Help.....HDD reporting wrong size?

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Need a little advice here chaps. I recieved my new HDD today, Samsung F1 1TB 32MB cache SATA2 drive. Im trying to install Vista on it but Ive run into problems already.

First, I disconnected my current boot drive, so I can do a clean install on the new drive. Plug it in, fire up the PC, go to BIOS and the BIOS reports it as it should be, as a 1000GB drive. Great. So I exit BIOS and carry on with the Vista CD in the drive. Get to install location options and only one drive is available...but it's only showing 31MB!!

Rather confused, I try advanced options, thinking it needs formatting. The 'Format' option is greyed out. Hmm....

I restarted the PC and went to the BIOS....now the drive is showing only 33MB as the size...chose 'Auto detect' again, but it still shows 33MB. Suitably confused at this point, I reconnect my original boot drive, and leave the new one connected, so I can see what Windows has to say about it. PC loads...Vista finds new device and recognises the manufacturer and model number. However, the drive does not display in my computer, despite being reported int he device manager as working normally. Ho hum....

I am at a loss. My motherboard should be capable of supporting the drive, and I assume if it had taken damage, it would have failed entirely rather than just reporting a massively diminished size. Ive just used my old Windows XP disk to format the drive and it's doing that now...although it still doesnt report the partition as the right size, Im wondering if it might help me see wahts going on. Its formatting very slowly though and I cant cancel so I thought I'd post here and see if anyone has any ideas or suggestions?

HDD is a Samsung F1 1TB drive (HD103UJ)
The motherboard is a Gigabyte P35-DS3P.
 
Once formatted at NTFS the size should be ~934MB, maybe it's lost the 9 somewhere :?

edit : I picked up one of these yesterday and have yet to install it; hope it is not borked
 
After waiting over an hour for XP setup to format it, it came back saying that the drive could not be formatted. Thanks! :/

Now Vista setup cant even see it. Im about to flash the motherboard BIOS, see if that makes a difference; I have a nasty feeling though that I may have a dodgy drive :(
 
Great. No change. I have my old hard drive back in so at elast the PC still works. Now I have 2 hard drives.....the old one which is full, and the new one now showing in My Computer, which should be 1000GB, but instead is only shown as a 31.8MB disk...what on Earth is wrong?!
 
PhillyDee said:
This is a common fault. Im looking for the solution . . .
Click to expand...

It is? So my drive might not be at fault?

It appears to running perfectly apaart form being the wrong size. Sounds fine, spins up, Vista can scan it and format it, and reports it in My Computer. Problem is, it can't be a software problem can it? As the BIOS reports it as 33MB so theres nothing the OS can do about it.

If you find a solution, you'll be my saviour. Im gonna have to go to work soon, Ill try and hunt around more later tonight.

Edit: Many thanks! I will try that and see if it makes a difference.
 
Last edited:
Brilliant. BIOS now reports the drive as 1000GB. Windows still shows 33MB of free space, but I'm formatting it now and it shows capacity at 931GB. Once its formatted Ill install Vista on it. Thanks again Philly :)
 
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