Lots of Unallocated Space

[Guest]

I just installed a 200 GB hard drive into my computer. I formatted it using
the Windows XP Pro. installer and I also installed the OS. After windows was
installed I went to the drive properties for my new drive (C and the
properties box said that there was only 127 GB of space on the drive. After I
went further into the properties I found that there was about 60 GB of
unallocated space. I know that the other 10 GB went to the formatting of the
drive. How can I convert this unallocated space into usable space. I dont
want to loose 60 GB of space that I paid for!!! I dont want to have to
reformatt, but I will.

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Kevin.

Depending on the age of your computer and BIOS (which you didn't tell us),
you may be hitting the 48-bit LBA barrier. You need this to access HDs
larger than about 137 GB.

This reference is a couple of years old now, but it explains the problem and
how to upgrade your system to fix it:
http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/M...8/?channelpath=/en_us/Technologies/Big Drives

For much more information, Google for "big drives".

Once you get the platform under control, use Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc)
to create one or more partitions and format them.

RC

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Kevin;
Use Disk Management to create another partition:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=309000

If you want to add that space to the original partition, you need a 3rd
party program if data is to be preserved:
http://www.bootitng.com/
http://www.symantec.com/partitionmagic/

Also you may need a BIOS update to recognize a drive that size.
Also see:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=303013

 

[Anna]

Hi, Kevin.

Depending on the age of your computer and BIOS (which you didn't tell us),
you may be hitting the 48-bit LBA barrier. You need this to access HDs
larger than about 137 GB.

This reference is a couple of years old now, but it explains the problem
and how to upgrade your system to fix it:
http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/M...8/?channelpath=/en_us/Technologies/Big Drives

For much more information, Google for "big drives".

Once you get the platform under control, use Disk Management
(diskmgmt.msc) to create one or more partitions and format them.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

Kevin:
One quick question and then, depending upon your answer we'll go into this a
little deeper...
Does your XP operating system include SP1 and/or SP2?
Anna

 

[Guest]

I have XP Pro that did not come with any service packs. I did just install
both Service Packs 1 and 2 today. My computer is brand new and the BIOS are
the most recent that the mother board company makes.

Thanks!!!

 

[Guest]

What am I preserving? The data in the unallocated space(I dont think that
there is any data in there) or the data in the other part of the hard drive?

Also are there any free programs that I can use to do this if it is nessesary?

Thanks agian!!!

 

[Anna]

I have XP Pro that did not come with any service packs. I did just install
both Service Packs 1 and 2 today. My computer is brand new and the BIOS
are
the most recent that the mother board company makes.

Thanks!!!

Kevin:
The fact that SP1 and/or SP2 wasn't installed at the time you installed your
200 GB HD is the problem. (I'm assuming your motherboard's BIOS recognizes
large-capacity disks, i.e., disks > 137 GB. Virtually all MBs manufactured
during at least the past three years do.)

When you install SP2 (or SP1), the full capacity of your 200 GB disk will be
recognized (the system will actually recognize about 186 GB, the difference
between the advertised capacity and the way the system computes disk
capacity), however, the disk space above the current 127 GB will be
reflected as "unallocated space", disk space that you can partition and
format in XP's Disk Management utility (Start > right-click My Computer >
Manage > Computer Management > Disk Management).

Note that this means you will have a minimum of two partitions. Since many,
if not most, users prefer to multi-partition their large drives anyway, this
might not be a problem for you. However, if you want *only* a single
partition for your 200 GB (186 GB approx) drive, you will need a third-party
program such as Partition Magic to merge the partitions into a single
partition.
Anna

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Kevin;
Windows can not merge the unallocated space with C drive without losing the
data on C.

Disk Management can be use if you want to make unallocated space another
drive.
Otherwise the first link in my last post has a trial you can use and see if
you like it.

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <#[email protected]> "Jupiter Jones [MVP]"

Kevin;
Windows can not merge the unallocated space with C drive without losing the
data on C.

Not to be argumentative, but if you convert the drive to a dynamic disk
then you can expand the partition without much difficulty and if all
goes smoothly, without any data loss.