newbie in need of help!

[russell2622]

Hi i hope somebody can help me here?

i'm trying to install a new 200gig HDD in my PC, when i first installed it it would only see 33gig, i read loads about the Bios and changed that but it's was still stuck on 33gig!

i brought a controller card today and that only saw 33gig so i put another HDD (160gig)in that has not been installed with windows and the controller card saw that no problem, the full HDD!

i assumed my problem is i've installed XP and it has formatted 33gig and nothing can see past that so i've downloaded various tools to wipe the partion but every time i install XP it only formats 33 bloody gig!!!!!!

any help on this would be fantasic,

thanks

P.S also tried taking off the jumper switch, still not working

[Fruss Tray Ted]

First, put the XP cd into a drive and boot to it. Does it report that there is more than one partition? If there's slack space and it is not formatted, maybe XP just can't see it. If it does not show any unformatted area aftyer the primary partition see below:

Get the proper diagnostic tool from the manufacturer of the harddrive, delete the partitions and write zeros to the whole drive. Then go into BIOS and see if it recognises the drive as what it should be. Also put the BIOS to autodetect and then press 'Enter' key.

Then install XP by first making a new primary partition (the size of which is up to you) and see if the newer install can see the whole harddrive.

You should then partition and format all of the drive so it is all available for storage once XP is loaded onto the pc. Although if you are going to use a Linux install later as a dual boot foor example, you will need to leave some slack space unformatted.

Keep us posted on your progress and welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

.

[Rick]

Did you use the disk manager disk from the drive maker?

Did it change the setting in windows that limits drive size to 137gig ?

did you note the jumper for LIMIT disk size to 33 gig and make sure it was not set ?

[russell2622]

"Did it change the setting in windows that limits drive size to 137gig ?"

no i never where is that located?

[russell2622]

First, put the XP cd into a drive and boot to it. Does it report that there is more than one partition? If there's slack space and it is not formatted, maybe XP just can't see it. If it does not show any unformatted area aftyer the primary partition see below:

Get the proper diagnostic tool from the manufacturer of the harddrive, delete the partitions and write zeros to the whole drive. Then go into BIOS and see if it recognises the drive as what it should be. Also put the BIOS to autodetect and then press 'Enter' key.

Then install XP by first making a new primary partition (the size of which is up to you) and see if the newer install can see the whole harddrive.

You should then partition and format all of the drive so it is all available for storage once XP is loaded onto the pc. Although if you are going to use a Linux install later as a dual boot foor example, you will need to leave some slack space unformatted.

Keep us posted on your progress and welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

.

thanks for the speedy reply, i've tried everything you just said but it still can't see past the 33gig, and thats on the start up screen and in disk manager,

[david eaton]

Is there a jumper on the drive that limits the size? Some drives have this for when they are used in older systems.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

David, I defer to your knowledge but why would a 200 gig harddrive even try to limit itself to 33?

I'm still waiting for (among others :rolleyes: ) questions left unanswered.

Specifically, what does BIOS or even System Information say what your harddrive [i]IS?? Quantum Bigfoot? :eek: Well,, prollynot that...

Also please define 'new':

i'm trying to install a [i]new 200gig HDD in my PC,

Straight from the store and/or right out of the box?

[pave_spectre]

why would a 200 gig harddrive even try to limit itself to 33?

A lot of large hard drives have a jumper that will limit them to around 32 gig for use on older systems that won't support any larger than that.

It may be possible that the drive has that jumper in place.

[classicsoftware]

Read:

This (http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=935&p_created=1049499537&p_sid=HQOWegzh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfc m93X2NudD03NjQmcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=)

and

this (http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=936&p_created=1049500809&p_sid=HQOWegzh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfc m93X2NudD03NjQmcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=)

and

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

and

this (http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=928&p_created=1049320914&p_sid=HQOWegzh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfc m93X2NudD03NjQmcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=)

see if that points you in the correct direction

[russell2622]

Hi all thanks for the replys, the HDD is new straight from the box, the system info and bios report that the drive is 33.8gig, i've used all the tools from seagate aswell as a lot of thrid party tools, one which came highly recommended was disk wiper but still it hasn't worked,

i've checked all the jumpers and there is no limit set on the hdd(even checked the label to see if it was a 200 gig hdd!) i will check the links above my post and if that doesn't resolve it then i will send it back to seagate,

thanks to everyone for there great help

[Mick_D]

Since you now advised you have a Seagate here are the troubleshooting and DiscWizard links on the Seagate site.

http://www.seagate.com/support/ts/ata/hardware/01_jumper.html
http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/drivers/discwiz.html

I realize you said you have used all the utilities, however, did you specifically use the DiscWizard to format the drive? Or have you checked for a bios update?

The links Classic gave you say the same thing only to the WD site instead of Seagate. Your problem is a very common one when upgrading a drive. I run into it occasionally myself. I've always used either the mfgrs. format utility or updated the bios if it was available and the customer wanted the new bios.

Hope this helps.

[classicsoftware]

Mic D is on the ball.

Download the utilities, create the disk and let the software do everything.

[russell2622]

Hi All
i've tried what mick d said and it still failed, i've had contact from Seagate and they have said it looks like the drive is faulty, (something about the catalogue being corrupt?) so the drive is on the way back to them,

thanks to all

[pentachris]

A lot of large hard drives have a jumper that will limit them to around 32 gig for use on older systems that won't support any larger than that.

It may be possible that the drive has that jumper in place.
Just as an aside, I ran into one of these for the first time yesterday while upgrading my friend's mother's hard drive. I was installing the new one, leaving the old one in to migrate the data. Checking the jumper settings on the old one, I saw "32 GB Clip Pin Setting" on the drive's label and thought to myself, "What the heck does that mean?!?" When I went to the website (http://erms.samsungusa.com/customer/sea/jsp/faqs/faqs_view.jsp?PG_ID=1&AT_ID=5549&PROD_SUB_ID=26&PROD_ID=-1) and started to think about it, I remembered this thread and figured out where I needed to position the jumpers.

Thanks for the help, even though you didn't know you were helping me! :D

[russell2622]

just a quick update, i got a western hdd today(brand new from the box) plugged it in and saw 200 gig, so after all your help and many hours searching the web it was a faulty drive that was causing the problem!!!

god i hate computers :D

[classicsoftware]

Just a little pointer. When installing a hard drive, always use the diagnostic/installation software provided by the drive manufacturer. You would have solved this problem as soon as it occurred. Forget FDISK and FORMAT. Use the manufacturers tools...


But, glad you solved it