I have got a Intel 845GL chipset motherboard supporting IDE Ultra DMA 33/66/100 MB/sec. Recently I have purchased a 80GB Samsung Hard Disk (SP-0802N, ATA-100, Ultra ATA 133 compatible). The Hard Disk has then been formatted in NTFS, loaded with Windows 2003 Server & other important software in another system at a different city. Total occupied space in the Hard Disk is 60GB. (A) Problem: In my system the MotherBoard is detecting the 80GB HDD, as confirmed in the BIOS setting. But, the following problem is encountered · 40GB Hard Disk removed & only 80 GB Hard Disk connected to the system. The system does not boot with 80 GB HDD in 256 MB RAM. Situation does not change even after adding another 512 MB RAM in the second DDR slot (i.e. with a total 768 MB RAM) · When both 40GB HDD (as Primary Master) & 80 GB HDD (as Secondary Master) are connected and Ø booted with Windows 98, 80GB Hard Disk could not be found in My Computer (Probably because the 80 GB formatted in NTFS) Ø booted with Windows XP, 80 GB Hard Disk could be recognized in My Computer. All the Folder Details are also found. As a result, I am not able to boot the system in Windows 2003 server and thus use the installed software in 80 GB HDD. (B) Another piece of Observation: The same 80 GB Hard Disk, when connected to my friend’s system here with 3.0 GHz Processor (HT type) and Intel 875 chipset MotherBoard with 512 MB DDR RAM boots in Windows 2003 server without any problem. Of course, it boots with ctrl+alt+del option for logging in. What kind of interface am I supposed to provide between the motherboard and the 80GB ATA 100/ Ultra ATA 133 Hard Disk for compatibility so that the system can boot with Windows Server 2003 installed in the 80GB Hard Disk?

Possibly, your older(?) motherboard can't handle the 80GB drive as boot device. Check for LBA mode setting on primary IDE in the BIOS, if you haven't already. BIOS update perhaps, but I would check the website for answers first, while you are there for the update. HTH

You say the system will not boot the win2003, do you get any errors or what does and does not happen ? or are we to guess !! You are correct on why Win98 will not see the hdd. When you boot useing WinXP, is it the same system you are trying to boot win2003 with ?

I don't know if this is the problem, but ... It is not a good idea to install an OS on a different system then it is destined for. I would suggest reinstalling on a clean hard drive.

It appears a different chipset driver (for 865 chipset) got installed in the 80GB HDD, for which the installed OS (Win 2003 server) in the HDD is not finding my motherboard (845 chipset) compatible. Can I now setup the Disk (not formatting) to get the 845-motherboard specific chipset driver installed in the HDD with Windows 2003 server (booting from win 2003 server cd) without the risk of losing the precious software and data it contains? Please advise

Put the HD in another computer as Secondary Master and get your precious data copied somewhere (like you should have done in the first place). Then try what you are suggesting. The things you are doing can result in corrupting the HD so that it will be unusable - get your data backed up. HTH

question: can hard drive handle a ntfs and what would happin to the hard drive? is fat 32 is better for 1GB 50GB or higher and is ntfs better for 100GB or higher?? thank you for your time