Loading Windows...not reognizing full size of drive.

[David M]

I am loading Windows XP Pro onto a new computer. Towards the beginning, the blue screen states: The followin list shows the existing partitions and unpartitioned space on this computer. Use the up and down arrow keys to select an item in the list

The options are: Partitional (unknown) 131062 MB (free)

Is my computer falsely assuming my hard Drive is a 131 Gig drive?

My HD is actually a 500 Gig drive.

If I tell it yes, will it then partition only 131 Gigs? How do I tell it to partition the full 500 Gig drive?

Thanks

[Ob1]

your xp pro disc needs to have at least SP1 on it. if not you can slipstream sp1 or sp2 and make yourself a new disc.
http://theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm

also make sure your bios is updated to the latest version.
It Needs 48bit LBA
http://www.48bitlba.com/

then try reinstalling xp pro on that disc and it should see the whole drive

[David M]

OK...thanks. I will give that a try.

Edit, just read the directions. Are they describing doing slipstreaming on a second computer?... or should I continue the 138gig HD format and do the slipstreaming with the new computer? I still don't get the concept obviously. Is it possible to update a BIOS without the OS installed? Is the goal of slipstreaming to make a second CD containing both the original OS and SP1? How do I download SP1 from the internet onto a CD?...Microsoft will check to see if I have it and find out I already do.

The board on the new computer is an ASUS A8N32-SLI

[thefultonhow]

You can slipstream on a second computer. You can use nLite to rip the XP CD, slipstream, add unattended installation options and tweaks, and then create an ISO:

http://www.nliteos.com/

[glc]

David, this is what sticky threads are for:

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=118330

You need to slipstream SP2 if you are going to do it at all. I use this guy's method:

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase...slipstream.asp

Your bios on that board is fine.

[David M]

Thanks guys. I did not realize that sticky existed glc..sorry

[glc]

Don't feel bad - nobody else reads the stickies either, we might as well be talking to the wall.

[David M]

The instructions do not state whether or not the author already has SP1. My WindowsXP install disk does not have SP1. Do I need to slipstream SP1 onto the new disk or can I go directly to, and only slipstream SP2?

In other words, will WinXP work without SP1 if I only slipstream SP2? Does SP2 replace SP1 or are they both necessary?

If it is the case that SP1 must be slipstreamed, then do you slipstream SP1 first and then take the slipstreamed SP1 disk and create another disk with which to slipstream SP2 onto it? -0R- Can you slipstream both SP1 and SP2 simultaneously?

[Ob1]

you can go directly to sp2 and just create one disc, you dont need to slipstream sp1 first.

[glc]

Microsoft service packs are almost always cumulative. SP2 has everything from SP1 plus its new stuff.