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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > 60 GB HD appears to be only 34 GB

60 GB HD appears to be only 34 GB
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indigo
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Nov 12, 2001, 10:36 PM
 
My attempt to add an additional HD to my Quicksilver has been beset by difficulties. (See this thread for my other problems with this upgrade.)

I've tried attaching my new Maxtor 60 GB drive to the onboard IDE controller and a VST Ultratek 66 PCI IDE card. When the drive is attached to either one, it shows up as only being 34GB by Drive setup and Apple System profiler. I think I've got the jumpers set properly to master according to the sticker on the drive. I've got it set to the following:
� � � J
� � � J
Any ideas why my drive has shrunk?
     
Cipher13
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Nov 13, 2001, 02:43 AM
 
Reformat the drive via Drive Setup or in the Finder and make sure the format is set to "HFS Extended".
     
Number Three
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Nov 13, 2001, 02:59 AM
 
I have this same problem with my Maxtor 17 gig; it only shows up as 16 gigs. It's rather frustrating. I think this has something to do with the different definitions of the kilo on computers.

Some people will say that a kilobyte is a thousand bytes, while others say that it's something like 1224 (I think that's right.) The same goes for Megabytes. So if Apple defines their gigabyte as 1224 mb and Maxtor defines theirs as 1000, it would only show up as a 49 gig hard drive on a Mac. I'm not 100% sure on this though. The best thing to do would be to contact Maxtor about it.
Why read Idiot Box when you could take a stroll in the sunshine?
     
dtriska
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Nov 13, 2001, 03:36 AM
 
Hard drive manufacturers define a gigabyte as 1000 megabytes. Operating systems define a gigabyte as 1024 megabytes. That's why you "lose" space. In my experience, just less than 10% of the listed capacity "disappears."

It gets complicated because an OS defines a megabyte as 1024 kilobytes, and a kilobyte as 1024 bytes. This isn't as simple as saying a megabyte is 1000 kilobytes, which is 1 000 000 bytes.

However, in your case, indigo, I think there's a problem with the hard drive. Attach the hard drive to another computer, if you can, and see if the same problem exists. If so, you will most likely want to contact Maxtor.
     
Cipher13
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Nov 13, 2001, 05:41 AM
 
I agree it seems sorta messed up.

If the format was simply wrong, data would just take up 'more' space than usual.

Having 17 gigs available on a 18 gig drive is normal; having 34 available on a 60 is NOT.

What I'm hoping is that the other 26 gigs has merely been designated "unformatted" in a manufacturing glitch.

Reformat it with Drive Setup and find out; set up one 60 gig partition if possible.
     
SMacEslin
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Nov 13, 2001, 03:02 PM
 
Agree with Cyper, definitely not normal. If after you set the drive back up, and it still shows a really small size (58 or 59GB is normal), than take it back to the dealer for a replacement.
     
Thunderbird
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Nov 13, 2001, 03:07 PM
 
Check the jumper settings again. I had this problem with a 75 gig IBM drive that showed up as a 20 gig drive. Turns out I just had the jumpers set wrong.
     
indigo  (op)
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Nov 13, 2001, 03:58 PM
 
I've got it all working well now. I had the jumpers set up incorrectly. Turns out the jumper settings on the sticker on the drive don't work. Complicating the matter, apparently I needed to make a change in the jumper settings if I had a slave attached. Took some digging through some tech specs at Maxtor, but it works fine now.
thanks to everyone for the helpful suggestions.

Now anyone have any ideas that would allow me to use the old drive on a VST Ultratek pci card without reformatting the drive?
     
   
 
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