160 GB hard drive only shows 127 GB

TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
edited September 2006 in Hardware
I just built a computer for someone with all new parts. The motherboard is an MSI PM8M3-V. The hard drive is a Seagate Barracuda 160 GB unit, 7200.9 specs. Part number on the hard drive is 9BD032-303. It also says ST3160812A.

In My Computer, the hard drive shows as only being 127 GB, with 137,427,943,424 bytes total storage space.

Is there something wrong with the drive, could it be mislabeled, or does some setting on the motherboard need to be changed to get its full capacity?

All parts were bought through Tiger Direct. Computer was a barebone kit to which I added the hard drive and a CD-RW drive.

When I loaded XP Home on the drive, even then it showed a GB number in the low 130s. Don't remember exactly what it was.

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    You need Service Pack 1 to unlock drive sizes bigger than 127gb.
  • TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    Ah, I see. Yes, it has just plain XP Home on it now, I haven't updated it or installed any service packs yet.

    Hey Thrax, I've been meaning to ask you about your sig photo. Is that lord of the rings? Did someone in the movie actually say those words, or is it all made up for the sig photo? I thought it was amusing.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    It's a photoshop. All contrived.
  • TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    I just downloaded SP2 to the computer. Then it was restarted.

    Hard drive still shows as being 127 GB!:mean:

    How do I fix it to get the full 160 GB of capacity to be available?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    Well that's because that partition is 127GB. :)

    Go to disk manager in start -> settings -> control panel -> administrative tools -> computer management and make a new partition or (I think) you can extend the existing one.
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited August 2006
    You need Gparted (free) or Partition Magic (costs money) to Resize the partition.
  • FatFunkeyFatFunkey
    edited August 2006
    GrayFox wrote:
    You need Gparted (free) or Partition Magic (costs money) to Resize the partition.

    questio with G parted can u delete and old partition and then add it to the other partation or do u have to reboot and all that :(

    just wondering i had to do tha twith my 160gig HDD on my PC :L and on my laptop HP decided i needed a recovery hdd even though i payed the 10 bucks for the OS disk >: i wouldnt mind haveing that HDD space be able to use :P
  • MrBondMrBond Member
    edited August 2006
    GParted boots off a CD. Naturally, you have to reboot to enter GParted, and then reboot to exit.
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited August 2006
    FatFunkey wrote:
    questio with G parted can u delete and old partition and then add it to the other partation or do u have to reboot and all that :(

    just wondering i had to do tha twith my 160gig HDD on my PC :L and on my laptop HP decided i needed a recovery hdd even though i payed the 10 bucks for the OS disk >: i wouldnt mind haveing that HDD space be able to use :P
    Just delete the hp partition and resize your other one.
  • FatFunkeyFatFunkey
    edited August 2006
    GrayFox wrote:
    Just delete the hp partition and resize your other one.


    hmmm i may have to look into that, whats teh chances of it screwing up though im gonna all mmm on screwing up my new lapop:-/ i know there are risks but is it like a high chance of it going fubar?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited August 2006
    If there was a high chance, it wouldn't be a successful program, would it?
  • MrBondMrBond Member
    edited August 2006
    As long as you double-check which partitions you're deleting and not poking around like a blind monkey hopped up on crack, you should be fine.
  • FatFunkeyFatFunkey
    edited August 2006
    hmm i will look into it more :P because i have the OS disk and all that all i would have to do is DL the drivers from HP when i rebooted or heck just burn em on a DVD :P
  • MrBondMrBond Member
    edited August 2006
    How big is the "restore" partition? You may be able to burn everything you need onto a DVD from there.

    ...if it's not too late already.
  • FatFunkeyFatFunkey
    edited August 2006
    MrBond wrote:
    How big is the "restore" partition? You may be able to burn everything you need onto a DVD from there.

    ...if it's not too late already.


    it be 2 late its like 12 gigs or so
  • osaddictosaddict London, UK
    edited September 2006
    Does this apply to external hdd's too?

    I was considering getting one at home for backup purposes- quite large. 250-300gb perhaps--- however, will I be able to use all of that or will I have to do some tweaking first? (assuming its possible since there are so many on the market!)
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