Partitioning 2nd Hard Drive Help Plz

I've done this before without a problem but this time I've run into a glitch.
I'm doing a clean install of Win98se on my computer and have added a second
hard drive. The first drive is 13 gigs and has one partition (C) and I've
loaded Win98se onto it without a problem. I'm trying to partition the second
HD into two drives but have run into a problem. The second HD is a Maxtor 30
gig and I'm trying to make two partitions. A primary of 13 gigs and an
extended of 17 gig. I'm using a boot disk and Fdisk. I can create the
first partion of 13 gigs but when I try to make the second partion it keeps
telling me the max I can make the drive is 12.4 gigs. When I check the
drive, Fdisk tells me it's a 30 gig drive. I've deleted the partitions and
tried to make them again three times with the same results. Any ideas of
what I am doing wrong?.

Thanks for the help.
--
Mack

While their is some discrepency between 30 billion (a drive manufacturer GB)
bytes and 30GB (2^30), that still doesn't explain the 2 or so missing
GBs.

Are you using (at least) a win98 version of fdisk?

Is the drive new? If not, are you sure their isn't any hidden partitions?

Freeware MBRWork from terabyteunlimited.com has an option to zero
the MBR. Make certain you select the correct drive if you do decide to use it.


"Mack" wrote in message ...
I've done this before without a problem but this time I've run into a glitch.
I'm doing a clean install of Win98se on my computer and have added a second
hard drive. The first drive is 13 gigs and has one partition (C) and I've
loaded Win98se onto it without a problem. I'm trying to partition the second
HD into two drives but have run into a problem. The second HD is a Maxtor 30
gig and I'm trying to make two partitions. A primary of 13 gigs and an
extended of 17 gig. I'm using a boot disk and Fdisk. I can create the
first partion of 13 gigs but when I try to make the second partion it keeps
telling me the max I can make the drive is 12.4 gigs. When I check the
drive, Fdisk tells me it's a 30 gig drive. I've deleted the partitions and
tried to make them again three times with the same results. Any ideas of
what I am doing wrong?.

Thanks for the help.
--
Mack

"Mack" wrote:


telling me the max I can make the drive is 12.4 gigs. When I check the
drive, Fdisk tells me it's a 30 gig drive. I've deleted the partitions and
tried to make them again three times with the same results. Any ideas of
what I am doing wrong?.

You're getting caught in the binary vs decimal GB trap. The
manufacturer says that the disk is 30GB. They mean 30 x 10**9 =
30,000,000,000 bytes. FDISK uses binary GB, those are
2**30=1,073,741,824 bytes. So your 30 (decimal) GB disk becomes 27.9
(binary) GB to FDisk.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(DTS)

I'm using a Win98 version of Fdisk. This is a new hard drive but I've tried
to make partitions on it several times and may have accidently done
something. Is there a way of being able to see a "hidden" partition? mack

"Bill Blanton" wrote:

While their is some discrepency between 30 billion (a drive manufacturer GB)
bytes and 30GB (2^30), that still doesn't explain the 2 or so missing
GBs.

Are you using (at least) a win98 version of fdisk?

Is the drive new? If not, are you sure their isn't any hidden partitions?

Freeware MBRWork from terabyteunlimited.com has an option to zero
the MBR. Make certain you select the correct drive if you do decide to use it.


"Mack" wrote in message ...
I've done this before without a problem but this time I've run into a glitch.
I'm doing a clean install of Win98se on my computer and have added a second
hard drive. The first drive is 13 gigs and has one partition (C) and I've
loaded Win98se onto it without a problem. I'm trying to partition the second
HD into two drives but have run into a problem. The second HD is a Maxtor 30
gig and I'm trying to make two partitions. A primary of 13 gigs and an
extended of 17 gig. I'm using a boot disk and Fdisk. I can create the
first partion of 13 gigs but when I try to make the second partion it keeps
telling me the max I can make the drive is 12.4 gigs. When I check the
drive, Fdisk tells me it's a 30 gig drive. I've deleted the partitions and
tried to make them again three times with the same results. Any ideas of
what I am doing wrong?.

Thanks for the help.
--
Mack

Get and extract partinfo.exe from Symantec (formerly PQ)
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/englis...s/partinfo.zip
Put it on a floppy and at the DOS prompt run
a:\partinfo a:\partinfo.txt
edit a:\partinfo.txt

Check the FS (FileSystem), StartSect and NumSect fields for the 4 partition
table entries. Also check the number of Cylinders, Heads, and Sectors for
the disk. If you want help decoding it, copy/paste the top part of the output
(the tables) to a reply.

Zeroing the MBR as I suggested in my previous post will let you start
over with a clean slate.



"Mack" wrote in message ...
I'm using a Win98 version of Fdisk. This is a new hard drive but I've tried
to make partitions on it several times and may have accidently done
something. Is there a way of being able to see a "hidden" partition? mack

"Bill Blanton" wrote:

While their is some discrepency between 30 billion (a drive manufacturer GB)
bytes and 30GB (2^30), that still doesn't explain the 2 or so missing
GBs.

Are you using (at least) a win98 version of fdisk?

Is the drive new? If not, are you sure their isn't any hidden partitions?

Freeware MBRWork from terabyteunlimited.com has an option to zero
the MBR. Make certain you select the correct drive if you do decide to use it.


