Disk Partitioning
Manually Creating and Deleting Partitions
Error Conditions
The recommended hard-disk partition arrangement on the first hard disk in your system
is as follows:
- Partition 1. Six megabytes less than the total size of the drive. This large partition
holds the OS and application/data files.
- Partition 2. The remaining six megabytes. This small partition holds only the few files necessary for the system to boot.
This arrangement provides two benefits.
- Windows NT requires that a boot partition be formatted with the FAT file system.
However, the Windows NT file system (NTFS) has advantages over FAT, such
as additional security and more efficient use of disk space. By keeping the FAT boot
partition as small as possible, the maximum amount of space is left available for use
as an NTFS partition.
- Most applications install themselves onto drive C by default. Although the
program installation drive is usually configurable by the user, many users accept
the default of drive C. By making the first partition large, drive C becomes the larger drive.
This arrangement makes program installation easier and avoids time-consuming insufficient disk space mistakes.
Manually Creating and Deleting Partitions
The following information is useful if you need to create a custom hard disk partition
arrangement or otherwise manually manage your hard disk partitions. These procedures
assume that you already have the Hard Disk Setup screen displayed.
To create a partition:
- Select the disk on which to create the partition.
- If one or more partitions already exist on the disk, select the unpartitioned space.
- Press the [Insert] key. A dialog box appears, similar to the one in the figure below.
- Type the size of the partition to create, and press [Enter].
To delete a partition:
- Select the partition to be deleted.
- Press the [Delete] key. A dialog box appears, similar to the one in the figure below.
- Press [F10] to confirm the deletion.
Error Conditions
Disk Initialization Failed
When you start hard disk setup, if you receive an "internal error occurred" message, it
means that a disk was found, but there was an error in communicating with the disk.
The likely conditions responsible for this error are:
- Incompatible or failed disk cables. You may not have the correct cable installed, or
the cable might have a broken lead or connector. Try another, good cable.
- Disk controller not configured. You may have to run a configuration utility to set up
your hard-disk controller. Check your controller documentation.
- Disk controller malfunction. Most controllers come with a diagnostic utility to test
controller functioning. If a controller error is found, call the manufacturer for a replacement.
- Improper SCSI termination. Many SCSI controllers require that the terminating
resistor packs be removed from all drives between the controller and last drive. Only the
controller itself and the last drive connected to the controller (the ends of the “chain”) should have terminating resistor packs left on.
No Hard Disks Found
When you start hard disk setup, if you receive a "No hard drives were found connected to
your computer" message, it means that AlphaBIOS could not locate a hard drive.
If you have a hard drive installed in your system, the likely conditions responsible for this error are:
- No hard disk installed. Install a hard disk.
- Cable not connected to either the disk or controller. The cable may have become loose from the connector on the controller or disk drive. Check the cable connections,
making sure the cable connectors are fully seated.
- No power to the drive. The power connector may have become loose from the
receptacle on the drive, or the power cable itself may be malfunctioning. Check the
cable connections, making sure the cable connectors are fully seated. Try connecting the
drive to a different power connector.
- Disk drive malfunction. The disk drive itself may be malfunctioning and not
responding to requests from the controller. If this is the problem, then it would seem that the disk was absent. Replace the malfunctioning drive with a good drive. If the
known good drive is correctly detected, then you can confirm that your hard drive is defective. Contact the manufacturer for a replacement.
No Partitions on Disk
If hard disk 0 does not have any partitions defined, then a message will appear
when you start hard disk setup, asking if you want to perform an express disk setup.
Express disk setup automatically creates the default disk partition arrangement on
hard disk 0.