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Solve : Drive geometry?

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I made a quick search about this and found 0 results. Somebody has been messing around with my pc while I was on holidays. Fortunately, I had an extra hard disk to install windows in. I have a Maxtor of 120 gb and this is the error message PARTITION Magic 8.0 program gives me:

# Disk 3 (117239MB 14946c 255h 63s) appears to have partitions created a different drive geometry (16h 63 s). This serious problem can lead to data loss. No partition manipulations should be made to this disk using this product or the operating system's products. You should back up the data on this disk, delete all partitions, create new partitions under the new drive geometry, and then restore your data using the back up. #

I have no interest in recovering the lost data. I have never heard about drive geometry before and I have absolutely no idea of what tool I need to use to try and fix this hard disk. Any SUGGESTIONS will be extremely appreciated.

Thank you all,

OberlusQuote

# Disk 3 (117239MB 14946c 255h 63s) appears to have partitions created a different drive geometry (16h 63 s). This serious problem can lead to data loss. No partition manipulations should be made to this disk using this product or the operating system's products. You should back up the data on this disk, delete all partitions, create new partitions under the new drive geometry, and then restore your data using the back up. #

Now, Im no pro, but I can tell you that it wants you to do the following:
1. Find a patron managing program
2. Delete all of the patrons that have been created
3. Re-format
4. Scan for errors
and then you can install your OS again, and make what ever new partons you want

But, before you follow my advice, wait for a few other replies, as I am not sure of my advice yet either.
Heres what I also found:
(http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/geom/geom.htm)

Quote
The generic term used to refer to the way the disk structures its data into platters, tracks and sectors, is its geometry. In the early DAYS this was a relatively simple concept: the disk had a certain number of heads, tracks per surface, and sectors per track. These were entered into the BIOS set up so the PC knew how to access the drive, and that was basically that.

With newer drives the situation is more complicated. The simplistic limits placed in the older BIOSes have persisted to this day, but the disks themselves have moved on to more complicated ways of storing data, and much larger capacities. The result is that tricks must be employed to ensure compatibility between old BIOS standards and newer hard disks.

Note: These issues relate to IDE/ATA hard disks, not SCSI drives, which use a different addressing methodology.


and GOOGLE: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Drive+Geometry%22One more thing: "16h 63 s" means 16 heads, 63 sectors. These are the BIOS configuration for a hard drive.

EDIT: Even better.
Your hard drive stores 117239MB,
14946 sectors,
has 255 heads,
and 63 sectors.

The problem is that these settings have been changed. It is now the following:
hard drive stores 117239MB,
14946 sectors,
has 16 heads, *PROBLEM*
and 63 sectors.

And another note, the above are called "Hard Drive Parememters"
Oh please, someone correct me now if I've said something wrong :-?There is something I would like you to check, Oberlus.
I would like you to enter the BIOS of your computer. Go the the cofiguration tab that has the hard drive information on it, and write down what is listed NEXT to your hard drive. This could help find the problem.

(Yes, I know I have made three posts on this topic.)I will do what you told me and bring back what the BIOS states. I really apreciate your help and explanations.

Cheers,

Oberlus


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Well, I went to the Bios section and it says exactly what Partition Magic told me. The problem is right there instead of having 255 h it's reading it as if it had 16 h... I don't know what tool I can use to change that... This is a very serious problem...


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