Need help restoring a drive to max capacity.

[hortstu]

Hi,

I have a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 160GB ATA/ 133 HDD. The jumper is set to master. The drive is connected to a desktop via a USB cable. The desktop is a HP media center running XP. The drive is from an older computer and for reasons you probably understand better than me it only appears as about 32GB instead of the 160GB it is supposed to be.

I downloaded (among many other things that didn't work from many other places) the HDD capacity restore tool and discovered it won't recognize the drive connected by USB.

Then I downloaded MHDD thinking it was going to allow me to use the HDD capacity restore tool on a drive connected via USB but it didn't recognize the drive when I ran the boot disc.

I figure the problem is me. I don't know what aspi mode is or how to get to it and work in it, and apparently I'm supposed to enter "X:usbaspi.sys/w/v" somewhere and I have no idea where to do that in order to get this to happen.

Can anyone help me? I know I probably sound like a total newb and that helping me might take time and effort but it will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[r3712]

In i easiest try go to My Computer (on desktop) , right click- manage- disk management- select Hd and see what's going with it. than you can choose your options.

[drc]

You need to attach the drive directly to the computer, not through USB if you are going to use any tools such as MHDD

[r3712]

What about just use Paragon Partition Manager?

[hortstu]

Wow thanks for the quick replies.

In i easiest try go to My Computer (on desktop) , right click- manage- disk management- select Hd and see what's going with it. than you can choose your options.

Here's what I found.
Layout=partition
type= basic
file system= fat 32
status= healthy
capacity= 31.48 gb
free space= 31.48 gb
%free= 100%
fault tolerance= no
overhead= 0%

You need to attach the drive directly to the computer, not through USB if you are going to use any tools such as MHDD

That's what I was afraid of. I don't know if that's an option at this point. There isn't an open bay.

What about just use Paragon Partition Manager?

I forgot to say I was running a dual boot with this computer so the first thing I tried was using "gparted" in ubuntu 8.04. That only showed me the 32 GB. I tried reformatting it in gparted, writing zeros to it with a seagate boot disc, and nothing has revealed the drives capacity to me. If you think I should still use the paragon partition manager I'm up for it. Where do I find it?

[drc]

Software such as paragon is not going to help you change the capacity of the hard drive. Changing the max capacity deals with ATA commands that your USB interface is just not going to do.

[hortstu]

So the bottom line is I need to connect this drive to a computer internally. I have no other options?

Now if I manage to do this will something like the capacity restore tool solve the problem?

[dobrevjetser]

Probably yes.

Dobre

[drc]

Maybe, it depends on why its actually doing that.

[hortstu]

Maybe, it depends on why its actually doing that.

From what I understand the drive was originally used in an older computer and when the partition was set this is what resulted. I don't know exactly, an HDD guru could probably explain it better, but I think it has something to do with the bios or the OS that the HD was originally formatted on.

If you look at this link it explains it better. I believe the original problem resulted when # 3 happened. Now with it in a new computer and external I believe #4 is the issue... as a result of #3.

[hortstu]

I posted a reply to the last post a few hours ago. If the link is a problem can you please put my post up without the link and I'll edit it?

Thanks mods

[guru]

http://www.seagate.com/staticfiles/maxt ... manual.pdf

look at Fig 3.5 make sure CLJ jumper is off (no jumper)

[hortstu]

look at Fig 3.5 make sure CLJ jumper is off (no jumper)

I appreciate the help but in my original post I mentioned that...

The jumper is set to master.

[hortstu]

Maybe, it depends on why its actually doing that.

I believe the problem originated because of the...

Operating System: Windows [XP had] a 32 GB format limitation for FAT 32. That [meant that when I] formatted the drive in FAT 32 with Windows [XP], the largest partition supported [was] 32 GB...

Now I believe the problem is continuing because of...

Incorrect Reporting to the BIOS: The drive itself may be reporting the incorrect size to the BIOS. In order to correct this, you will need to download xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, boot into the xxxxxxxxx disc, and run the Set Capacity utility.

Apparently this doesn't work when the drive is connected by USB.

Thanks for any tips or ideas.

[hortstu]

guru, Sorry I just reread your post and I think I misunderstood you.

look at Fig 3.5 make sure CLJ jumper is off (no jumper)

I had the jumper set to slave when I first started trying everything. Now it is set to master.

Are you saying I should completely remove the jumper? Then what?

[hortstu]

Guru,

I removed the jumper completely and the drive is now no longer recognized by either XP or ubuntu. Should I be using a boot disc of some sort?

[drc]

No, jumper should be set to master. What Guru was saying is that there's another jumper setting that limits the drive to 32GB.

Also software issues like FAT32 limitations don't have anything to do with the drive self-reporting its max capacity.

[hortstu]

No, jumper should be set to master. What Guru was saying is that there's another jumper setting that limits the drive to 32GB.

Yeah, that's what I figured. I said in my original post that it is was set to master. I'm willing to try anything at this point.

Also software issues like FAT32 limitations don't have anything to do with the drive self-reporting its max capacity.

Ok well you asked why it is doing that and I'm just trying to give you all the information I can. I remember when it was formatted to fat 32 years ago on another computer that I lost all the 160GB capacity and I haven't been able to get it back since. I'm really just telling you what I've found with internet searches. The drive always worked fine. So I'm fairly certain it has nothing to do with damage.

[guru]

just sometimes in the past with field engineers they missed the fact that the LIMIT CAPACITY jumper was installed. I know you said Master was installed but I wondered if you also had CLG installed.
So if you only have 1 jumper on Master and the rest of the pins are clear then it's something else :O)

[guru]

just a crazy thought but have you checked via Manage Computer and checked how the disk shows up?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348