[NTLUG:Discuss] OT: ATA Drive Question

[Kenneth Loafman]

BBBB wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "william jones" <wljonespe at verizon.net>
> To: "NTLUG Discussion List" <discuss at ntlug.org>
> Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 2:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] OT: ATA Drive Question
> 
> 
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: BBBB <Brad.List at Thingbuilder.com>
>> To: NTLUG Discussion List <discuss at ntlug.org>
>> Sent: Friday, December 1, 2006 2:21:43 PM
>> Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] OT: ATA Drive Question
>>
>>
>> I purchased a used IBM Netvista computer with a 20 gig ATA drive
> (according
>> to the part number).
>> When using ubuntu's disk partitioner or using Partition Magic, I only see
> 10
>> gigs.
>> If this is in fact a 20 gig drive, How do I make the other 10 gigs
> visible?
>> Thanks,
>> Bradley
>>
>> Bradley,
>>
>> I had a similar problem with a flash drive.  The missing half turned up in
> another directory.  It was not visible to the partitioner as an ordinary
> partition because it was formatted as Linux swap.  I use it for backup,
> readable by Linux but not by Bill's bloatware.  The other half, which was
> always visible, is formatted vfat32, readable by all.  Admittedly, there are
> problems that will make half of a disk unreadable, such as a bad platter or
> a bad reading head.  I wish you good fortune.
>> William L. Jones.
>>
> 
> Thanks, William. I suppose the drive could be defective but if it was a swap
> partition, wouldn't it have shown up in the Ubuntu installation partitioner?
> If I make a swap
> partition, it is visible there.

What is the part number on the drive itself?  Perhaps it was replaced.

If you can, take a look at it with Linux's fdisk, delete the existing
partition, then try to create a new one.  It's entirely possible that
the 10GB missing is really in free space.  Or, if you don't want to
delete the partition, try creating a 2nd partition.

...Ken