HELP!! 250GB Hard Drive ... Ok, I just got a new 250GB 7200RPM Western Digital Hard drive for my Alienware desktop but...I only have Windows Professional on CD, ...

p8ntbalinzephed · 12-26-2003, 10:58 AM

Ok, I just got a new 250GB 7200RPM Western Digital Hard drive for my Alienware desktop but...I only have Windows Professional on CD, I do not have it with Service Pack 1. I can download SP1 and install it, but the PC still only sees 137GB on the drive....Anyone have any clue on how I can configure my PC to see all 250 without buying a controller card? I already have SP1 installed on the 250GB hard drive, as it is now my main drive, but I installed regular XP w/o SP1....any help?

shyy · 12-26-2003, 12:06 PM

You would never see your 250gig. you might see 230gig or little lower, but 137gb, thats way too low. sp1 would not help you as I don;t use it and i see 230gb on mines. Try putting that hd only and reformatting. No matter what drive you buy, you will never get that exact amount

p8ntbalinzephed · 12-26-2003, 12:20 PM

Yea I know, I figured out that I should only see 136.64GB....1 billion bites in a giga bite my ass...lol....lamers....sorry reverting back to my computer programing classes...anywho, I got it to work, I used my Laptop install disk which had Windows XP second edition. Thanks!

Yoda117 · 12-26-2003, 05:15 PM

Heh, I was about to suggest that when I spotted your post...

BTW: ever think about just putting the HD in an enclosure so it could be readily used by BOTH computer?

Time-Pilot · 12-26-2003, 05:29 PM

Windows XP can address a up to a 2 terabyte volume using NTFS. You may need a bios update, or switch from auto drive detection to manual and adjust the heads to 15. Most auto detect settings set you to 16 on large drives.

CharlieBox · 12-26-2003, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p8ntbalinzephed

Ok, I just got a new 250GB 7200RPM Western Digital Hard drive for my Alienware desktop but...I only have Windows Professional on CD, I do not have it with Service Pack 1. I can download SP1 and install it, but the PC still only sees 137GB on the drive....Anyone have any clue on how I can configure my PC to see all 250 without buying a controller card? I already have SP1 installed on the 250GB hard drive, as it is now my main drive, but I installed regular XP w/o SP1....any help?

Try partitioning the drive in half. So drive C would be 125gb and drive D would be 125gb.

mailman · 01-06-2004, 08:54 PM

your problem is your ide bus isnt ata6 compatable( and therefor u are limited to the max size of 137g) so u gotta get a new ide controller card for it, and thats the only way to fix it aside from getting a new mobo.

Yoda117 · 01-07-2004, 12:55 AM

agreed mailman,

This is why you can find some of the older enclosures for like $40 or so for a 2-drive on E-bay, but $80+ for the 2-drive ones that can handle the larger HDs.

And the price gets really wild from there ($150 for a 4-drive enclosure, and prices up to $500+ for an 8?

)

p8ntbalinzephed · 01-08-2004, 05:51 PM

All I had to do was install XP with service pack one, and it worked fine...thanks everyone!!

12-26-2003, 10:58 AM	#1
p8ntbalinzephed Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 113 Credits: -309	HELP!! 250GB Hard Drive Ok, I just got a new 250GB 7200RPM Western Digital Hard drive for my Alienware desktop but...I only have Windows Professional on CD, I do not have it with Service Pack 1. I can download SP1 and install it, but the PC still only sees 137GB on the drive....Anyone have any clue on how I can configure my PC to see all 250 without buying a controller card? I already have SP1 installed on the 250GB hard drive, as it is now my main drive, but I installed regular XP w/o SP1....any help? __________________ Desktop: Alienware P4 2.8 Ghz -- 512 MB PC2700 -- 120GB 7200RPM\|250GB 7200RMP --DVD+RW--ATI Radion 9700 PRO -- Laptop: Area-51m2 P4 3.2 Ghz -- 512 MB PC3200 -- 60GB 7200RPM

12-26-2003, 12:20 PM	#3
p8ntbalinzephed Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 113 Credits: -309	Yea I know, I figured out that I should only see 136.64GB....1 billion bites in a giga bite my ass...lol....lamers....sorry reverting back to my computer programing classes...anywho, I got it to work, I used my Laptop install disk which had Windows XP second edition. Thanks! __________________ Desktop: Alienware P4 2.8 Ghz -- 512 MB PC2700 -- 120GB 7200RPM\|250GB 7200RMP --DVD+RW--ATI Radion 9700 PRO -- Laptop: Area-51m2 P4 3.2 Ghz -- 512 MB PC3200 -- 60GB 7200RPM

01-08-2004, 05:51 PM	#9
p8ntbalinzephed Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 113 Credits: -309	All I had to do was install XP with service pack one, and it worked fine...thanks everyone!! __________________ Desktop: Alienware P4 2.8 Ghz -- 512 MB PC2700 -- 120GB 7200RPM\|250GB 7200RMP --DVD+RW--ATI Radion 9700 PRO -- Laptop: Area-51m2 P4 3.2 Ghz -- 512 MB PC3200 -- 60GB 7200RPM

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12-26-2003, 12:06 PM	#2
shyy Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 408 Credits: -219	You would never see your 250gig. you might see 230gig or little lower, but 137gb, thats way too low. sp1 would not help you as I don;t use it and i see 230gb on mines. Try putting that hd only and reformatting. No matter what drive you buy, you will never get that exact amount

12-26-2003, 05:15 PM	#4
Yoda117 Chief Galley Slave Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 508 Credits: -214	Heh, I was about to suggest that when I spotted your post... BTW: ever think about just putting the HD in an enclosure so it could be readily used by BOTH computer?

12-26-2003, 05:29 PM	#5
Time-Pilot Ewok Poacher Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: 35,000 Ft Posts: 12,546 Reviews: 1 Credits: 13,436	Windows XP can address a up to a 2 terabyte volume using NTFS. You may need a bios update, or switch from auto drive detection to manual and adjust the heads to 15. Most auto detect settings set you to 16 on large drives.

01-06-2004, 08:54 PM	#7
mailman Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 103 Credits: -322	your problem is your ide bus isnt ata6 compatable( and therefor u are limited to the max size of 137g) so u gotta get a new ide controller card for it, and thats the only way to fix it aside from getting a new mobo.

01-07-2004, 12:55 AM	#8
Yoda117 Chief Galley Slave Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 508 Credits: -214	agreed mailman, This is why you can find some of the older enclosures for like $40 or so for a 2-drive on E-bay, but $80+ for the 2-drive ones that can handle the larger HDs. And the price gets really wild from there ($150 for a 4-drive enclosure, and prices up to $500+ for an 8? )