"Mack" wrote in message ...
I've done this before without a problem but this time I've run into a glitch.
I'm doing a clean install of Win98se on my computer and have added a second
hard drive. The first drive is 13 gigs and has one partition (C) and I've
loaded Win98se onto it without a problem. I'm trying to partition the second
HD into two drives but have run into a problem. The second HD is a Maxtor 30
gig and I'm trying to make two partitions. A primary of 13 gigs and an
extended of 17 gig. I'm using a boot disk and Fdisk. I can create the
first partion of 13 gigs but when I try to make the second partion it keeps
telling me the max I can make the drive is 12.4 gigs. When I check the
drive, Fdisk tells me it's a 30 gig drive. I've deleted the partitions and
tried to make them again three times with the same results. Any ideas of
what I am doing wrong?.

Thanks for the help.
--
Mack

Thanks for the help. I used the MBRWork program you suggested to "Zero" the
hard drive out. (It was kind of scarry using it since I'm a novice at this
type of stuff). Then tried to repartition the drive. Worked like a charm.
I now have two partitions on that drive at the correct sizes. There must
have been something "hidden" on the drive or I might have screwed it up the
first time I tried to partition it.

At any rate, your suggestion worked great. Thanks again. Mack

"Bill Blanton" wrote:

Get and extract partinfo.exe from Symantec (formerly PQ)
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/englis...s/partinfo.zip
Put it on a floppy and at the DOS prompt run
a:\partinfo a:\partinfo.txt
edit a:\partinfo.txt

Check the FS (FileSystem), StartSect and NumSect fields for the 4 partition
table entries. Also check the number of Cylinders, Heads, and Sectors for
the disk. If you want help decoding it, copy/paste the top part of the output
(the tables) to a reply.

Zeroing the MBR as I suggested in my previous post will let you start
over with a clean slate.



"Mack" wrote in message ...
I'm using a Win98 version of Fdisk. This is a new hard drive but I've tried
to make partitions on it several times and may have accidently done
something. Is there a way of being able to see a "hidden" partition? mack

"Bill Blanton" wrote:

While their is some discrepency between 30 billion (a drive manufacturer GB)
bytes and 30GB (2^30), that still doesn't explain the 2 or so missing
GBs.

Are you using (at least) a win98 version of fdisk?

Is the drive new? If not, are you sure their isn't any hidden partitions?

Freeware MBRWork from terabyteunlimited.com has an option to zero
the MBR. Make certain you select the correct drive if you do decide to use it.


"Mack" wrote in message ...
I've done this before without a problem but this time I've run into a glitch.
I'm doing a clean install of Win98se on my computer and have added a second
hard drive. The first drive is 13 gigs and has one partition (C) and I've
loaded Win98se onto it without a problem. I'm trying to partition the second
HD into two drives but have run into a problem. The second HD is a Maxtor 30
gig and I'm trying to make two partitions. A primary of 13 gigs and an
extended of 17 gig. I'm using a boot disk and Fdisk. I can create the
first partion of 13 gigs but when I try to make the second partion it keeps
telling me the max I can make the drive is 12.4 gigs. When I check the
drive, Fdisk tells me it's a 30 gig drive. I've deleted the partitions and
tried to make them again three times with the same results. Any ideas of
what I am doing wrong?.

Thanks for the help.
--
Mack

You're welcome. Sounds like you did in fact have some hidden partition,
or perhaps a big hole from the primary to the extended. Anyway, glad
you got it sorted it out.

It is scarey.. Mabey I should have mentioned the "backup MBR" option. :-\
Thanks for the reply.


"Mack" wrote in message ...
Thanks for the help. I used the MBRWork program you suggested to "Zero" the
hard drive out. (It was kind of scarry using it since I'm a novice at this
type of stuff). Then tried to repartition the drive. Worked like a charm.
I now have two partitions on that drive at the correct sizes. There must
have been something "hidden" on the drive or I might have screwed it up the
first time I tried to partition it.

At any rate, your suggestion worked great. Thanks again. Mack

"Bill Blanton" wrote:

Get and extract partinfo.exe from Symantec (formerly PQ)
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/englis...s/partinfo.zip
Put it on a floppy and at the DOS prompt run
a:\partinfo a:\partinfo.txt
edit a:\partinfo.txt

Check the FS (FileSystem), StartSect and NumSect fields for the 4 partition
table entries. Also check the number of Cylinders, Heads, and Sectors for
the disk. If you want help decoding it, copy/paste the top part of the output
(the tables) to a reply.

Zeroing the MBR as I suggested in my previous post will let you start
over with a clean slate.



"Mack" wrote in message ...
I'm using a Win98 version of Fdisk. This is a new hard drive but I've tried
to make partitions on it several times and may have accidently done
something. Is there a way of being able to see a "hidden" partition? mack

"Bill Blanton" wrote:

While their is some discrepency between 30 billion (a drive manufacturer GB)
bytes and 30GB (2^30), that still doesn't explain the 2 or so missing
GBs.

Are you using (at least) a win98 version of fdisk?

Is the drive new? If not, are you sure their isn't any hidden partitions?

Freeware MBRWork from terabyteunlimited.com has an option to zero
the MBR. Make certain you select the correct drive if you do decide to use it.


"Mack" wrote in message ...
I've done this before without a problem but this time I've run into a glitch.
I'm doing a clean install of Win98se on my computer and have added a second
hard drive. The first drive is 13 gigs and has one partition (C) and I've
loaded Win98se onto it without a problem. I'm trying to partition the second
HD into two drives but have run into a problem. The second HD is a Maxtor 30
gig and I'm trying to make two partitions. A primary of 13 gigs and an
extended of 17 gig. I'm using a boot disk and Fdisk. I can create the
first partion of 13 gigs but when I try to make the second partion it keeps
telling me the max I can make the drive is 12.4 gigs. When I check the
drive, Fdisk tells me it's a 30 gig drive. I've deleted the partitions and
tried to make them again three times with the same results. Any ideas of
what I am doing wrong?.

Thanks for the help.
--
Mack