[resolved] Only 31G from a 120G HD

how old is the computer? double check the hdd jumpers. i know some other hdds have jumpers that set them to 30gigs only when they are like 80gigs.

win xp?

yes win XP. The computer is rather old but the HD is brand new.

fat 32?

Ntfs...

hmmm....if the computer is old then try checking out for a bios update for your son's computer. good luck

Another clue: the HD that was replaced was a 45G drive that (once installed in a new computer) also only reported 31G.

Is there some limitation inherent in the old PC that restricts the capacity? :4-dontkno

Here you go...

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc...3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1

Thanks, it appears I'm not going to be able to get the bios upgraded so my choices are limited. I'll try the suggested fix once I get home this evening.

Or, can I format it with 4 - 30G partitions?

One other question: why did the new computer not see all 45G (on the old HD) even after i reformatted?

I am installing a larger hard drive on a Toshiba 460CDT Satellite Pro Laptop, circa
1996. From experience and pain, I know it will only support a 8GB drive. It came with a 2.1GB, I installed a 60GB. Is there any software such as On-Track or such that will allow the laptop to use the whole drive?

FYI, I went online and downloaded (for a small fee) Ontrack Disk Manager and it allowed me to "see" and format the entire 60GB Fujitsu Drive as FAT32. It bypassed the limitations of the old Toshiba Laptop BIOS. Hope this may help some of you out there with older machines / BIOS.

Hello All:

Yes there are some software progs that use DDO (dynamic disk overlay) to help overcome the bios limitations and the lack of 48bit enable in the bios / however; if you ever have a problem that requires partition table rebuilding or data recovery youre going to be SOL I would rather have 4 partitions of 30 gig each with NTFS / than I would to have a whole 120gig drive with DDO !!!!

just my two cents / and it aint worth a stick of used bubble gum ~~ and YES I do know it !!

regards

joe

I was able to use an old external disk holder called a "QuicK Drive" that I've had for years. I inserted the 120G HD after removing the slave jumper. The old computer still would only recognize 32G. As an experiment I used my main computer and was able to format the rest of the drive. Then back to the old computer - hey look a 32G partition and a 86G partition. :grin:

So now my son can share music and videos to his heart's content (cause if it was only school work, a couple of 256M thumb drives would be plenty ).

Thanks everyone for the hints...