smaller than 137 GB. After you install check #1-#3 then partiton the whole HD. Easiest way is just have one small partition 30 GB when you install OS.

 

[cynalan]

Your hard drive is probably set up as a static drive. Change it to a dynamic drive and recognition of the unallocated portion will be a snap. Check out the MS or PCMag websites for info on how to do this.

 

[shawnbg]

I wouldn't bother. You don't need or want a single 250 GB partition. Just create a second partition in Windows and then format it and use it for data storage or whatever.