Read only hard disk???

[nate11000]

I just finished building a computer the other day, and pretty much everything is working great. I was going for the multiple OS deal, and I have two separate hard drives that I want them installed on. Windows is working just fine on my 100 GB Western Digital HDD. However, I just put in another 120 GB Maxtor HDD and intended to install KnoppMyth (linux-based) on that hard disk, but I am having problems with formatting the drive. I have tried using both the windows and linux cds to format the drive, both with strange results. Windows boot disk will recognize and format only 32 GB, making it a fully workable 32 GB drive under that OS, and the other 90 gig unusable. When I use the linux boot cd, I get into the partitioning software, which recognizes the drive as 120 gig. However, when I attempt to format the disk, it gives an error of "read-only" on the hard disk. That makes no sense to me whatsoever. I've tried different jumper settings, all with the same results.

I should mention that this is an ex-Tivo drive (actually, both hard drives are). Would that make a difference? If so, why only on one and not the other? Is there a way to fix this weird read only problem or am I forever stuck with using only 30 gig of the hdd and only under Windows? Please save my 90 gigabytes, I don't want them to go to waste! Thanks for any help you can offer.

[Flintstone]

I would suggest that only 32 gigs of drive #2 is partitioned to where Windows can see it. The rest is unpartitioned space or formatted in a manner Windows doesn't understand. To recover it, can you go into disk management via the control panel and delete the existing partition and repartition the whole drive and then format it. Windows should then see the whole 120 Gigs.

As for the Linux install, the 32 Gig partition may in fact be read only via the former use as a Tivo drive (read Tivo partition table stuff). After deleting the 32 Gig partition in Disk mgmt in Windows, see if the Linux installer then sees the whole thing and does the install.

It seems as though some prior information on the drive is stalling your attempts to use it. Getting rid of that info on the drive should make it useable again.

Good Luck,
Flint

[Gobbles]

boot your system with knoppix live then go into the second drive and change its properties to read write for the whole drive...


Gobbles

[nate11000]

I'm not usually this computer retarded... but yes, it was a partition and Windows disk management made it work just by deleting the partition. Kind of embarrassing.

Thanks for the help!

[Flintstone]

Even if it's only to jog your memory, I'm glad I could help!

Good Luck,
Flint :thumbsup:

[MrNiceGuy]

Hmm.. Did you format the thing in FAT32 under Windows ? Cause as far as I remember, WinXP (and 2K too? Not sure) is only able to format 32GB; when using FAT32.

Just a thought, as it wasn't noted whether your exact OS, or filesystem.

Don't know about what might've caused the 'read error' bit, though.