200 GB Hard Drive Problems

[Ceilidh]

To make a very long story sort of short, I messed up big-time! :( I just installed a new 200 GB hard drive as master (the comp. recognized it as F drive) and used my old 80 GB drive as slave (recognized as C drive) and everything was going fine on reboot...the partition was a full 200GB, all programs were working fine etc., until I decided to try and change the drive letters in the registry (Microsoft Knowledgebase Article #223188). Fortunately, I made a Windows System State Backup on my zip drive before I proceeded to mess my computer up royally. :rolleyes:

Anyway, after several hours of switching drives and jumpers, etc. and finally getting the drives back to where I could boot up (had to FDISK the 200 Gigger and re-install Windows XP), my 200 GB drive now is only recognized as 137 GB. The 80 and 200 GB drives are both showing that they are on Windows Service Pack 1 (Atapi.sys version 5.1.2600.1135) which supports the large drive. Can't figure out why it doesn't recognize the whole 200 unless it was the fact that I had to FDISK the big drive to even get it to boot.

I found the Microsoft KnowledgeBase article #303013 (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;303013) on how to enable 48-bit Logical Block Addressing Support which is supposed to cure the 137 GB barrier, BUT...quite frankly, I've read and re-read the instructions (which are probably for experienced OEM's instead of wanna-be techie me) and I get more confused each time, so I think maybe I shouldn't even try that?

My question is about the Windows System State Backup I made. Can't I just restore the backup where my drive sizes were OK, and will it fix my current problem with the drive size....or would it be better to just try and follow #303013 to enable the 48-bit LBA Support? I'm really scared to go messing around in the registry again!
And, If I just restore the backup of the System State...the Windows Backup Utility asks me if I want to restore to an alternate location or to the original location. If I restore to the original, it'll erase my current registry which works, but is goofed as far as the drive size goes. What to do??? Windows System Restore won't work either because the last Restore Point showing is today...after the mess-up.

Moral of the story: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER mess with the Registry Editor to change drive letter assignments even if Microsoft Knowledgebase Article #223188 says you can. :o

[kc0arf]

Hello,

I would save any data you have on those drives, and format the box clean. I would also partition that 200 GB drive into three volumes: System (C:), Applications (D:), and Data (E:). Partitioning will prevent data loss due to logical / system issues, but partitioning will not protect from mechanical drive failure.

Why do this?

* You might have a corrupted partition without the 48 bit logical block addressing. You were seeing the full partition at one time, and now you are not. It is possible that the OS mucked something up in the file tables. Clean it now.

* You have some serious registry issues. Registery Editor is an exteremly powerful tool, and while you did back things up properly, it might not work the way you intend it to. Remember, your partitions are out of whack, and the golden road was long left behind.

* You want a nice stable system, not possible nightmares lurking around the corner. Bite the bullet and do it now, when you have some leisure time to do it.

* Partitions are a great idea. You get around the hard disk limits, and you a lot more flexibility. I have done multiple partitions for a long time now, and have had no problems at all. Multiple partitions can even make backup schemes easier.... have the backup software just touch the data partition.

Yup. Rebuild your box. That is what I would do.

Christian

[kc0arf]

Um,

Not sure how I got smiley faces after the drive name. They are not appropariate within the context they appear. Please pardon the mess.

Christian

[DMR]

Smileys? What smileys, Christian? :cheesy:

(I fixed it for you)

It's the combination of the ":" and ")" characters; they get parsed into the :) smiley. Try ":" and "D"; they'll turn into :D

On the reply page there's an option check-box below the text entry box where you can disable smileys on a per-post basis.

[DMR]

Ceilidh,

Can't figure out why it doesn't recognize the whole 200 unless it was the fact that I had to FDISK the big drive to even get it to boot.

That's probably where you got stuck with the 137G. What version of fdisk did you use? Most versions floating around out there have problems with disks over 64G. This article sheds a little light.

[kc0arf]

DMR --

DUH! The coffee did not kick in. I have been doing ASCII art like that since 1990. Never dawned on me that writing in that fashion would cause it.

Boy I feel dumb.

Christian

[DMR]

lol. Note to self: "Do not post until at least one full pot of coffee is circulating in body."

:mrgreen:

[Ceilidh]

Ceilidh,

That's probably where you got stuck with the 137G. What version of fdisk did you use? Most versions floating around out there have problems with disks over 64G. This article sheds a little light.

I got the FDISK.exe program from a Win ME Rescue Disk...haven't figured out how to make the same type of disk in Win XP. Any ideas? OK, so, I'm going to take your advice and clear the new drive completely with DriveScrubber and start over again. The drive was showing massive data loss yesterday anyway and I tried the System State Restore, but it didn't work either.

I forgot to mention that both drives are from Western Digital and they actually have some fantastic software for adding the new drive. It was an effortless upgrade and there were no problems at all...until I intervened and goobered everything up with my registry tinkering. :eek: Oh well...back to the drawing board. Thanks for your help guys!

[Catweazle]

I got the FDISK.exe program from a Win ME Rescue Disk...haven't figured out how to make the same type of disk in Win XP. Any ideas? OK, so, I'm going to take your advice and clear the new drive completely with DriveScrubber and start over again..........

You don't need a disk like that for Windows XP. Just use the CD. Boot from it, and the install routine has an inbuilt partitioning capability.

[Ceilidh]

You don't need a disk like that for Windows XP. Just use the CD. Boot from it, and the install routine has an inbuilt partitioning capability.

Ah...thanks! I was driving myself nuts looking for a way to make that disk. :o
*thoroughly embarassed now* LOL

[Ceilidh]

Problem solved...or so I think. I found a neat little utility on the Maxtor Hard drive website called "BigDriveEnabler.exe". It's not manufacturer-specific apparently, because I downloaded and ran the file and it changed my registry for me to enable the 48-bit Logical Block Addressing. So far so good...:cheesy:

[DMR]

OK, glad you got it sorted.

I'll mark this thread as solved; hopefully that'll be true ;)