6 replies to this topic

[Life_eater]

Hi!

Guys, you've got to help me fix this! I just reinstalled windows, and it won't find my 250GB hard-drive! I have very precious information stored on it, and don't want to loose anything. So, I tried with Computer Management, but it finds it as a 128 gig dynamic drive! I tried also with Partition magic, but it also finds it as a 128 gig dynamic drive! I don't what to do to keep my data. Any ideas how to fix this?

Thanks in advance

Edited by Life_eater, 17 December 2006 - 12:04 PM.

[Av-]

I dunno how to help you out on this one, cause i always have problems installing Hardisks myself, but what you COULD try is buy an external HD case only, put your HD in there, connect it to your computer via USB, and backup all the important data, So at least you can't lose those anymore.

[UnderAttak]

How is your drive partitioned? Even though it is capable of holding 250gb, you can partition the drive into several seperate 32gb FAT32 drives, or a 100gb NTFS drive, or a 200gb NTFS drive, or a 180gb NTFS drive, catch my drift?

Is your drive external or internal? Do you have access to a friend's computer that you can plug the drive into or someone who has an external harddrive case that you can attatch the drive into? Then have someone's computer detect it and see if it reads as a 128gb drive. If that's the case, your drive is partitioned to 128gb. (It's not like your 250gb drive can hold 250gb of data anyway, more like around 230gb or so).

Also, check if you can find out more info about the 128gb drive that is being detected and list that information here, chances are if your drive is a certain brand, that 128gb drive is the same brand...if you know what I'm trying to say.

Edited by UnderAttak, 17 December 2006 - 02:21 PM.

[Life_eater]

UnderAttak, on Dec 17 2006, 02:19 PM, said:

How is your drive partitioned? Even though it is capable of holding 250gb, you can partition the drive into several seperate 32gb FAT32 drives, or a 100gb NTFS drive, or a 200gb NTFS drive, or a 180gb NTFS drive, catch my drift?

Is your drive external or internal? Do you have access to a friend's computer that you can plug the drive into or someone who has an external harddrive case that you can attatch the drive into? Then have someone's computer detect it and see if it reads as a 128gb drive. If that's the case, your drive is partitioned to 128gb. (It's not like your 250gb drive can hold 250gb of data anyway, more like around 230gb or so).

Also, check if you can find out more info about the 128gb drive that is being detected and list that information here, chances are if your drive is a certain brand, that 128gb drive is the same brand...if you know what I'm trying to say.

Well, when i bought it i just plugged it in, i didn't format it at all, maybe thats the problem. One more thing, this 138 gigs i was talking about is the amount of data on it... Strange... I will order an usb box for my hard drive. I'm just not so sure it'll work. Later will try on a friends computer to see if it's going to work there, i'll just backup everything... Dammit, i hate windows... I also installed the drive on my linux machine, but i can't bakcup anything because i don't have spare disk space... Anyway...
I still have my warranty for it, and will use it if somethings wrong with it, but not the drive is important but the data on it...

[UnderAttak]

The data is not lost, that's for sure. Just go to your local electronic/computer store and bring the specs of your harddrive and ask them which of their harddrive enclosures are compatible (some enclosures work with ATA, serial, etc. and some don't).

then just remove your harddrive from your computer and install it in the enclosure, go to your friend's house and plug into his computer, check the data space on the USB mass storage device that is detected, and if it's 128gb then there's the reason. You can backup all your stuff onto his computer too or burn on a DVD or something.

[EAXT]

Life_eater, on Dec 17 2006, 05:03 PM, said:

Hi!

Guys, you've got to help me fix this! I just reinstalled windows, and it won't find my 250GB hard-drive! I have very precious information stored on it, and don't want to loose anything. So, I tried with Computer Management, but it finds it as a 128 gig dynamic drive! I tried also with Partition magic, but it also finds it as a 128 gig dynamic drive! I don't what to do to keep my data. Any ideas how to fix this?

Thanks in advance

Make sure you're running on XP SP2... because SP1 doesn't recognize HD with more than 160 Gb. Secondly, a new HD like this one is partitioned with NTFS for sure.. Now, check in the BIOS to re-install the HD on Windows. It's quiet simple, usually, you click DELETE or TAB directly after booting the Computer. Get to the Boot Drives and select youre main drive. If you've got a slave, don't put it as Second Boot or 3rd Boot. Leave it as 1st: Master HD; 2nd: CDROM 3rd: Floppy Disk.

[Leckie]

If you have just reinstalled everything it could be an issue with the motherboard not having drivers installed. I know one of my pc's needs me to install the Sata drivers before it picks up my Sata hard drive.

Edited by Leckie, 28 December 2006 - 12:00 PM.