Hard Drive Crashed :-(

Soundguy · Nov 22, 2005

( and thought it would be a no brainer since the controller is on the motherboard. )

Unless something has changed in the IDE standard that came out.. I'm pretty sure the controller card is integral to the drive.. and that the computer has a 'host adapter' .. etc.

( Do I even need to partition it? Why do I need to partition it? )

Do you? Is XP accessing the full space on the drive?

Do you want seperate logical drives?

Soundguy

CTyler · Nov 22, 2005

I would and do partition the drives right after its installed. There a several reasons for doing this. The more obvious one is drinking a pot of coffee waiting for scandisk etc.. to run after an improper shut down on 250gb.

It makes it easier to find and catagorize files, run defrags etc.. Generally I use C: for the OS and related apps. Use D: for personal type files, E: for VB programming, F: for game installs, G: for pictures, H: for backing files up another PC...you get the idea.

There used to be more imposing limitations on the number of directories etc.. and was a definate need to do it.

On NT machines we have run into problems resizing partitions after the fact. This was because the partion only had a pointer vs really re-sizing the partition. The problem isn't resizing in and of itself but the pointer getting corrupt.

PitbullMidwest · Nov 22, 2005

( Unless something has changed in the IDE standard that came out.. I'm pretty sure the controller card is integral to the drive.. and that the computer has a 'host adapter' .. etc )

I'm probably using the wrong terms, since my computer's motherboard supports SATA it does not require a host adaptor.

( Is XP accessing the full space on the drive?
)

When I formated, it said there was 238GB available

( Do you? (want partitions) )

I don't know, that's why I asked. I'm asking for advantages, necessity, etc.

PitbullMidwest · Nov 22, 2005

Thanks for the reply. If I decide to partition is additional software required or can it be done through XP?

duber34 · Nov 22, 2005

Additional software is needed. I've had good luck with "Partition Magic"

Regards,
Duber

CTyler · Nov 22, 2005

XP has a command line utility called DISKPART that will let you extend partitions etc..

Open a CMD(DOS) window and type in DISKPART then you can type HELP to see the commands. I don't think you can reallocate the current allocated space only unallocated space.

Soundguy · Nov 23, 2005

( I'm probably using the wrong terms, since my computer's motherboard supports SATA it does not require a host adaptor.
)

Sure it does.. it's just built in... Somewhere there is a multifunction IC that is handling it.. vs the old host adapter that had the multi function chip on it, that had to be added, as most pc's used add on cards that were prevalent on the old 486 systems that didn't have integrated host adapters on the motherboard....

For instance.. on my e-machines computer here at work, the chipset is made by intel, and the host adapter services are provided by an Intel(r) 8280 multifunction interface chip. It also handles the floppy drive. ( If I had one installed ).

The machine in the office next to me is a unit I built with an Asus mother board.. it has an SIS chipset.. and a SIS based host adapter for the HDD interface.. etc.

Soundguy

PitbullMidwest · Nov 23, 2005

I haven't the foggyist idea want we're talking about but...

from the Seagate website:

( With a Serial ATA interface, each disc drive has its own cable that connects directly to a Serial ATA host adapter or a Serial ATA port on your motherboard. Unlike Parallel ATA, there is no master-slave relationship between drives that use a Serial ATA interface.

You can use a Serial ATA drive in the same system with Parallel ATA drives as long as both interfaces are supported on the motherboard or with a host adapter. This makes it easy to add Serial ATA compatibility to your existing system without removing existing Parallel ATA disc drives.)

Obviously the HDD is controlled by something whether it is built in or requires a host controller. The Seagate statement says host controller OR Serial ATA port on the motherboard and is the basis for my earlier satement.

How does all this relate to partitioning a hard drive?

MossRoad · Nov 23, 2005

How does all this relate to partitioning a hard drive? 

Because correct terminology is very important. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

For instance, we get many calls from folks reporting their hard drive won't turn on. They're sitting there pushing the power button on the monitor off and on and telling us their hard drive won't turn on. While it's pretty obvious you are more fluent in the lingo than those folks in my example, proper terminology is still important. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Soundguy · Nov 23, 2005

( haven't the foggyist idea want we're talking about but )

That's why correct terminology is so important when dealing with electronics..

( each disc drive has its own cable that connects directly to a Serial ATA host adapter or a Serial ATA port on your motherboard )

That sentence has it all.. They are telling you that you need a host adapter.. it can be one on the motherboard 'built in' as I mentioned.. in a multi function IC.. or thru an add-on card... Makes no difference either way... except that both ways use a host adapter to comunicate to the drive... one is a seperate card that has some neat looking black epoxy-potted chips on it, and the other one is some neat black epoxy-potted chips setting on a small part of the mother board... doesn't matter about their location.. built in or add on.. they both accomplish the same thing...

( How does all this relate to partitioning a hard drive? )

Already addressed by another member...

Soundguy