Missing Giga-Bytes...!

[Fozzer]

Hello Chums... ...!

Desktop Computer.

With my 80 GB Hard Drive getting rather full, I decided to purchase another HDD.....as you do...

I really wanted another 80 GB HDD, but they are rather rare now, so I finished up with the smallest I could find, which was a 250 GB 3.5" Desktop, Internal Drive...Nice... ...!

....trubble is...

Now I have Formatted it, it displays a mere 125 GB in total...NOT 250 GB as I hoped!... ..!

I know someone out there will know the reason for this, and maybe the cure, as I believe it is a common problem!

The HDD was formatted in the default NTFS File System.

My Present system: A little bit old...but does the job...

Gigabyte GA7 N400, Socket A, PCI + AGP Motherboard.
Processor: AMD Socket A, 2600+ (2.1 GB).
Graphics Card: nVidia 7800 GS, 256 MB, AGP slot.
Installed Memory: 2.3 GB.

..so there you go, Chums..

..is there any way I can revert it to its full size (250 GB), even if it means a re-format in a different? File Type?

Many thanks......!

F.... 8-)...!

Latest Edit:....Operating System: Windows XP SP2... ...!

[Mazza]

WOW! That's alot missing Paul, I fromatted my HDD as a NFTS it said on HDD that is was 200GB but it came out like 195GB but 250 to 125, that half! Can you take it back and yell your story?

[Mazza]

Sorry second post in a row... This is a long shot... but Can you do this?

Right click my computer... click on mange....click on disk management

Look around there for empty HDD space

SCREENIE:

Should look like that. I think anything not blue or green is not in use :-/

[Fozzer]

Sorry second post in a row... This is a long shot... but Can you do this?

Hold on i have to find it... Sorry i'll edit in a min just wait

Hello Maz...

The final formatted size is always smaller than the max indicated on the box by a few Bytes because of the search file system, etc, as part of the Format process.

But my indicated HDD size has reduced by approx half... ...!
...there is a reason for it....(and a cure)...but it escapes me at the mo'... ...!

F....Cold Bath = smaller Hard Drive!... ... .... ...!

P.S....maybe something to do with the difference between Formatting using NTFS OR Fat 32...?

[Brett_Henderson]

I remember that the XP SP1 and SP2 addressed HDD size limits.. So that would be my first question.

I also remember that some older motherboards just won't see more than 137GB, period.

A few years ago, I had to give an old Asus motherboard a BIOS flash for it to see my 160GB HDD.

I'm sure Nick will be along shortly to clear this up.. mean time.. my suggestion would be to to partition the drive so that your old motherboard will see TWO 120GB drives   8-)

As for FAT32 ?  A can't think of any reason to to be using that file-system. The two biggest advantages that XP brought us were true 32-bit, and NTFS.

[Fozzer]

[quote]I remember that the XP SP1 and SP2 addressed HDD size limits.. So that would be my first question.

I also remember that some older motherboards just won't see more than 137GB, period.

A few years ago, I had to give an old Asus motherboard a BIOS flash for it to see my 160GB HDD.

I'm sure Nick will be along shortly to clear this up.. mean time.. my suggestion would be to to partition the drive so that your old motherboard will see TWO 120GB drives

[Brett_Henderson]

(I have to stick to XP for compatibility with most/all of my existing, and current, programs).

F.... ...!

Yeah.. and I kinda miss XP

[Brett_Henderson]

OK... according to my research.. that motherboard uses a Via KT133 chipset ?

If so, it probably won't see anything bigger than 127GB.. even with a new BIOS flash (which is probably riskier than it's worth)..

I still think partitioning is your best bet.. OR, just settle for the 120+ GB.. It's probably more than you'll use anyway..

[Fozzer]

OK... according to my research.. that motherboard uses a Via KT133 chipset ?

If so, it probably won't see anything bigger than 127GB.. even with a new BIOS flash (which is probably riskier than it's worth)..

I still think partitioning is your best bet.. OR, just settle for the 120+ GB.. It's probably more than you'll use anyway..

nVidia Chip Set, Brett.... ...

Gigabyte: GA7 N400S-L.....Socket A, AGP

Present situation with all my Win XP SP2, FS 2004 files, etc, installed, all on one Partition.



250 GB HDD.

F.... ...!

[Brett_Henderson]

OOps.. I see that now.. But I still think it's a motherboard limit, regardless of N400 or KT133..

I've Googled this every way I can think of, and that's my conclusion.

Nick will set us all straight.  8-)

[NickN]

There are 4 possibilities

1. This system has an improper NTFS.sys and HAL which was brought on because SP2 was added to the system from the web update and not a Windows XP SP2 install CD. The limit imposed by Windows

[Fozzer]

Well...

It looks as though there is no easy way out of this, so I am stuck with a 127 GB HDD.... ...!

At least it is larger than my 80 GB HDD, which is now a Slave HDD, for my back-ups.

Small HDD's are hard to come by now. Everyone seems to be going for Massive HDD's...(Which must take Weeks to de-frag!).... ...!

F.... 8-)...!

[ozzy72]

Paul try either eBay or second hand computer parts shops

[Ivan]

buy a separate controller card and you get the other half back... KT133 cant do LBA48 (over 128gb)

[Fozzer]

buy a separate controller card and you get the other half back... KT133 cant do LBA48 (over 128gb)

Ivan... :)...!

KT133....>>>>

http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/chips ... acy/kt133/

..that looks very much like the beast I have on my Gigabyte Motherboard with an AMD Athlon 2600+ Thoroughbred, Socket A Processor fitted.
Every thing works fine, except for this reduction in HDD size!

What is this "separate controller card" of which you speak?... ...!

Cheers...

F...."reductions" are the bain of my life at the mo'... .... ....!