Last Updated: 04 Nov 2003
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*** PLEASE NOTE: Link(s), If Provided, May Be Wrapped ***
In Windows NT3.x and 4.0, you were able to manage your
storage devices using Disk Administrator (via WINDISK.EXE)
In Windows 2000/XP, this functionality is part of the MMC.
There are several ways to bring up the new Disk Admin
functionality:
POINT-N-CLICK
• Right Click on "My Computer"
• Select "Manage"
• Expand "Storage"
• Select "Disk Management"
RUN
• START --> RUN --> COMPMGMT.MSC
SUPPORTING IDE/ATA DRIVES LARGER THAN 137GB
By default, the largest size supported by ATA/IDE drives
is 137GB. The ATA spec has been expanded to support
larger drives (via 48-bit LBA), but this must also be
supported by the OS.
Windows XP provides support for 48-bit LBA starting with
Service Pack 1. Here's how you enable it:
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=303013
• http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBL/tip5700/rh5713.htm
• http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsnt20002003faq/Article/ArticleID/26739/windowsnt20002003faq_26739.html
• http://www.nthelp.com/NT6/big_disk_limitations_in_xp.htm
NOTE: ONLY enable this if you have installed SP1, AND
your BIOS supports 48-bit LBA.
WHITEPAPERS & TECH DOCUMENTS
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnntpro00/html/management.asp
• http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsnt20002003faq/Article/ArticleID/15135/windowsnt20002003faq_15135.html
PERSONAL NOTES
• In NT/2000/XP, I always manually set the drive letters
of all drives in my system (rather than simply relying
on the default assignments) so that the addition of a
new hard drive will not wreak havoc with my preferred
arrangment.
• If you add a second hard drive but create all of the
partitions as logical drives in an extended partition,
the drive letters of your primary hard drive will not
change, even if you haven't manually assigned them.
• I prefer the CDROM to be drive Z: (multiple CDs start
at Z: and work their way down) because it is much
easier to know that a CD will always exist at Z:, as
opposed to having to guess, depending on the number
of drives installed in a system.
RELATED TOPICS (ALSO IN THIS ARCHIVE)
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=DiskPart.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=DriveLetters.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=EasyInstall.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=Utils.TXT