Joel <Joel@NoSpam.com> wrote
> Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote
>> Joel <Joel@NoSpam.com> wrote
>>> Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote
>>>> Joel <Joel@NoSpam.com> wrote
>>>>> Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote

>>>> I guess its possible that the flakey motherboard is somehow
>>>> getting in the road of the interrogation of the drive on its details,
>>>> particularly the size it claims to be, but I have never seen that happen.

>>>> What does Everest have to say about the drive ?
>>>> http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

>>> I am downloading it now, but I don't know if it will find anything
>>> while the system is running (it has been runing for 24 hrs now),

>> Thats a check to see if there is any problem with the hard drive itself.

>> If there isnt, its more evidence that the problem is outside the drive.

> I downloaded, installed, and looking at the report right now.
> I haven't found any option to do any specific test

Correct, it just reports the drive SMART data. Thats
what tells you whether the drive has problems.

> but just run and check the report.

> - Computer Summary

> Drive C: 100GB (93GB)

> - Storage (Local Drives)

> Drive C: = 57498MB (used 17G, free 40GB)

> Hahaha even Everest gives me 2 different reports <bg>

The first one is likely to be what the drive claims to be.

The second one is likely to be what the OS reports about the partition.

Bit hard to be sure since you quote so little of the Everest report
and its not very clear which bits those two bits are coming from.

>>> So, the only thing I can do is to replace the cable to make sure
>>> the cable is ok, check to make sure the connection, jumper is ok
>>> etc.. then I disabled drive D: and changed drive C: to Single_Drive
>>> etc., and still can't get WinXP to boot. And all problem solved
>>> when I replaced the fan of the video card.

>> Likely thats a coincidence or the time you took to do that
>> allowed the system cool down enough so it booted fine and the
>> problem is just getting it to boot, once its booted, it runs fine.

> I wasn't about the heat, cuz it happened the nite before and I had
> the computer off overnite. The next day, I tried few times without
> any luck so I left it alone for hours trying to figure out what caused
> the problem (I usually take my time to solve problem), using other
> computer to google for information, and checking the price for
> another system etc.. then tried some more .. then decided to
> replace the fan while I had the case opened, and it decided to work.

OK, then its likely just a coincidence that it changed when you changed the fan.

> That's it! and now I still can't figure out why the 100GB
> becomes 56GB. 100GB is so cheap these days, I am not
> worry about it but I just want to know what is going on....

You should care because the same problem may well affect a new drive too.

> and even Everest gives to different reports <bg>

Yes, but likely for the reason I listed above.

>>> BIOS, yes, I see it has option to boot from so many different
>>> devices (4,5 or 6 different options I don't know them all <g>).
>>> I know some like CD-ROM, Hard Drive, Floppy, External Card ..
>>> and it has few more I don't even know what they are to remember.

>>> Yes, if has option to boot from different hard drive,

>> They always do and have done for a long time now.

>>> or option to re-anarage the hard drive's.

>> Not with the letter they get if that's what you mean. That's done by the OS.

> Not the letter, just the order of the hard drives. Example
> like below (they have more info but I make it shorter)

> [Master-1 250GB]
> [Slave-1 100GB ]
> [Master-2 250GB]

> then I can re-arange them to something like

> [Master-2 250GB]
> [Slave-1 100GB]
> [Master-1 250GB]

> ... and I don't even know exactly what it does.. booting order?

Yeah, that's what that will be.

> But I don't think I will need to know much about this (?)

Yeah, its not likely to be relevant.

> It's still running... still dunno where 46GB of drive C: has gone for
> vacation. I guess I can find a backup program to backup drive C:
> to one of my portable storages (I use to store digital photos while
> shooting events or out of states) then re-partition, re-format to see
> if I can get back the 46GB (it may take awhile as I am not hurry).

Its likely just got the partition table scrambled on the 100G drive.