Annoying Problem with Disk Partitions.

[frusciante_funk]

Hey, im new here all because of this problem that keeps bugging me. Ok, i have a 160gb HDD. but i only have access to 127.99gb. and the other 24.67gb is "Unallocated". What i am wanting to do is make that partition avalible for me to use and join it with my main drive so i have 1 big drive. I want to keep all my data aswell. Please, Please help...

[patio]

Quite possibly a hidden partition from the manuf. that contains the Restore files that ship with the machine...without more info however this is just a guess.

[frusciante_funk]

umm nah i built the computer and when i installed the HDD, which i got from work from a old surveillance recorder. When i did the whole installation of XP i couldnt format it or anything

[Dias de verano]

I think this is an old friend come back again, LBA, Logical Block Addressing. Depending on:

your version of Windows (which means you need to get the latest service pack),

your BIOS,

your IDE controller,

One or more of these is not supporting beyond 28-bit addressing, so you max out at 2^28 sectors *512 bytes/sector = 137,438,953,472 bytes = 128 GB (where 1 GB = 2^30 bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes).

Something in your system is limiting addressing to 28 bits.

Have you enabled LBA in the BIOS?

How old is the motherboard? Can it even support LBA?

Make & model of ALL hardware would make this less of a guessing game 

from a old surveillance recorder.

This article gives much relevant information

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305098

[frusciante_funk]

Hey...

Ummm no offence im not a computer geek. i didnt understand anything from that last post. all im wanting is a simple step by step set of instructions to get my HDD to how i want it.. i know a bit about computers but nothing bout that stuff you just said.. umm its xp service pack 2. umm 2g.b ram. intel pentium 4. Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000-G motherboard. ummm thats all i have access 2 at the moment.. can someone PLLEEAASSE help as i need that extra space.

[Dias de verano]

have you got the motherboard manual?

[squall_01]

I suggest that you get a bootable program.  Depends who made the drive.  I dont see why xp wouldn't format it but that is your best bet.

[Dias de verano]

The problem of larger disk drives only showing 128 GB capacity is a well known one, and using a bootable disk will ***not*** solve it.

It is most likely due to the fact that larger hard drives need...

1. The right setting in the BIOS. This is called Logical Block Addressing, often shortened to LBA. You can find out how to get this setting right by looking in your motherboard manual. If you do not have it you can download it from the Gigabyte web site.

http://www.giga-byte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/Manual_Model.aspx?ProductID=1863

2. The right motherboard drivers which will be on the motherboard driver disk which (presumably) you got with the motherboard. Again, follow the instructions in the motherboard manual to make sure these are installed.

3. Once these steps have been done you will have to either reload Windows (but you said you wanted to keep your data so that's out) or

4. Resize the existing partition to occupy all the space on the disk. You can use a free partition resizing tool such as one of the tools here

http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/partitioneditors.shtml

Unfortunately this is not a simple task for which one can write simple "the cat sat on the mat" level instructions.

[frusciante_funk]

Hello again..

Just wondering isnt there a way i can just make the "unallocated" partition a useable 1.??

thanks

[Dias de verano]

Have you tried right clicking on it in Computer Management and selecting "format"?

[frusciante_funk]

Sorry i dont get the choice,, all i get is New Parttition, Properties, and Help

[Dias de verano]

New Partition is the one you want. Choose either FAT32 or NTFS (my choice) and then format the new partition,  choose a volume name, reboot and you will have a new drive letter for a "drive" with 24.67 GB of space

[frusciante_funk]

hey thanks for the help... its formatting at the moment.. ummm just wondering its not a big issue tho.... is there a way after its formated to add the 26gb onto the main part of the HDD???

[Broni]

You'll need to use partitioning program.  Partition Logic is free: http://partitionlogic.org.uk/