Help Installing Hard Drive ASAP!!

lobo_pac · 12-28-2002, 04:42 PM

ok....trying to install a new 120Gb WD drive on my friends hp. he already has a 40Gb (that's Seagate btw) that has all his program files etc. already on it. the bios recognizes it, but i can't get it to install correctly using wd's ez-bios installer. the problem is that the original drive is ntfs and the ez installer wants to partition using fat-32 and won't allow it to continue.

the hp bios (phoenix something) also recognizes the drive, but it doesn't show up in my computer. when trying to access it through dos, drive d: says "drive not ready."

so.....short of formating the original 40Gb drive into fat 32 and losing all the info on it, what are his options? if we do have to do that....how does he reinstall xp? should it have a system restore disk or something like that? i know they don't ship with an xp disk.

thanks.

woodbutcher · 12-28-2002, 04:49 PM

lp
You can format the drive through XP.

WB

lobo_pac · 12-28-2002, 04:53 PM

it doesn't show up on XP...

Atomic Rooster · 12-28-2002, 05:00 PM

How is the 120Gb installed? As a slave to the 40Gb or on it's own channel? If it's slaved, make sure it is jumpered correctly. If the 120 is going to be the main drive, set the 40Gb as slave, then use the WD install software to copy the entire contents to the 120Gb drive.

lobo_pac · 12-28-2002, 05:06 PM

40 is the master and 120 is the slave......it is jumpered correctly. the 40 is going to keep all the programs on it, and 120 basically for storage. again....it shows up on wd install software, but won't let me continue to format it because it want's to use fat32 and the 40g drive is in ntfs.

lobo_pac · 12-28-2002, 05:09 PM

ok....the drive shows up in the device manager, but not in "my computer." i don't see any option to format it from there. am i missing something?

Atomic Rooster · 12-28-2002, 05:10 PM

Boot to the XP CD and format the 120Gb in NTFS that way. Or, format it in FAT32, then once in XP, convert it to NTFS.

12-28-2002, 05:14 PM

The 120 slave is an independent drive (from the 40) so they can both have different File Systems. NTFS on either and FAT32 also on either or any combination you choose.

What I'd suggest is download a windows 98 bootdisk from here and create a bootable floppy.

Boot from this floppy disk and fdisk the 120GB first and format it to FAT32.

You have not written whether you want the 120 formatted as NTFS or FAT32. While NTFS is the more stable, efficient system, but since you want to store data files, in the event you need to access the 120 from DOS because the XP disk has crashed, it's preferable to format the 120 as FAT32. You can always convert it to NTFS if you so choose later using any third party utility.

Remember, the 120 has nothing to do with the 40. Both are mutually exclusive and each can have whatever File System you choose.

lobo_pac · 12-28-2002, 05:19 PM

ok.....i think he want's to do fat32. this is an xp machine, but he doesn't have an xp disk.....was an hp that didn't ship with a disk. if i use an xp disk of my own, i should be able to do it that way correct?

should i use a windows 98 boot disk to boot up and use f disk? that may be the easiest thing to do.

Atomic Rooster · 12-28-2002, 05:23 PM

Yup, you can use your XP CD to do the format. Yes, if you FDISK it, use a W98 bootdisk to do it. It's odd that you cant use the WD install floppy to format it though.