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Resolved Question

XP setup will not offer format HD options

Dec 28, 2011 6:29AM PST

My fresh xp installion setup with a new hard disk is hung up on the partition selection page.

When I select the unformatted partition of new hard disk, Setup reports disk does not contain an XP compatible partition.

When I preformatted the new HD with an external USB adapter on another computer to FTPS, I still get the same error report(non-compatible XP partition).

How do I properly format the new HD (as a system disk) so its acceptable to Setup?

The IDE hard disk is jumpered for cabling selection of Primary and Secondary drives(which was the previous jumpering).

Sinchi

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stonooka has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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That's a known issue of XP.
Dec 28, 2011 6:35AM PST

For example the old issue of a partition over 127GB is well known with XP. This didn't work until later.

To do this properly we never create the partition or format it before we boot the XP CD. We supply a blank HDD with no partitions and then use the XP installer to create the partition and it will create the sizes that were supported on this OS.

I'm a little surprised after over a decade folk are still re-discovering this one.
Bob

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Installing new HDD for XP Setup
Dec 28, 2011 7:17AM PST

Bob,

Thanks for being so patient.

Still cannot determine why XP installer will not process my new "blank" HDD. Its a new "recertified" Western Digital 160 GB parallel IDE that I purchased from Fry's. How do I make sure it is "blank" enough that XP installer will offer to format it? Tried looking for DBAN or NWIPE. No luck so far. Can I blank it with Windows 7 computer, with the drive in an external DVD enclosure?

Sinchi

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That's enough to see there will be issues.
Dec 28, 2011 7:38AM PST

XP has that 127GB limit. We might have other issues such as cables, jumpers and more but DBAN, NWIPE if they fail (no story about that?) is a sign we don't have it setup right or the machine is so old that it only supports drives under 127GB (the 48bitlba.com issue.)
Bob

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127 GB limit, etc
Dec 28, 2011 10:33AM PST

Thanks again Bob,

I'm well over the 127 GB limit with the replacement IDE HD. Besides, I will try to return it to Fry's because there are many negative comments on the web on "recertified" Western Digital HDs. I ordered a supposedly "new" Seagate 120 GB Parallel IDE HD. Looking up the 48bit lba issue was pretty interesting. When I receive the Seagate HD, I'll try the "clean install" again.

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Depending on the packaging
Dec 28, 2011 8:57PM PST

The new drive may come with a CD to assist in getting the drive ready for installing Windows. If it is just a bare drive, then look here:
http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.jsp?locale=en-US&name=seatooldreg&vgnextoid=480bd20cacdec010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD
BTW: WD has a similar download to test and prepare the drive, if you are curious enough to try to find the "problem" with the other drive: http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en
or here: http://majorgeeks.com/Western_Digital_Data_Lifeguard_Tools_d2855.html