Getting XP SP2 to recognize 300GB HD

So I just bought a 300GB harddrive, and windows is SUPPOSED to recognize all 300GB, but lo and behold, it only recognizes 127GB. So half the drive is missing.

I already added the reg key for the EnableBigLba but that didn't help. So yea, any help would be appreciated.


The system is running Windows XP SP2.

Shouldn't be anything to do as long as your BIOS supports the drive. I've been running drives and RAID arrays much larger than 300GB without any registry hacks or anything else. However, I have always installed XP from scratch when installing a big drive.

You might try a repair install of XP SP2 (make sure it's an SP2 install CD, slipstream one if you have to). Boot off the install CD, pick your existing installation, and choose to Repair it. This will reload the OS but leave your own apps & data intact. You will have to reinstall all Windows Updates, however. Perhaps XP needs to see the big drive at install time.

[quote047b7a552b="dmorris68"]Shouldn't be anything to do as long as your BIOS supports the drive. I've been running drives and RAID arrays much larger than 300GB without any registry hacks or anything else. However, I have always installed XP from scratch when installing a big drive.

You might try a repair install of XP SP2 (make sure it's an SP2 install CD, slipstream one if you have to). Boot off the install CD, pick your existing installation, and choose to Repair it. This will reload the OS but leave your own apps & data intact. You will have to reinstall all Windows Updates, however. Perhaps XP needs to see the big drive at install time.[/quote047b7a552b]

you could be right. And I would do that if it was my system, it's the whole family's system and I don't want to really mess with it. Reloading XP would take ages to do, what it REALLY needs is a reformat, but I was hoping there would be a slightly easy temp fix to this madness.

i put in a seagate 300gb...i had to run the seagate software in order for it to give me the full amount...also make sure the jumpers are set correctly....its a small thing that can cause hours of problems

[quote48f91ee1d7="dug1200"]i put in a seagate 300gb...i had to run the seagate software in order for it to give me the full amount...also make sure the jumpers are set correctly....its a small thing that can cause hours of problems[/quote48f91ee1d7]

If the jumpers weren't set correctly the drive wouldn't even be recognized.. but for the record both drives (there's a 40GB and 300GB) are set to CS.

Also, I ran the software that came with it. The drive wouldn't show up until I did.

You shouldn't have to run any drive software in a modern PC to make a drive show up to Windows. That overlay software is for OLD systems with outdated BIOS'es that can't address that much drive space. I have NEVER run a drive's overlay software to get XP to see it, and I have 3 250GB drives, a 300GB drive, and 2 320GB drives. Something is going on there, unless you're on a REALLY old system.

Oh, one thought are you running a FAT32 or NTFS format? Windows XP cannot create and format a FAT32 partition larger than 32GB. It can use it, but it can't create and format it. You should be using NTFS anyway.

[quotef00cd7f5e8="EatChex89"][quotef00cd7f5e8="dug1200"]i put in a seagate 300gb...i had to run the seagate software in order for it to give me the full amount...also make sure the jumpers are set correctly....its a small thing that can cause hours of problems[/quotef00cd7f5e8]

If the jumpers weren't set correctly the drive wouldn't even be recognized.. but for the record both drives (there's a 40GB and 300GB) are set to CS.

Also, I ran the software that came with it. The drive wouldn't show up until I did.[/quotef00cd7f5e8]
Thats not true. Jumpers could make it look as if its a smaller drive and still work but it sounds like you need a BIOS update...

right click on my computer

manage

under storage click on disk management

you should see it as an unallocated space

Yeah maybe you just made a smaller partition shrug

That would be funny, if the space was there all along and just unallocated. lol

[quote9bd99f387a="Wolfeman"]Yeah maybe you just made a smaller partition shrug[/quote9bd99f387a]

Partition shmartition.

[quote1c133b43d2="dmorris68"]That would be funny, if the space was there all along and just unallocated. lol[/quote1c133b43d2]

I should check, it might be. When I was formatting the drive, it made a partition of 127GB.

I probably do need a BIOS update, because yea XP recognized my drive and all, but it never showed up as a letter until I installed the software.

Anyway, the whole system is messed up and really needs to be formatted, but since it's not my system, I'm not doing anything but trying to get this problem fixed.

[edit] Yea the space is unallocated. I had to open partitionmagic, hopefully I can just patch this together.

[edit2] I had to create another partition with the unallocated space and merge the two partitions. My computer is restarting. licrosses fingersli

20 minutes later and no update. This doesn't look good...

[quote55cdcf6b5a="nicd.01"]20 minutes later and no update. This doesn't look good...[/quote55cdcf6b5a]

lmao. everything worked fine, I got my 300Gigs

thanks for everyone's help!

I love you.

It was the partition huh?

[quote653a26e321="Veek"]I love you.[/quote653a26e321]

Get a room P

I just thought it was a nice way to end a happy thread.

[quote704dbda018="Wolfeman"]It was the partition huh?[/quote704dbda018]

yea

i had a seagate 300 gig hard drive....and the controller board on the bottom crapped out!!!!! I got an RMA number, but held onto the drive with the hopes that i could save the data....Then I didnt get the rma in on time, and now i'm stuck with a busted 300 gig hdd! '( Last time I buy a seagate! (but that new 750gb does look tempting)

i could use a new big hdd. my 120 and 250 are all full....if my motherboard has SATA onboard, should i use that?

[quote03d19e5089="manofice"]i could use a new big hdd. my 120 and 250 are all full....if my motherboard has SATA onboard, should i use that?[/quote03d19e5089]

it shouldn't matter if your OS is WinXP SP1 or later.

but, if you want to get a 300GB harddrive, I got mine for around $65-$70 at staples. Had to do a bit of pricematching and coupon using, but it was worth it.

[quotebb932e3eaa="EatChex89"][quotebb932e3eaa="manofice"]i could use a new big hdd. my 120 and 250 are all full....if my motherboard has SATA onboard, should i use that?[/quotebb932e3eaa]

it shouldn't matter if your OS is WinXP SP1 or later.

but, if you want to get a 300GB harddrive, I got mine for around $65-$70 at staples. Had to do a bit of pricematching and coupon using, but it was worth it.[/quotebb932e3eaa]
Yeah SATA is better and faster. ATA is dying out...