New system build - harddrive assistance reqd

[quiksilva]

I have just had a new system put together and they have left me at the stage to install windows.

They have put my new harddrive (320gig) as the master and the old (500gig) as the secondary.

The problem is i have installed windows onto the 320 gig as it should be however, then is only been shown as 126gig (have i partioned this or something in the initial setup ? My second drive does not show up at all in My Computer.
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/7731/devicear5.th.png (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=devicear5.png)

Can anyone explain why the master HDD is only 120 odd gig ? (Do i need to reformat and start again)

How do i get this second hard drive to show ? It was previously a secondary drive on a windows system...

Thanks

[Yin]

make sure your jumpers are right and that you have the necessary windows updates

[dwax]

I have no idea why your master drive shows less. But I think you have to enable your slave. Right click on "My computer" and select Manage. When Computer management opens select "Disk Management" The drive should be in there. I think you have to enable the drive.

[quiksilva]

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/5288/managery2.th.png (http://img260.imageshack.us/my.php?image=managery2.png)

Doesn't make much sense to me.

First drive is in two partions by the looks (i only want one entire 320 gig one, do i need to reformat ? how to i make it only one ?)

Secondy drive is unallocated ? This should have roughly a 100gig of data from previous computer. Was a slave hdd there too ?

Any help would be great

[btarunr]

You can do either of these:

1. Repartition the drive into one volume. (safe)
2. Resize the partition, for which you need to make sure there's no extended partition on the drive and that there's just the primary partition and free-space.

[quiksilva]

How do i partion the primary drive into one ?

Whats the go with the second drive? Should have 100gig of stored stuff on it and i really need to get to it?

[btarunr]

Let me understand you better. Do you have a good know-how about partitioning? Accordingly I'll answer.

[quiksilva]

Somewhat....

Tell me some steps and ill give it a go.

[oli_ramsay]

You should check the jumper config on the HDD. I have an older driver where if you put the jumper in a certain position, it only lets you use half the drive. I've got no idea when any1 woul ever need this function, but that may be your problem.

[btarunr]

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/5288/managery2.png

There's no extended partition in the first drive, meaning it can be resized to the full volume. The second drive has no partition at all meaning you can create a partition on it to use all its available space. The first drive can be resized but often partition resize operations don't work out. It's somewhat risky but you can try resizing it using EASEus partition manager. http://www.partition-tool.com/easeus-partition-manager/help/resizing-and-moving-partition.htm

It's usage is listed right there.

[quiksilva]

If i create this partion on the second drive am i going to lose my data on it (100gig of downloaded shit!@$)

Bit risky it sounds with downloading and trying that. How to a change the jumpers ?

[btarunr]

according to your screenshot you don't have anything on your second drive.

[quiksilva]

Should be 100gig.....

How do i solve the primary drive into a single partion, without doing anything dodgey ? reformat ? or how do i change the jumpers or something ?

[btarunr]

Reformat or Resize the first drive. Nothing to do with jumpers at all.

[quiksilva]

I booted from the CD, delete the old partion. But it still only offers me two separte partions ?

How to i go about making the one single whole one ?

[btarunr]

Always delete partitions in reverse order:

1. Delete Logical drives in extended partitions ; 2. Delete Extended partition ; 3. Delete Primary partition.

Then,
1. Create Primary partition, feed in the capacity of the drive, after the primary partition is created format it.

[quiksilva]

There are two separte partions already even when i have deleted the first. Windows is now not loaded at all and there are two partions with no options to delete them.

[btarunr]

Microsoft's KB is a nice guide: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348

...that's because you don't seem to have deleted them in the order I mentioned. Restart, boot using the setup disc, and partition the first drive, if possible, disable the second drive in your system BIOS, just to ease confusion. After partitioning and OS installation, enable the second drive again.

[quiksilva]

Still having problems....
Cant just delete the bottom partion
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6456/100208213nq5.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=100208213nq5.jpg)


Any help you be greattt.

Really pissing me off.

Thanks

[keakar]

that says you have 2 partitions of 131mb each from a 320gb drive so 60gb is missing but i wouldnt expect more than 20gb to not show so something is not right.

i suggest it would make your life easier to not bother with any partitions at all and use the 320 as your main drive and put your large data stores on the second drive. with all that drive space what on earth would you need partitions for anyway?

[quiksilva]

I dont want it partion, i never created partions. That's the entire problem, and there simply isn't a delete partion option on the screen.

[keakar]

well i know that hp disks will partition it for you automatically (its some proprietary recovery system they have) so if thats the disk your using then it may be the problem.

a regular windows cd will let you delete all partitions and format it as one whole unpartitioned 300gb drive (or close to it) then after windows is loaded plug in the 500gb drive and you can format the second drive (should show up as drive D) by right clicking on it and select format, then it will be ready to use for storing extra data that you dont want on drive C.

my first thing to try is confirm the jumpers are correct (remove the drive if you have to but be sure about it) its ok to use the "CS" spot for both drives because that is the cable select setting meaning how you plug it in the ribbon decides if its master or slave. if you do use "cable sellect" then use it for both drives only not just for one of them. if its IDE drives then the master drive is on the end of the ribbon cable with the slave between it and the board. next step if all that is ok would be to remove the 500gb drive (just unplug power and data wires to it) then your only working on the 320gb drive by itself so you can figure out whats going on. if your windows cd wont show and let you delete the partitions then borrow a windows xp cd (use your key) from a friend and use it to reformat and reinstall windows, it may be something with your copy of windows.