computer question say I decided to install a 300gb hard drive?

Question

Say I am looking into installing a 300gb hard drive and my computer has a 160 gig hard drive and it only detects 127 . How much will be detected off this 300 hard drive ? Will this new hard drive still have the same problem of only detecting 127 on this next pc ? Any ideas

Answer 1

Maybe? You can do this though.You can create a Windows XP Startup Disk (or whichever version windows you run) and put it in and restart your computer. You have to dig around on the disk but there is a tool on there that will recover your missing space. Everytime I reinstall windows, it only detects 111gigs of my 120gig HD, so I run this tool and it gets it all back.

Answer 2

If you just install it (with your old drive still in your computer), it should up with like 297.01 GB available.

There is some rounding taking place in the hard drive industry, but there are other things you can't see on your hard drive.

For example, if you bought your computer from HP or a big manufactuer like that, chances are there is a hidden partition (a division within your hard drive) storing recovery software.

This keeps the recovery software (which can do things like diagnose problems with your computer/hard drive and re-install your operating system, etc.) safe from viruses, and even offers a little corruption protection for the hidden partition (because it isn't being accessed).

Sorry if this was TMI :P

Answer 3

If you are not good with computers I would say just stick the 1tb in as a slave, if you know what you are doing I would suggest transferring all files to the 1tb, then format the 300gb and give it a fresh installation of your OS, just so it is running full speed and doesn't have any bad stuff on it that could slow it down. Then continue running the 300gb as master and 1tb as slave, putting majority of files on the 1tb and trying to keep the 300gb pretty clean to keep your computer running up to speed.

Answer 4

The reason for the discrepancy is the way the disk is sized by the manufacturer and the way disks are read by Operating systems. Hard disk manufacturers use 1000 bytes for a Mb, where operating systems use 1024. Also, some of the space is reserved for a buffer, and XP for example won't let you use certain parts, so the system can use it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megabyte

Answer 5

It might. Depends on why it isn't detecting it. If the BIOS only supports 127 GB that is all you are going to get without a new computer.

Answer 6

There is some reserved area on the hard drive for the O.S. called the MBR.


http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MBR.html

Answer 7

it should not have that problem if you get an installation disc with the new hard drive ,i would reccomend buying a maxtor