DescentBB

I got a new hard drive and it never gave me an error message, but I can't use it. My computer is a Dell Dimension 8200
The old disk properties are:

Disk: Disk 0
Type: Basic
Status: Online
Partition Style: Master Boot Record
Capacity: 38162 MB
Unalocated space: 0 MB
Reserved Space: 0 MB

The new one is:

Disk: Disk 1
Type: Unknown
Status: Not Initialized
Partition Style: Not Applicable
Capacity: 76285 MB
Unalocated space: 76285 MB
Reserved Space: 0 MB

What did I do wrong and how can I fix it?

Knowing Dell, they probably put a BIOS cap on hard drive sizes to force you to upgrade the motherboard..whcih you'll fry because they switched the power supply leads to a non-standard format on the power supply.

Or, check the jumpers.

You are using this drive as a secondary and in XP is my assumption since you did not say otherwise. If so, give us your current config, OS level and full description of what "I can't use it" means

Right click "My computer"
select "Manage"
Chose "Disk Management"
Rigth click on the drive you are trying to use.
Select Create Partition.

Then format it and assign it a drive letter

Thank you very very much Stresstest.

Yes, in order for Windows Explorer to "see" a Hard Drive, it needs to be formatted with an appropriate file system.

I hope you chose NTFS. FAT32 = bad.

Testiculese wrote:Knowing Dell, they probably put a BIOS cap on hard drive sizes to force you to upgrade the motherboard

Not true at all. I upgrade Dells all the time with no problems.

'probably', I said. I sure wouldn't be surprised if they did, tho'! Compaqitis is spreading rapidly in that company.

onley time iv seen a dell that had a HDD limit is when u tryed to put a 120gb drive in a pent pro or pent2 system

DCrazy wrote:Not true at all. I upgrade Dells all the time with no problems.

i agree, i just threw 2x 80's in a dell yesterday