HDD over 137GB problems in Win2k, please help!

[Muftobration]

Hello everybody. I recently installed windows 2000 (with the help of members of this forum) on my first build. Everything is fine and dandy, except my Hard drives. I have two maxtor 300BG SATA drives (not in RAID) and it only comes up as one 127GB one in windows. I found out why this was, it says so on this page -> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q303013, but I don't know if I have to reinstall Windows or what? I did all the steps, but nothing is happening. Do I need to re-partition the drives? The only partition I have so far is the 127GB one on my C: drive, but the other drive doesnt even show up, probably because win2k could only handel 127GB at the time of my windows install or because it only made a partition on the first HDD. How can I get my extra space? Thanks.

 

[egkenny]

Did you install the latest Windows 2000 Service Pack? You need Service Pack 3 or higher to support drives larger than 127GB.

 

[Muftobration]

In order to install a service pack, you have to have windows installed. If I have windows installed, i cant make my 300BG HDD bigger than 127GB.

I'll tell you what I've tried and failed at so far. First thing I did was I got windows working with that 127 GB drive and then got it to recognize my other 300gb drive with a tool on the maxtor site. That was all fine, but I still had 170gb that were not partitioned on my boot drive. The only way to get that space is to partition the drive and then reinstall. I partitioned both drives with a DR-DOS partitioning tool on the maxtor site, making the boot drive a 50GB partition of the original 300 one, and the left over part I made a 250gb partition, then I made a 300gb partition on the left over drive. The only problem is that it doesn't seem to like the partitions. I install it on the 50gb, but in the screen where you choose which drive to use, it says that all the partitions are either unrecognizable or damaged. In either case it tells me to let it partition the drive, so it's really partitioning the partition and it gets screwed up, windows wont work, and I hate it.

My question: How do you install windows on a harddrive larger than 137gb? Answer that and you will have my eternal gratitude because this is the final step in my first build. It has been difficcult to say the least. Keep in mind that I want to use the 170gb of space that is also on the drive.

 

[GhettoFob]

Slipstream SP4.

 

[Muftobration]

So, I have my new computer (currently without an OS on it) and I can do that method? One question. Can I do all that cd creation and directory splipstreaming stuff on my XP machine that is in working condition and then just make a bootable CD, install 2000 on my new machine, and I will no longer have this size issue? If that's so, then I love you! If that;s not so, then thanks for the post, but I'll have to look elsewhere. But i'll assume it's so for now!

 

[dragonpunk]

try use partition magic
its so much better than dr-dos partition you mentioned, or the maxtor tool.

 

[Muftobration]

Yes, I have heard good things about partition magic. Now, will using partition magic make it so I am able to install on that partition without the errors I have had? I'm unsure if the progrma is making bad partitions or is there is something wrong with my copy of windows. However, I have used this copy before on the same computer and it worked, so I'll try out magic and report back with my results.

 

[tyanni]

Honestly, slipstreaming SP4 and then reinstalling windows would be quick and easy...

 

[Muftobration]

Ok, so just to be entirely clear, what I must do is: 1. slipstream SP4, 2. erase the partitions on my new computers Hard drives(because I didn't want them in the first place anyway), and 3. install the windows 2000 SP4 cobo disk thing that I made.

If I am interpreting what you all said correctly, this should yield a complete install with both 300gb drives at 300 right off the bat, right? All I need to know at this point is if I will still have my boot drive at 127gb and there will just be a way to fix that with this slipstreamed windows, or if I will experience no problems (no forseeable problems, at least) in the near future. Thanks to everyone who has helped me thus far, you're all awesome.

 

[hooflung]

Slipstreaming windows 2000 with sp 4 will let you install it as a 300gig HD assuming SP 4 allows 300gig HDs ( which it should I would hope.)

Moreover you should be able to delete your current 127gig partition at install time to reduce a step.

 

[9nails]

I have problems with SP4 on Windows 2000. Bad network performance is my main concern. When you browse My Computer in Explore, and have networked drives mounted, things tend to take a LONG time to discover and open. I suspect SP4 to be the problem because identical SP2 machines do not exhibit this behaviour. This happens in Word when you do a File/Open too. I don't know about SP3's performance. If you do things in My Computer, you may want to consider upgrading to WinXP instead of Win2K SP4.