500GB HDD only shows as 90GB ?

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  1. Posts : 64
    Windows 7 pro x64
       #1

    500GB HDD only shows as 90GB ?


    I have a WD 500GB HDD plugged into my PC via USB, the drive was brand new and had a 90GB partition and a 410GB partition on it, I formatted the larger partition with Partition Wizard and now in disk management the drive only shows as 90GB, there is no unallocated space where the partition was before. I've run 5 different partition recovery tools (Partition Wizard, Acronis True Image WD, Easus Partition Recovery, Partition Table doctor, Active Partition Recovery) but none of them can see anything more than 90GB, what's happened to the rest of it and how can I recover it?
    Thanks
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       #2

    Hi,

    Can you post a screen capture image of the Disk Management screen please?

    Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums

    Regards,
    Golden
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 64
    Windows 7 pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I've made and deleted that volume several times, always the same.

      My Computer


  4. Posts : 19,383
    Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
       #4

    Mmm.....did you format as NTFS in Partition Wizard?

    Can you upload another image, but this time from Partition Wizard?

    Regards,
    Golden
      My Computer


  5. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #5

    You must have formatted the 410GB partition into an unknown format (unknown to Win7). If it is not NTFS or Fat32, it will not show.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 64
    Windows 7 pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I formatted it to NTFS but even if I had accidentally made it in some other format surely one of the 5 partition recovery programs would have spotted it?

      My Computer


  7. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #7

    I see that the J partition is in NTFS. But what about the rest. Maybe you should reformat the whole drive.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 64
    Windows 7 pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #8

    I've done that half a dozen times already, always comes back as 91GB.
    What tells the drive it's capacity size, is it stored in the partition table, MBR or firmaware?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 4,751
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit - Build 7600 SP1
       #9

    The 91 GB partition is the only one that is Basic. The others are Dynamic. It looks like a real problem.

    Convert a Dynamic Disk to a Basic Disk This might be a good place to start reading.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 64
    Windows 7 pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #10

    The other drives are nothing to do with this problem. This problem exists on this 500GB/91GB drive on multiple PC's.
      My Computer


 
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