I reduced my 250GB to a 100GB need to get the space back

[Leo G]

Hi all,
I had some bad sectors on my Dell Inspiron 9400 which uses a Samsung 100GB HDD. I purchased a WD 250GB HDD and used the cloning program EZ Gig IV to transfer my data from one to the other. It worked but it has made the 250GB drive into a 100GB drive. I found out that the Dell has a HPA for the Media boot and the LBA-3 directs it there. I tried to use a program called HDAT2 and wrote the ISO to a CD-R and booted it up but I couldn't get the program to work. So I found another program that does it automatically but requires the HDD to be in the slave position which I cannot do in my laptop.

So my question is can I install my SATA 2.5" laptop into my desktop which also uses SATA drives. Or does the desktop use 12v instead of 5v. Last thing I want to do is fry the new HDD.

[rch1231]

Hello,

Two things:
You can use Partition Magic to re-size the partition on the drive to 250 GB.
Yes you can plug the laptop SATA into your desktop I do it all of the time. The power and cable pin-outs are the same.

[Leo G]

Partition magic wouldn't touch it. It didn't see the HPA. I have solved it. I ended up using HDAT2 to set the drive back to it's native size and eliminate the HPA and then I recloned it and now I have the full 250GB with all my data on it.