Removing Sticky Primary Partition on used HD

[dnw]

I am new to much of what I am attempting, so please bear with me.

Netvista 8306-KCU Win XP Home SP2, all updates, 40 GB HD plus added 30 GB HD.

I am making a dual boot XP/Unix box and needed the additional HD space. I scrounged a healthy 30 GB HD (Hitachi DTLA 305030) from an expired (swollen capacitors ) Netvista.

Upon installation, the 30 GB drive was recognized by XP, but only as 1.97 GB. That seemed remarkably similar in size to the IBM service partition.

XP wouldn't allow the partition to be moved beyond the 1.97 GB using the Admin tools/Computer mgmt/disk mgmt route.

Tried removing the partition with Ranish Partition Manager, but it wouldn't permanently disappear.

Tried to access the BIOS to check if the partition was "locked". Checked in the IBM set-up program (invoked by pressing F1 on boot), but couldn't find any security options allowing access to the hidden partition.

Tried various Hitachi and IBM HD tools to purge the HD. Used IBM Wipe and Zap (disconnecting the ribbon cable to the drive C: first!). XP still reported only 1.97 GB.

Getting desperate!!

Used DISKPART at the XP command prompt to assault d: drive. LIST DISK showed the 2 drives, but drive 1 (D: drive) was identified as only 2014mb. Selected that drive; selected the partition (only 1 shown as primary/ 2014mb), typed delete partition override, then typed clean all.

Sigh - XP still only recognizes 1.97 GB.

I am out of ideas. Somehow I am not hitting all the place(s) where the HD partition info is being kept, and it seems that either the drive itself, or XP or the system BIOS is restoring the partition every time I smack it down!

I really need my 30 GB - any similar experiences, and ideas on how to get there would be appreciated. I suppose I could go buy another HD easily enough, but at this stage it is the principal of the thing!

[leoblob]

I would try booting from a WIN98 boot floppy. Then use FDISK to remove all partitions. Remove floppy, re-boot into XP, use XP to format the hard drive

[smugiri]

Diskpart behaves differently for cases where it is run on what XP considers a primary partition and when Win XP does not consider the partition it is running from to be primary.

Try this that "could" potentially may perhaps work. (YMMV, taxes extra, void where prohibited by law, closed course, performed under professional supervision, etc etc).

- install the drive in a machine with a fully functional copy of XP - the easiest way I know to do this is to put it in a USB enclosure and connect via USB.
- Run diskpart from a DOS prompt within the working windows then select the disk you want to work on (type something like "select disk 2") You can see the disk list with "list disk"
- with disk 2 (or disk 1 maybe since they start numbering at 0) selected, type "clean"


Say hello to a nice clean disk.

[dnw]

Thanks for the replies to my post about a sticky partiton on a used HD. The problem turned out to be with incorrect jumper settings on the back of the drive. This Hitachi drive can be configured to behave as a 2 gig drive if the jumpers are positioned accordingly, and that is where they were. I tried many disk tools to partition and format the drive, and they all seemed to work as expected, reporting full drive capacity - but the jumper setting overrode everything. All working properly now. On to the next step, installing Debian Sarge Linux once the CD's arrive.

[mattfromomaha]

Glad you got it fixed!