Can't find partition

[cwtlr]

I just installed a new motherboard and drive. The drive is Seagate 60GB. I installed Win-XP. When first booting the drive I partitioned it into two 30GB partitions. I can only find and use one 30GB partition. Main drive properties shows 30GB, System information shows a 60GB drive.
I tried using the command prompt for FDISK/STATUS, but it's not recognized. The return I get is "'FDISK' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file".
Any suggestions to how I can find and use my other partition?
Thanks,
Craig.

[Whyzman]

Going out on a limb here...but have you tried booting up using a Win9x boot disk with the fdisk utility on it? Do you recall formatting the second 30gig partition?

[Rick]

You installed win XP.
Fdisk is not a part of XP.
You need to use “ Diskpart “ from a command prompt

For more info
Open Explorer and click on Help
Then Help and support center
In the search window type in Diskpart

[cwtlr]

I believe the way the formatting goes is the whole disk is formatted, then it is partitioned if required. I may be wrong. Partitioning is new territory for me.

I'll check out 'diskpart'.
Thanks.

[ziba-june]

Hi cwtlr,

I don't have a reqular winXP machine here to test this but I do have XP pro and that is how I set the HDs. Go to Start ---> Settings ---> Ctlr Panel ---> Admin Tools ---> Computer Management ---> Storage ---> Disk Management.

There you will see all your partitioned and unpartitioned drives and you can partition and format your drives there. I am not sure if it will work with reqular winXP but there should be something like that under disk managment.

good luck

[mjc]

cwtlr

I believe the way the formatting goes is the whole disk is formatted, then it is partitioned if required. I may be wrong. Partitioning is new territory for me.

Nope, it is the other way around the disk is partitioned first and then the inidviual partitions are formattted.

[cwtlr]

Thanks for straightening me out. As you can tell, I'm a novice. I learn from making mistakes. So it looks like I have to format the other half of my drive. I'm guessing that I can do that from DOS within Diskpart.
I found Diskpart and a list of commands. They are typically vague (for a non-DOS guy like me). Before I start formatting anything, I have to be absolutly positive about what commands I'm using and what will happen when I hit ENTER. I'm sure I could start all over again if I made a mistake, but I would rather not. I'm at least smart enough to back up everything I have on the drive at this time. I can put it on my extra drive.
Do you know what commands I should use to format the other half of my disk?

[mjc]

All you should have to do is create the partition, then reboot into windows, the partition should be listed there, you won't be able to do anything with it until you format it. That sould be able to be done by right clicking it (in Explorer/My Computer) and selecting format from the list of optiions.

[cwtlr]

The partition has already been created. I'm presently using one of the partitions (one half of the disk). The message from 'MJC' said the partitioning comes first, formatting next. If that's the case, I partitioned my drive into two parts (30 each), formatted one half, installed the OS and began using it. "....then reboot into windows, the partition should be listed there,..."Now we're back to the beginning of the problem which is, Where is the other half of the disk? If it was listed in Windows Explorer, I could click on it and format it. It's not there. I'm lost again. (it doesn't take much).

[cwtlr]

In my haste to get things done today, I failed to see the post from 'ziba-june' regarding Disk Management. I finally read the post and tried what was suggested. Yes, access to both parts of my drive are there and instructions on how to make use of the other (missing) half. After backing up my stuff, I'll give it a try. It looks easy. Wish me luck.
Thank you ziba-june!:D

[cwtlr]

Following the directions provided by 'ziba-june', I was able to locate my missing partition. The problem was that the other half of the disk was never partitioned or formatted. There is a partitioning/formatting wizzard under Disk Managment which was easy to follow. I now have the formerly missing half of the disk. It was there, but it wasn't there until I first partitioned then formatted it.
This lesson was a pain in the butt, however I learned a lot.
Thanks to everyone who participated, especially thanks to 'ziba-june' who provided me with the magic bulltet.