New to SATA drives & I have a question

Topher5000 · 05-06-2006, 09:06 PM

I'm setting up an HTPC. The mobo is an MSI K8NGM2-FID, the cpu's an Athlon 3000+ & I installed a 320gb WD SATA HD. I installed WinXP & updated to SP2.
The HD's only showing up as 127gb, but I attributed that to having to update the system drivers & the o/s to SP2. I was going to run Partition Magic to get back the rest.
The HD's showing up as being on Location 0 (Primary ATA Channel) & the Safely Remove Hardware icon is in the system tray for the HD. Is this normal for SATA HDs? It doesn't seem right to me. I do have the drive in the SATA 1 connector.

Thanks.

**hwm54112** · 05-06-2006, 09:39 PM

The 127 gig limit is most likely from having to update to service pack 2. Minimum to break the 127 gig barrier is SP1. Rather than use Partition Magic, you might want to consider a re-install after slipstreaming your XP disk. If you slipstream, you'll create a new install disk that includes sp2 and you won't have to worry about the 127 gig limit The link below tells you how to do the basic slipstream of xp as well as adding your sata drivers to the disk. Seems like a good idea as you'll only need the one disk if you have to do a re-install in the future. I only suggest the re-install because adding PM to the mix just adds more potential problems in the future. I believe in keeping it simple

slipstream

**linderman** · 05-06-2006, 09:40 PM

youre not going to like this news but here it is anyway.

The reason why your drive is only seen as 127gigs is because you installed your OS with a version of Win XP (lacking of service pack 1 or higher) which lacks support for drives larger than 127 gigs

This can be overcome by slipstreaming (integrating sp-2 onto your windows cd )

the nasty of it is though; if you are unable to assign drive letters to the unallocated section of your hard drive you will need to reformat and re-install win xp but using the slipstreamed version.

I would try using Disk management to partition and format the unused section of your drive; if it will accomodate you; then no harm > no foul

right click on my computer (desktop) / select manage from the upper part of the menu / in the left pane select disk management / in the right pane look for a "chunk" of you drive that should be described as "unallocated" / right click on that portion of the drive / select the partition tools and establish your drive size as you prefer / then format with NTFS ONLY any and all partitions just made.

if you are unable to do so: I am unsure as I have not encountered your problem in over a year !

then you may have to proceed with a reinstall but use this process prior to the reinstall

SLIPSTREAMING THE EASY WAY

You will need to have a cd-rom burner and burning software such as Roxio or Nero capable of burning .ISO images
if you dont have burning software >>> here is a free version
http://www.canadiancontent.net/tech/...Burn4Free.html

here goes download auto streamer version 1.03
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4444.html

then download service pack -2 to a folder on your "c" drive / its own folder is best / make sure to pick the "network version of Sp-2 or multiple computer version" because this is needed in order to get SP-2 into a folder / if you select the version for one computer it wont go into a folder / instead it will integrate directly into windows
scroll down the web page / this is the one you need
Download and Deploy Service Pack 2 to Multiple Computers

"Download this version of Windows XP SP2 if you need to deploy it to multiple computers over a network"
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...n/winxpsp2.mspx

afterwards its damn easy / open autostreamer / it will ask you to for the source of windows XP and also where the source of the SP-2 are
the source of the Win XP OS disk can stay in the cd-rom drive / the SP-2 you will have downloaded to a folder - get it to navigate to the folder / thats pretty much it dude >>>> after you push the button to do it / when its done it will make a file as you name it >> like "win xp-2

once you see the file that it created after making the intergrated "new" version / you simply click on that little file icon / your cd burner program should take over from there and make you a "bootable" win xp-with SP-2 on it

Topher5000 · 05-07-2006, 07:00 AM

Thanks guys. I was able to format the unused partition with disk management. I want to make the first partition with the o/s 40gb & move the rest to the second partition. Can be done in disk management?
I was wondering about the "safe to remove" icon, but I learned that SATA drives are hot-swappable.
Now on to networking with my first computer.

