[TwerpBassMan]

I recently bought a computer. The guy I got it from took his HDD's out of it before he sold it to me, so for $600 I got this computer;

CPU
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition (2.6 Ghz)
Arctic Cooler Pro HSF with AS5.

Motherboard
DFI Lanparty 790FX - Supports all chips currently out, can easily be upgraded to quad core.

Memory
GSkill 4GB

Graphics Card
2x - VisionTek HD4850 512 MB - Crossfire

Sound Card
X-Fi XtremeGamer

Power Supply
Antec 650w

Case
Antec 900 - Top can has stopped working lately, not sure if the fan itself is broken or the wiring is bad. Includes optional 120mm side fan, case stays plenty cool, tops out in mid 40s under full load.

Monitor
Acer 19" WS

2 Lite-On DVD-RW with Light Scribe

I bought this HDD to accompany the system, http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822136284

I got my hard drive via snail mail today. When I went to install XP, it told me to partition the hard drive, which I went ahead and did, just as a side note, 1TB. After about 45 minutes of it sitting on 0% complete, the reset button to the computer was hit accidently. Now the drive only shows as having 130GB of room. Did I mess it up, or is there an easy fix to getting the drive back to correctly working order?

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You'll need to install SP2 in order for XP to see more than 137GB.

[Broni]

You'll need to install SP2 in order for XP to see more than 137GB.

[TwerpBassMan]

Thanks for the quick response Broni. So, if I install XP, Service Pack 2, it will recognize the remaining 870GB, correct. The thing that puzzles me, is that if I restart the computer to install XP again, it only shows me as having a 135GB HDD when I go to partition the drive.

Thank you, Jessie

[Major Payne]

Just install Service Pack 2 which is included in Service Pack 3.

[123Runner]

Do not worry about the 135gb vs 137gb. Its confusing. Basicly it is the way the computer manufacturers and the computer calculate the size.
A 30 gb may be reported as 30,065,098,568 bytes and 28.0 gb
Its a calculation between kilo (1000) and kilobyte (1024).

For example: My 500gb drive shows 500,105,216,000 bytes and 465gb

[TwerpBassMan]

I apologize for my ignorance with computers. I am trying to learn everything so that I do not bother as many people as I am doing now.

Ok, I was confused, lol. I did all that I have previously mentioned, and when I realized the size difference, reformatted the hard drive again. When I formatted, it erased everything on the hard drive, as I had planned it to do. I did that so that I could try to repartition the drive. When I originally did it, it said something like 970someGB, this time I got the same exact screen, only with 130someGB, lol. What I am confused about is that I had entirely erased the hard drive, gotten Windows completely off of it, the screen still said 130.

So after that I installed Windows again, and hooked up my second hard drive. That worked fine and dandy, lol. Just for spits and giggles, I restarted the computer as if to repartition the drive again. This time, the screen said I had 130someGB partitioned, and 840someGB unpartitioned on the 1TB drive, lol. It said the other drive, 100GB, was something like 97GB partitioned, 8MB unpartitioned.

It just, to me, seems that the drive is partly partitioned. Again, I apologize for my ignorance.

Thank you,
Jessie

[PedroDaGR8]

I apologize for my ignorance with computers. I am trying to learn everything so that I do not bother as many people as I am doing now.

Ok, I was confused, lol. I did all that I have previously mentioned, and when I realized the size difference, reformatted the hard drive again. When I formatted, it erased everything on the hard drive, as I had planned it to do. I did that so that I could try to repartition the drive. When I originally did it, it said something like 970someGB, this time I got the same exact screen, only with 130someGB, lol. What I am confused about is that I had entirely erased the hard drive, gotten Windows completely off of it, the screen still said 130.

So after that I installed Windows again, and hooked up my second hard drive. That worked fine and dandy, lol. Just for spits and giggles, I restarted the computer as if to repartition the drive again. This time, the screen said I had 130someGB partitioned, and 840someGB unpartitioned on the 1TB drive, lol. It said the other drive, 100GB, was something like 97GB partitioned, 8MB unpartitioned.

It just, to me, seems that the drive is partly partitioned. Again, I apologize for my ignorance.

Thank you,
Jessie

I am sure someone will chime in and tell you how to expand your partition to take up all of that free space. You can think of partitioning as sort of like laying claim on portions ofthe drive. Anything that is unpartitioned is unclaimed. For example, right now, the first 130ish GB are claimed for drive C:. You could either create a drive D: and claim all the rest or expand the boundaries of drive C:'s claim to the entire drive. I run vista so someone else will have to chime in on how to do it exactly, I know it can be done, especially if the drive is formatted in NTFS (WinXP default). Oh yeah for the other drive, the 8MB may be file tables (basically tells the drive what is where). If I remember correctly, file tables are listed as unclaimed space (even though they are claimed) that the hard drive will not let become claimed.

[123Runner]

I would not make the C drive as 1 TB. I would leave it where it is. I would also partition the rest of it. Putting music in 1, pictures in another, etc.
The reason for C by itself is that if C needs to be redone for any reason, you will not (should not) lose anything on the other partitions.

Of course you should always back up everything anyways.

[TwerpBassMan]

Ok, so if I get to the same screen again, partition the remaining and assign it to a different drive letter? Sounds like a deal, only one question, will that slow down my computer at all? Makes great sense, I will go try that now, hopefully it doesn't take hours upon hours the partition the remaining space, though I know it will, lol. I will assign the remaining to D. I have two other drives, they will be assigned to the E, and F drives, and my DVD's will be Y and Z.

Thanks a bunch,
Jessie

Edited by TwerpBassMan, 04 December 2008 - 02:52 PM.

[PedroDaGR8]

Ok, so if I get to the same screen again, partition the remaining and assign it to a different drive letter? Sounds like a deal, only one question, will that slow down my computer at all? Makes great sense, I will go try that now, hopefully it doesn't take hours upon hours the partition the remaining space, though I know it will, lol. I will assign the remaining to D. I have two other drives, they will be assigned to the E, and F drives, and my DVD's will be Y and Z.

Thanks a bunch,
Jessie

If you already have windows install on the C drive, there is a way to do it in Windows. You don't need to run the CD.

[TwerpBassMan]

Now I can't get it to recognize/find the extra 840, when I do find it, I will set it up accordingly. Pedro, are you talking about doing it in Disk Management, or is there another way?

[PedroDaGR8]

Now I can't get it to recognize/find the extra 840, when I do find it, I will set it up accordingly. Pedro, are you talking about doing it in Disk Management, or is there another way?

Yeah I am talking about Disk management. Super brainfart today.

[TwerpBassMan]

Lol, no problem. Thanks for the help still. I am trying to shut down and restart, over and over, until I get it to recognize the remaining again.

[123Runner]

While in disk management you can determine and set specific sizes to the partitions, format, and assign drive letters.

[TwerpBassMan]

I know how to get to DM, and how to assign drive letters, but is there a way to search a hard drive for the remaining space?