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Thread: Formatting a 200 GB hard drive

  1. #1
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    Formatting a 200 GB hard drive

    Hello.

    I just got a 200 GB hard drive for my computer. The computer is running Windows 2000. The problem I am having is that it is only finding 130 Gigs on this hard drive when I format it. I have tryed the disk management tool and also Partition Magic 8, but with both tools I am missing the rest of the space. It is not seeing it at all. The thing I want to do with this is split it into two 100 GB drives. I have googled some to see if I could find anything but all I find is how to format a hard drive and not get it all. I dont know what to do. Any help is appreciated.
    Thanks ahead of time.
    The only four things i need are food, water, a computer, and the internet.

  2. #2
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Yes, there is a BIOS cut off point at (I think) 128Gb, although some BIOSES will show up to 138GB

    1. Look for a BIOS upgrade from your MoBo manufacturer.
    2. Look for an installation tool from the HDD manufacturer's site.

    From what I gather #1 is considered a more elegant solution than #2

    Good luck

  3. #3
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    What do you mean by a BIOS update?
    When I installed the HD, it detected it as being 200 GB.
    The only four things i need are food, water, a computer, and the internet.

  4. #4
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    OK, I was a bit brief, but I did not want to offend

    BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. Together with CMOS, you might like to think of it as your motherboard's operating system............it handles your hardware/peripherals, whilst your operating system handles your software/applications. Old versions of BIOS frequently cannot understand and handle newer components and peripheral devices.

    This BIOS is supplied to you by your motherboard manufacturer, pre-installed on dedicated chips on the motherboard. Typically you might see Award (used to be Phoenix?) and AMI (American Megatrends) as the suppliers. If you go to the MOTHERBOARD manufacturer's site, you should see if there is a new BIOS release, or a fix for large hard drives over 128/138 Gigabytes.

    When I installed the HD, it detected it as being 200 GB.
    What is "IT", the BIOS or the operating system? If you used a hard drive installation disk, then you might have failed to instal the large drive enabling program that I mentioned.

    To check, boot into "setup" and look at the drive details in your BIOS. Is it 200Mb? Then look into yourWindows Explorer...............what does Windows think that it is.

    It would help if you could tell me:

    1. Make and model of computer (or motherboard)
    2. Operating system service pack (SP)

    Cheers

  5. #5
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    And the bios version. It will show right when you boot your computer up.
    When death sleeps it dreams of you...

  6. #6
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    Ok, well "it" is the BIOS I think. "It" is the thing i go into to set the boot sequence, system time, etc. I am putting it in quotes that way you know that they are both the same things.

    The motherboard is PC Chips FSB333 K7 Motherboard, Model M825G version 9.2a I believe. It is a brand new motherboard because I just finished replacing my old burnt out one.
    The Operating system is Windows 2000 with all the latest updates and service packs, I think.
    The hard drive didn't come with any kind of disket or stuff. It just came with a piece of paper that said something about a static warning.
    Thank you

    I found the website, its http://www.pcchipsusa.com/download-mainframe.asp to download the patch there. I don't know if I should or if it will help.
    The only four things i need are food, water, a computer, and the internet.

  7. #7
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    I will get back to you tomorrow.............I need to sleep

    Yes, the "it" is the BIOS.........that board shipped with AMI (American Megatrends BIOS)

    Cheers

  8. #8
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    Alright, thanks. I don't know what to do with this dumb machine.
    The only four things i need are food, water, a computer, and the internet.

  9. #9
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    What make of hard drive is it?

    If you reboot now and go into set up, what is the drive "seen" as?

    What does Windows "see" it as (right click and "properties")

    You might run chkdsk and see if there are any errors on the drive?

    Cheers

  10. #10
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    This is the hard drive http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...p?EdpNo=423018

    When I go into setup and click on Auto detect for the slave drive, it finds it as 200.1 GB.
    Windows is reading it as a 128 GB hard drive.
    chkdsk doesn't find anything.
    The only four things i need are food, water, a computer, and the internet.

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