Hard drive installation - HELP!

[clarityat3am]

I just bought a Western Digital 80 gig hard drive to install in my computer. When I go to actually install it with the software I get this error message: An NTFS partition has been etected that has an invalid signature. This usually indicates an unformatted partition. All NTFS partitions must be properly formatted in order to proceed. Use NT disk administrator. My OS is Windows 98 and I only have about 2 gigs of hard drive space now. I dunno what I'm doing wrong...

 

[melon]

Did you format your drive? Boot into DOS and format the drive.

(If you don't know how, I shall return...)

Melon

 

[clarityat3am]

No, I don't know how to do that...

 

[melon]

Well, first off, is this a second hard drive in your machine--i.e., the "D:" drive? Does the new drive show up in "My Computer" at all?

Or is this the primary hard drive--i.e., the "C:" drive, and you can't boot into Windows? Also what software are you trying to install?

While you're at it, what kind of computer is this? What speed? How much RAM? How old is it?

Melon

 

[clarityat3am]

I don't see it in My Computer, but I thought it was showing up when I boot the computer up...in those startup screens. Yes, it's the second hard drive. Gateway, Windows 98, 500 mHz really old, RAM - erm I forget, the installation disk for the hard drive is the software I'm talking about.

 

[melon]

Go into DOS.

(Start --> Run --> type in "command" and hit "OK")

Type in "d:" (no quotes) and hit "Enter." Tell me what it says.

Melon

 

[clarityat3am]

D is my cd rom.

 

[melon]

Well, that's a problem...lol.

Stay in DOS. Type "fdisk" (no quotes). Hit "Enter."

If you get a big long screen message that ends with "Do you want to enable large hard disk support?" Hit "Y" (enables FAT32, rather than FAT).

You will go to a menu. There should be an option 5 to change the disk you are working with. Change to "fixed disk 2." If there is no option to change the disk you are working to, do NOT go further.

If it says "Current fixed disk drive: 2" on the top, then hit option 4 ("Display Partition Information"). Tell me what it tells you.

...

FYI, with an 80 GB drive, I would highly suggest upgrading to Windows 2000 (or even XP if you have a pretty new and fast computer). Windows 98 does not have native support for drives larger than 32 GB, because of FAT32 limitations, and, even at that, you will be bleeding space due to the large cluster sizes that FAT32 will assign to this drive. For instance, think of all those little "Temporary Internet Files" that are like 1K in size, and you will easily accumulate 2000 or more of them just surfing on the internet. Each file takes up a cluster, and you will likely have 32 or 64K clusters. Those 2000 1K files, which are only 2 MB in actual usage, will really use up 64 MB or 128 MB of space, due to your cluster size. Can you imagine what a disaster that will be when you install lots of things on this drive?

I would highly suggest investing in Windows 2000 or XP, and then this process will be ridiculously easier, and you will have NTFS support, meaning you can format that 80 GB monster into 4K cluster sizes.

Melon

 

[clarityat3am]

option 5 is change current fixed disk drive and it's for drive 1, is that what I want? I was hoping I wouldn't have to upgrade my OS...but if I have too I will (when I get paid again lol)

 

[melon]

option 5 is change current fixed disk drive and it's for drive 1, is that what I want? I was hoping I wouldn't have to upgrade my OS...but if I have too I will (when I get paid again lol)

You want drive 2.

And, unfortunately, I think you have to upgrade. Windows 9x was not created for these relatively large hard drives.

Melon

 

[melon]

Wait 1 min....did you get a Western Digital boot disk with that drive? And any other instructions with it?]

Exit "FDISK" and use that disk. If not, download this little program:

http://support.wdc.com/download/dlg/dlginstall_10_0.exe

And you can make a bootable 3.5" inch floppy. The Western Digital tools are ridiculously easy, and just make sure to do all your work on the "second" hard drive, not your primary boot drive.

Melon

 

[clarityat3am]

Yeah I did. When I use it it gives me that error message...no other instructions with it... How do I make sure I'm doing it to the right drive?

 

[melon]

Well, you might be getting that error due to an old disk. Make a new disk with those new tools, and see what happens.

FDISK, now that I read, will *not* help you, unless you update it:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q263044

Otherwise that drive will be recognized as 16 GB, not 80.

I know this is terribly confusing, which is why I'm suggesting you wait until you get Windows 2000. Do you need the new drive right away?

Melon

 

[clarityat3am]

Well I don't NEED it right away, but I'm basically out of space on my drive now. (I should probably have upgraded my Windows forever ago anyway)

 

[melon]

Well, here's what I suggest you do in the meantime. Backup all of your unreplaceable files (if you have a CD burner, burn away!), and install Windows 2000 on a fresh installation. Format your drives as NTFS at that point.

If you're curious, here's an install guide:

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/Install2kPro/install2kpro1.htm

Of course, I'll help if you have any questions.

For now, go into your TEMP folder (C:\WINDOWS\TEMP) and delete all the crap in there. I'm sure there is a lot accumulated. Reevaluate what programs you are using and don't need, and uninstall them in "Add/Remove Programs" (Control Panel). You might be surprised how much space you'll be able to recover.

Melon

 

[clarityat3am]

*shakes fist at technology* Ok...hopefully I can figure the rest out on my own...but if not, I'll be back. Thanks for helping me!

 

[buckysdad]

You ever get this resolved? I've hit the same thing, except I've already got Windows 2000. Like you, new W/D hard drive, using Data LifeGuard Utilities, and when it tries to copy files from the 2nd partition on the old drive I get the dreaded "invalid signature". I sat on the phone for an hour with Western Digital waiting for an answer and finally gave up on that route. I've sent them an email but I'm not too hopeful there. The whole reason I bought a Western Digital was for this utility--it automatically copies your old partitions and data so you don't have to do it manually. Not yet.