Can a hard drive larger than 127gb be used as the boot drive...

[dd22qq]

...and be recognised to it's true capacity?

Windows XP (without SP2) only recognises drives up to around 127 gig.

If the drive is formatted thru Computer Management console (with SP2
and is then used to start the install of XP, the installation proces
doesn't recognise the large volume as being valid (it considers i
corrupt/unrecognisable) and requires it to be formatted again (whic
will then reduce it to around 127gb).

I haven't actually tried partitioning the drive first but don't reall
want to and doubt it would matter in any case.

I want to use the hard drive, to it's full capacity of 300gb (279gb i
reality), as the master boot drive.

Is this possible

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Why can I only see 127 to 137 GBytes of my 160 GB drive in Windows XP?
http://www.seagate.com/support/kb/disc/faq/137_winxp.html

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| ..and be recognised to it's true capacity?
|
| Windows XP (without SP2) only recognises drives up to around 127 gig.
|
| If the drive is formatted thru Computer Management console (with SP2)
| and is then used to start the install of XP, the installation process
| doesn't recognise the large volume as being valid (it considers it
| corrupt/unrecognisable) and requires it to be formatted again (which
| will then reduce it to around 127gb).
|
| I haven't actually tried partitioning the drive first but don't really
| want to and doubt it would matter in any case.
|
| I want to use the hard drive, to it's full capacity of 300gb (279gb in
| reality), as the master boot drive.
|
| Is this possible?
|
| --
| dd22qq

 

[Anna]

..and be recognised to it's true capacity?

Windows XP (without SP2) only recognises drives up to around 127 gig.

If the drive is formatted thru Computer Management console (with SP2)
and is then used to start the install of XP, the installation process
doesn't recognise the large volume as being valid (it considers it
corrupt/unrecognisable) and requires it to be formatted again (which
will then reduce it to around 127gb).

I haven't actually tried partitioning the drive first but don't really
want to and doubt it would matter in any case.

I want to use the hard drive, to it's full capacity of 300gb (279gb in
reality), as the master boot drive.

Is this possible?

dd22qq:
The information you've provided is somewhat misleading...

First of all, the XP operating system will recognize the full capacity of
the drive beyond 127 GB (binary) / 137 GB (decimal) if SP1 or SP2 has been
installed at the time the drive is installed. This, of course, assumes that
the user's motherboard supports large-capacity disks.

Should SP1 and/or SP2 *not* have been installed at the time of the HD
installation, then the OS will recognize only 127 GB (binary) / 137 GB
(decimal) of the drive. The system does *not* consider the drive as being
invalid or corrupt. It's simply a matter of non-recognition of the full
capacity of the disk. There's *no* need for the drive "to be formatted again
(to) reduce it ..."

Under the above circumstances is the user subsequently installs SP1 and/or
SP2, the full capacity of the disk will be recognized, however the remaining
capacity will be designated as "unallocated", and as such needs to be
partitioned and formatted. So you'll be able to use the full capacity of
your drive but you'll have a minimum of two partitions, which, of course,
shouldn't be a problem when one is using a 300 GB drive.
Anna

 

[Sharon F]

..and be recognised to it's true capacity?

Windows XP (without SP2) only recognises drives up to around 127 gig.

If the drive is formatted thru Computer Management console (with SP2)
and is then used to start the install of XP, the installation process
doesn't recognise the large volume as being valid (it considers it
corrupt/unrecognisable) and requires it to be formatted again (which
will then reduce it to around 127gb).

I haven't actually tried partitioning the drive first but don't really
want to and doubt it would matter in any case.

I want to use the hard drive, to it's full capacity of 300gb (279gb in
reality), as the master boot drive.

Is this possible?

Not possible with the original version of XP. It is possible with XP SP1
and up. To get the same results when booting from the XP CD, use a
slipstreamed CD. "The Elder Geek" site has directions for creating a
slipstreamed CD with SP1 or SP2 .

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstream_01.htm
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm