adding new disk win2k pro

I have an old 2k box that is more of a test box than anything.
The PC is rather old by today's standards. Its a dual pII 300mhz IBM Intellistation with the most current available bios (dated sometime in 97).

However, as of recently, I've been using it as storage for all the CDs that I'm ripping.

I outgrew my first 120 gig drive and need to add another drive.
(yes... 110gigs so far of LEGAL mp3s. :) )

I currently have two 4 gig primary disks that just store the OS and very little else.
(The occasional utility, av, and fw. )
I also have two 120 gig drives that I'd like to have in there.

The first 120 gig drive formatted at 114 gigs.

When I go to add the second 120 gig drive, it is recognized.
But, it won't let me create a parition or format it.

Why would this happen? Am I limited to the number of disks I can have on 2kpro?

They allow me to have four IDE devices. Before it was 3 primary and one cdrom.
I have removed the cdrom as I have no need for it. I can access anything over my network that I'd need.

I have attached a pic so you can see exactly what I'm talking about.

Thanks for your help in advance!

I don't no if it's 2000 thats limiting you. I would hazard a quess that it's your bios. Can you not remove a disk or two, format and partition the disk that you want to add then refit your other drives??

Did you format the partition as primary or extended? You have a max of 4 primary partition?

Did you try PQ Magic or only Win2K Partition utilities?

I currently have 3 primary partitions 2x4gigs 1x120gig.

I want to add a 4th primary partition 120gig.

I used the 2k utilities.

I don't have partition magic.

However, the first 120gig partition was created and formatted on a XP Pro box and then switched over.

The BIOS shows all the disks but not in their full size. Maxing out at about 50gigs in BIOS?
But in 2k, they show up as the correct size.

Hi Phish~,

I would say "BIOS"..............I don't think that those two 3.9s are "bringing much to the party" so why not dump them?, or at least one?

Also, have you tried installing the second 120 using the HDD manufacturer's software.........it may need EZ drive or whatever. I know I had to do that to add a 12Gb drive to an old PI/133 which I had already installed a new 60Gb drive into. I don't know why, but it just didn't "see" the second drive, except in the BIOS which thought it was an 8.44 :confused:

Might be worth a try?

Cheers

nihil: I'm also guessing its the BIOS.

The problem is, I installed the OS onto the first partition.

Then everything else is installed onto the second partition.

Short of reinstalling the whole thing... I need that first and second partition.

I'm going to try to format it on one of my newer boxes and then moving it over like the first 120gig was done.

Thanks for all the help!

Hi Phish~,

An alternative strategy might be something like:

c:\ = 3.9
d:\ = 3.9
e:\ = 120

I guess that is your current configuration?..................As d:\ doesn't seem to have that much on it, why not copy to e:\ where you still have about 9Gig?. Then install the second 120 in the place of it with 2 Logical drives (maybe 10/110 or something?)

Then move the stuff back from the original 120 (e:\) into the first partition , which should still be "d:\"? e:\ will be the empty 110 and the old e:\ will now be f:\. That will leave you with three physical drives (IDE addresses) and four partitions? If you only have music on the existing big drive, you should not have too much hassle with access paths?

I would suggest getting the tools from the HDD suppliers sites, as I have found that formatting in Win2k seems to create "unused space"...............maybe that is part of the problem? Also the HDD suppliers' software gets around any BIOS problems.

Cheers

Ok, I just took it into work (easier to get into the PC case...) and created the partition as a primary NTFS disk.

I plugged it in and it works just fine.

Now... back to burning! I want to have 200gigs of mp3s by the weekend... muhahaha muhahaha

(again, all legal. I'm ripping my entire cd collection... along with everyone elses in the house. one huge digital jukebox. so far over 1500 cds :) )