Chris
April 17th 03, 08:38 PM
I'll take a crack at all this.
1. You will have to look this one up to be 100% if it will
read more than 32Gig.
A few options: if you have the external drive case you
could install it and see if you can see it all. 2nd if you
do, you could use GHOST to copy and change partition size.
Keeping your old drive as a back up. 3rd I would use all
NTFS partions.
2.yes (If your Bios supports more than 32) you can use
these or change the boot order to CD first and boot from
you cd alone. Create / delete and format all your partions
here. (if your bios does not support more than 32 Gig you
will find out here!)
3. set up will put boot up info in the first sector.
4.XP will only allow 32 Gig FAT32 in setup use NTFS
(http://www.thundercloud.net/information-avenue/ntfs-vs-
fat32/)
5.yes use GHOST (or a simular type program)
6. yes you can. it would read as a slave drive in XP you
could format it at that time.
I would first look up that particular Bios find out if it
will support large hard drives. IF so, install it boot to
cd setup and format your partions and have a fresh copy of
XP ready to go. ( I do take it you have XP on it now and
all drivers work) If you have many files on your current
drive us it as the USB and coppy them back to the new
drive. If you have lots of programs that you can not
reinstall, Ghost over and copy everything.
remember to get updates / SPs ...
CT
>-----Original Message-----
>Good afternoon;
>I am in preparing to install a new 60 GB hard drive in my
>Presario Laptop. I have several questions before I begin.
>I have read several artivles from MS and various other
>sources, however, I still need to clarify some questions.
>
>1. I am reading conflicting articles about Bios
>limitation. (528 MB and 32GB). Most articles refer to a
>target date of 1994 or 1998. I believe my Bios is Pheonix
>Tech 4.06 upgraded version 06/26/2001. Will it recognize
>60GB? I currently have a 20GB installed. The Computer was
>purchased March 2000
>2. Can I use my Windows XP CD and the 6 floppies I made
>from the MS download site to create all Partitions,
>format, and install Windows XP on the new drive
>3. Will the boot up information automatically be
contained
>in the first sector of the active partition or do I need
>to create this
>3. I can not find a FDisk command in XP at the command
>prompt. Is this part of the Format comand? All articles
>talk about using it but it is not listed in the command
>help.
>4. Fat 32 partition limit. If I want to partition into
say
>51GB, 7 GB and 2 GB, can I use all Fat 32 or do I need to
>use NTSF?
> 5. I have an external USB 2 Enclosure, 2.5 for laptop
>hard drives. Can I do any of the above through this
before
>installing it in the Laptop, or does the new drive have
to
>be installed in the laptop first?
>6. Can I use the External enclosure with the old hard
>drive, "as is", with the Win XP OS still on it and the
>file structures or must this be re-formatted for
storage?
>
>Thanks
>Phil
>.
>
1. You will have to look this one up to be 100% if it will
read more than 32Gig.
A few options: if you have the external drive case you
could install it and see if you can see it all. 2nd if you
do, you could use GHOST to copy and change partition size.
Keeping your old drive as a back up. 3rd I would use all
NTFS partions.
2.yes (If your Bios supports more than 32) you can use
these or change the boot order to CD first and boot from
you cd alone. Create / delete and format all your partions
here. (if your bios does not support more than 32 Gig you
will find out here!)
3. set up will put boot up info in the first sector.
4.XP will only allow 32 Gig FAT32 in setup use NTFS
(http://www.thundercloud.net/information-avenue/ntfs-vs-
fat32/)
5.yes use GHOST (or a simular type program)
6. yes you can. it would read as a slave drive in XP you
could format it at that time.
I would first look up that particular Bios find out if it
will support large hard drives. IF so, install it boot to
cd setup and format your partions and have a fresh copy of
XP ready to go. ( I do take it you have XP on it now and
all drivers work) If you have many files on your current
drive us it as the USB and coppy them back to the new
drive. If you have lots of programs that you can not
reinstall, Ghost over and copy everything.
remember to get updates / SPs ...
CT
>-----Original Message-----
>Good afternoon;
>I am in preparing to install a new 60 GB hard drive in my
>Presario Laptop. I have several questions before I begin.
>I have read several artivles from MS and various other
>sources, however, I still need to clarify some questions.
>
>1. I am reading conflicting articles about Bios
>limitation. (528 MB and 32GB). Most articles refer to a
>target date of 1994 or 1998. I believe my Bios is Pheonix
>Tech 4.06 upgraded version 06/26/2001. Will it recognize
>60GB? I currently have a 20GB installed. The Computer was
>purchased March 2000
>2. Can I use my Windows XP CD and the 6 floppies I made
>from the MS download site to create all Partitions,
>format, and install Windows XP on the new drive
>3. Will the boot up information automatically be
contained
>in the first sector of the active partition or do I need
>to create this
>3. I can not find a FDisk command in XP at the command
>prompt. Is this part of the Format comand? All articles
>talk about using it but it is not listed in the command
>help.
>4. Fat 32 partition limit. If I want to partition into
say
>51GB, 7 GB and 2 GB, can I use all Fat 32 or do I need to
>use NTSF?
> 5. I have an external USB 2 Enclosure, 2.5 for laptop
>hard drives. Can I do any of the above through this
before
>installing it in the Laptop, or does the new drive have
to
>be installed in the laptop first?
>6. Can I use the External enclosure with the old hard
>drive, "as is", with the Win XP OS still on it and the
>file structures or must this be re-formatted for
storage?
>
>Thanks
>Phil
>.
>