stupid fdisk question

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Higgins

Latest in a series of stupid question. I'm adding a second drive in a
Compaq Deskpro 6000. Bought the correct IDE cable (badly overcharged
by CompUSA, but didn't want to wait for mail order to save the $12).
Got the removeable tray and such installed and BIOS recognizes the
drive.

So, the next step is FDISK and Format. Never Fdisked a drive, so
before I even try: how do I make CERTAIN that I'm Fdisking the correct
drive??? I've read some online tutoritals, but they always seem to be
addressing one-drive systems.I'd hate to crap out my master drive,
since this whole exercise is all about creating a backup solution.
Thanks.
 
fdisk will get its revenge now that you called it stupid, stupid.

Latest in a series of stupid question.
Click to expand...

Its only possible to have a series of stupid questions.

A single question cant possibly be a series.
I'm adding a second drive in a Compaq Deskpro 6000.
Bought the correct IDE cable (badly overcharged by
CompUSA, but didn't want to wait for mail order to
save the $12). Got the removeable tray and such
installed and BIOS recognizes the drive.
Click to expand...
So, the next step is FDISK and Format. Never
Fdisked a drive, so before I even try: how do I
make CERTAIN that I'm Fdisking the correct drive???
Click to expand...

Basically be careful when selecting the physical drive,
the last menu entry at the top level. Once you have
selected the second physical drive, use the display
partitions entry to check whats on the one currently
selected. The size fdisk lists is the best indication but
that obviously doesnt help if they are the same size.

fdisk isnt even dangerous when creating
partitions, only when deleting existing partitions,
which you shouldnt need to do at this stage.
I've read some online tutoritals, but they always seem to be
addressing one-drive systems.I'd hate to crap out my master drive,
since this whole exercise is all about creating a backup solution.
Click to expand...

Just be careful, its not difficult to work out which
is the new drive which has no partitions on it yet.
 
One approach is to only have the new drive physically
connected at the time you use fdisk to partition it.

Then even the biggest technoklutz cant
stuff up the original drive using fdisk.
 
From the main menu in Fdisk, an extra option is added to select which drive
you want to partition when you have more than one installed. Select menu
choice 5, and it will prompt you for the drive.

If my memory serves correctly, I believe it uses the stupid numbering of "0"
being the first drive, "1" being the 2nd, "2" being the third, and so on...
That is, the primary master would be drive 0, the primary slave (if there is
one) would be drive 1, and the secondary master would be drive 2, etc... (Of
course, you'd skip whatever isn't there in the count.

-Jeff
 
Jeff said:
From the main menu in Fdisk, an extra option is added to select which drive
you want to partition when you have more than one installed. Select menu
choice 5, and it will prompt you for the drive.

If my memory serves correctly, I believe it uses the stupid numbering of
"0" being the first drive, "1" being the 2nd, "2" being the third, and so on...
Click to expand...

Actually that "stupid numbering" comes from bios device 80h to 83h.
Also known as C to F in bios bootsequence setup.
That is, the primary master would be drive 0, the primary slave (if there is
one) would be drive 1, and the secondary master would be drive 2, etc...
Click to expand...

Only if you didn't change the bootsequence or disabled any drives in bios.
 
Latest in a series of stupid question. I'm adding a second drive in a
Compaq Deskpro 6000. Bought the correct IDE cable (badly overcharged
by CompUSA, but didn't want to wait for mail order to save the $12).
Got the removeable tray and such installed and BIOS recognizes the
drive.

So, the next step is FDISK and Format. Never Fdisked a drive, so
before I even try: how do I make CERTAIN that I'm Fdisking the correct
drive??? I've read some online tutoritals, but they always seem to be
addressing one-drive systems.I'd hate to crap out my master drive,
since this whole exercise is all about creating a backup solution.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Well, the expensive and much easier solution is not to use FDISK and
get Partition Magic. An even simpler solution is to use XP because you
can do all that graphically from within WindowsXP.
 
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