HD partition questions

The boot drive is a single partition, but its CHS info is aparantly incorrect. That supposedly means it thinks its size is different than it really is? Should I be worried about that?

The other question is this: I got an 80GB drive, used FDISK to partition it, and started using it. The problem was, FDISK only made an 8GB partition. The other 90% of the drive is unused. Aparently this was a BIOS issue, or I used an old copy of FDISK. After moving to another computer, its FDISK still only sees 12GB of the disk. Presizer and Cute Partition (downloaded from MG) see the whole 80GB. I am wondering which would be better, trying to resize it with Presizer, or to just create a new extended partition with Cute Partition or the latest FDISK, which is supposed to go beyond 64GB? Would there be any issues with BIOS not recognizing the new partitioning? I assume not, since Presizer is using INT 13h to access the drive's info, and it's working. :confused Any ideas?

 

CHS values no longer have a direct physical relationship to the data stored on disks, pseudo CHS values (which can be translated by disk electronics or software) are still being used by many utility programs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylinder-head-sector
Curious as to what file systems you are using...
I usually use diskdrake, from a live linux CD (PCLOS MiniMe 2008). Mandriva would probably work that way as well. Knoppix has a lot of tools too.
It is the only free way I found to easily format a single large fat32 partition.
(You cannot format a volume larger than 32 gigabytes (GB) in size using the FAT32 file system during the Windows XP installation process. Windows XP can mount and support FAT32 volumes larger than 32 GB (subject to the other limits), but you cannot create a FAT32 volume larger than 32 GB by using the Format tool during Setup. If you need to format a volume that is larger than 32 GB, use the NTFS file system to format it. Another option is to start from a Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) Startup disk and use the Format tool included on the disk.) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314463

I start the installer for the Linux operating system, but only use it to partition and format partitions, without actually installing the OS.
rolleyes
Bug

 

Hi Bug,

I am running XP Home right now on a comp with an IDE 160 gig drive setup with two 60 gig Fat32 partitions. Sitting next to it is an almost identical system running an 80 gig drive setup with two 40 gig Fat 32 partitons. Must be like that Bumble Bee that can't fly because of excessive wing loading.

Luck, Jim

 

I have XP Pro, 98SE, 95, and even DOS vers. 3.3 up. I discovered the CHS problem on a 98SE master hd, when looking at the 80GB hd that is using only 8GB, which I had installed as a slave. I don't think I'll do anything with the CHS values, since the drive is working. I think it is FAT32. I have the 80GB drive as a FAT32 partition so it will work in a 98SE system. It was partitioned as a slave under 98SE. I'm backing up the data I put on the drive, then I'll try repartitioning.

Thanks for the advice.