05-06-2006, 09:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
Topher5000 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 65 OS: WinXP Pro	New to SATA drives & I have a question I'm setting up an HTPC. The mobo is an MSI K8NGM2-FID, the cpu's an Athlon 3000+ & I installed a 320gb WD SATA HD. I installed WinXP & updated to SP2. The HD's only showing up as 127gb, but I attributed that to having to update the system drivers & the o/s to SP2. I was going to run Partition Magic to get back the rest. The HD's showing up as being on Location 0 (Primary ATA Channel) & the Safely Remove Hardware icon is in the system tray for the HD. Is this normal for SATA HDs? It doesn't seem right to me. I do have the drive in the SATA 1 connector. Thanks.

05-06-2006, 09:39 PM	#2 (permalink)
hwm54112 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 2,233 OS: WINXP	The 127 gig limit is most likely from having to update to service pack 2. Minimum to break the 127 gig barrier is SP1. Rather than use Partition Magic, you might want to consider a re-install after slipstreaming your XP disk. If you slipstream, you'll create a new install disk that includes sp2 and you won't have to worry about the 127 gig limit The link below tells you how to do the basic slipstream of xp as well as adding your sata drivers to the disk. Seems like a good idea as you'll only need the one disk if you have to do a re-install in the future. I only suggest the re-install because adding PM to the mix just adds more potential problems in the future. I believe in keeping it simple slipstream Last edited by hwm54112; 05-06-2006 at 09:41 PM.

05-06-2006, 09:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,442 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	youre not going to like this news but here it is anyway. The reason why your drive is only seen as 127gigs is because you installed your OS with a version of Win XP (lacking of service pack 1 or higher) which lacks support for drives larger than 127 gigs This can be overcome by slipstreaming (integrating sp-2 onto your windows cd ) the nasty of it is though; if you are unable to assign drive letters to the unallocated section of your hard drive you will need to reformat and re-install win xp but using the slipstreamed version. I would try using Disk management to partition and format the unused section of your drive; if it will accomodate you; then no harm > no foul right click on my computer (desktop) / select manage from the upper part of the menu / in the left pane select disk management / in the right pane look for a "chunk" of you drive that should be described as "unallocated" / right click on that portion of the drive / select the partition tools and establish your drive size as you prefer / then format with NTFS ONLY any and all partitions just made. if you are unable to do so: I am unsure as I have not encountered your problem in over a year ! then you may have to proceed with a reinstall but use this process prior to the reinstall SLIPSTREAMING THE EASY WAY You will need to have a cd-rom burner and burning software such as Roxio or Nero capable of burning .ISO images if you dont have burning software >>> here is a free version http://www.canadiancontent.net/tech/...Burn4Free.html here goes download auto streamer version 1.03 http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4444.html then download service pack -2 to a folder on your "c" drive / its own folder is best / make sure to pick the "network version of Sp-2 or multiple computer version" because this is needed in order to get SP-2 into a folder / if you select the version for one computer it wont go into a folder / instead it will integrate directly into windows scroll down the web page / this is the one you need Download and Deploy Service Pack 2 to Multiple Computers "Download this version of Windows XP SP2 if you need to deploy it to multiple computers over a network" http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...n/winxpsp2.mspx afterwards its damn easy / open autostreamer / it will ask you to for the source of windows XP and also where the source of the SP-2 are the source of the Win XP OS disk can stay in the cd-rom drive / the SP-2 you will have downloaded to a folder - get it to navigate to the folder / thats pretty much it dude >>>> after you push the button to do it / when its done it will make a file as you name it >> like "win xp-2 once you see the file that it created after making the intergrated "new" version / you simply click on that little file icon / your cd burner program should take over from there and make you a "bootable" win xp-with SP-2 on it __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

05-07-2006, 07:00 AM	#4 (permalink)
Topher5000 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 65 OS: WinXP Pro	Thanks guys. I was able to format the unused partition with disk management. I want to make the first partition with the o/s 40gb & move the rest to the second partition. Can be done in disk management? I was wondering about the "safe to remove" icon, but I learned that SATA drives are hot-swappable. Now on to networking with my first computer.