Hard drive size wrong and can't resize

[showcaser]

Hi,

I have a 320gb seagate (model ST3250625A) which I use as a second backup harddrive and as a hard drive for running different linux distros (there are 3 partitions on there). I also have a maxtor one touch 200gb external drive. The 200gb external was recently acting up and so assuming it was the drive I took it apart and loaded the enclosure with the 320gb seagate.

When I connected the external via USB (with the 320gb inside) only 1 partition came up as 128gb RAW. So I removed the drive from the enclosure and connected it back inside the computer and now it is still being seen as 128gb with 1 partition. I verified in the bios and it also recognizes the drive as 128gb. A little bit of research later and here is where I am at.

I've tried using Seatools (floppy boot) and MHDD (with the NHPA command) to resize the drive to it's native size, which I can see is supposed to be larger than what it's at, but the process fails with a prompt to cycle power to the drive. Doing so doesn't change anything.

Anyone have any suggestions how I can get my drive back to it's original size? Even if I can, any chance the data can be restored? I have it all backed up but it would still save the hassle of re-backing up everything.

Thanks

[coffeebean]

Hi showcaser,

there's a drive size and a partition size.

When you run famous MHDD program what SIZE (as in LBA - CHS) does the drive report ?

[showcaser]

Thanks for your help coffeebean. Some more details:

MHDD reports:
LBA: 268,433,408
Size: 131071MB
Native maximum LBA adress: 488,397,167

If I try NHPA and select 'y' to set the max LBA to native I get:

Working...
Fail. Try to re-power HDD
Done.

I had a similar response is SeaTools which couldn't resize the max LBA and said to cycle power to the drive. I've tried re-starting the computer, unplugging, etc... Still says the same thing.

[shahij]

Can you give information about your external hd in details?

When u connected the hd with the pc as IDE/SATA (i m not sure), the bios limitation might occured this. try to connect the hd with another updated pc
OR
there might problem MOD # 57 or few more at SA.

SHAHI
BANGLADESH

[showcaser]

Hi Shahij,

the external drive is a Maxtor one touch (around 4 years old) the drive itself in the external is a 200gb Diamond Max Plus 9. Both drives are IDE.

When I put the seagate 320gb in the maxtor enclosure and powered it up I imagine it must have messed up some parameter in the 320gb.

What does MOD #57 or SA mean?? How would I change it?

Thanks

[dobrevjetser]

Try "HDD Capacity Restore" utility.
In my case that worked.

Dobre

[showcaser]

Try "HDD Capacity Restore" utility.
In my case that worked.

Dobre

Thanks Dobre!

"HDD Capacity Restore" worked like a charm. Real easy too with the windows installer. And yet another plus is that all my partitions and data remained intact.

Thanks again!

[dobrevjetser]

Glad it worked.

Dobre

[gemjuno]

Do you think that tool can restore manufacturer native capacity?

[dobrevjetser]

Well, this tool should be able to do it, if the disk hardware is OK.

Dobre