Windows Xp Thinks My Hard Drive Is Only 20 Gb

[Gibbon*RS]

I think I had this problem after I had repartitioned my hard drive using the standard linux install cd partitioning tool (the linux package was ubuntu in this case) and after I had removed my linux partition and had extended it (my Windows NTFS partition) to 40GB using some Maxtor partitioning tool I guess... Windows only thought it was 20GB!
As you may know, 20 and 40 is a significant difference.
Here's a really odd thing too: Partition Magic recognizes it as 40GB!

Does anybody know how to fix this? I'm running low on storage space (the 120G is already full) and my dad refuses to buy a new HD because it would have to be a PATA HD, while we could better wait for a new PC with SATA support.

If my HD's back at 40 I can install the very, very basic version of Windows Vista too!
The biggest minus is my GFX card, which has DirectX 7.1 support at max.

So does anyone have any experience with solving "Windows being annoying" problems like this?

[jjb123]

Is just whipping everything nd starting fresh an option? Also, I just installed vista on a 40 gig partition becuase thats what the minumum requirement are but actually the os only uses 4 gigs, so you could even do just a 10 gig partition.

[Gibbon*RS]

I guess a full format is a possibility, but I've got Windows up and running smoothly for over half a year now and I don't feel like doing another reformat. It's just that it runs so smoothly this time...

[jjb123]

So partition magic even shows it is the right size? Try just leaving the sizes the same in partition magic and then apply those unedited changes, partition magic should then update windows and mabey have it show the right size.

Edit: I didn't see that part about directx, I don't know if vista will run that low.  

[Gibbon*RS]

No, I've already tried doing that with partition magic, it shows me an error...
I could try to use a GParted LiveCD to try further... I will see.

P.S.:
The new Aero interface (comes with Windows Vista Home Premium and higher) doesn't run unless you have a 128MB graphics card that supports DirectX 9 and Pixel Shader 2.0. Wish is quite stupid since XGL only needs  SSE (every processor since Pentium III has that) and Mac OS X's Aqua interface (still superior to Aero) works on a LOT of macs, even the old G3s.

A big difference between Windows, Mac OS and linux:
With every new Windows you need to buy a new PC, every new Mac OS runs on your old mac (with minor cuts in new functionality) and every new linux runs better than the old linux on your old PC.

There's only one oddity; The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor (a program meant to assure that you'll need a new PC and buy Windows Vista Ultimate) says this:

Support for DirectX 9 is required. Your current graphics adapter supports this technology.

That isn't true, actually.

[jjb123]

P.S.:
The new Aero interface (comes with Windows Vista Home Premium and higher) doesn't run unless you have a 128MB graphics card that supports DirectX 9 and Pixel Shader 2.0. Wish is quite stupid since XGL only needs SSE (every processor since Pentium III has that) and Mac OS X's Aqua interface (still superior to Aero) works on a LOT of macs, even the old G3s.

A big difference between Windows, Mac OS and linux:
With every new Windows you need to buy a new PC, every new Mac OS runs on your old mac (with minor cuts in new functionality) and every new linux runs better than the old linux on your old PC.

Which is why I will always prefer os x or linux over windows.

I hope you figure that harddrive problem out, sorry I could't help.

[Gibbon*RS]

And now for something completely different:

I saw that on the Vista website a while ago.
I couldn't leave it. It's pretty sloppy though, the original one said "more easily" instead of "much slower". I put it at 50% compression to cover up my sloppy job (it wasn't very high-quality when I downloaded it anyway).

[jjb123]

Lol, you cant even tell it was altered that much, good job.