[RESOLVED] Enclosure for WD VelocyRaptor

[Midknyte]

Here's a how to, in case you're not familiar with Disk Management.
How to use Disk Management to configure basic disks in Windows XP

[alexBB]

Midknyte, thank you. I got it. It is there.

[alexBB]

Ok, one step forward but still there is a problem. I opened the Disk Manager, connected the USB, and got a message that this disk is not initialized and if I want to initialize it to boot. There was another option, three letters, something like GSP or something but the message said that was for disks over 2TBs only. So, I chose boot. Then my device did appear in the Disk Management as a thumbnail with no name. It says: layout Simple, Type: Basic, File System - this slot is empty, Status: healthy (EISA Configuration).

I cannot figure out how to format it. There is no option. I right click on everything, left click to no avail.

Still I don't see it in Windows Explorer, naturally.

I am sure you know the secret.

Thanks.

[alexBB]

OK, I think I found it. I don;t know what happened but now I can see 279.46GB unallocated Basic. That must be it, right? Still I don't see how I put NTFS on to it but there are some more options.

[Midknyte]

Did you look at my link? It gives you step by step instructions from MS.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000

you need to initalize the disk first, but it seems you already did that.

just right click on the unallocated space to create a new partition.

[alexBB]

OK, everything is fine. I am about to format it. These are the parameters are chose. Please verify if it is conventional. It supposed to be a high performance drive for a Windows Server 2008 eventually working on 8-core machine. I want it to be optimized for performance.

Volume type: Simple Volume.
Volume Size: 286166 MB
File System: NTFS
Allocation unit size: 4096. I suspect that default was 4096 but still I decided to make sure. Shall I select a different size? I can reformat.

Enable File and Folder Compression - Yes.

I chose the latter because it is my observation that Vista does file compression all the time regardless. Some of my folders keep growing in size and then they shrink typically overnight when Vista works in background. Fisrt I got scared thinking that I delete stuff unwittingly, so I implemented strict software control for every record I deleted in my DBs and got convinced that it was Vista.

So, please check it out.

Many thanks to you guys. I will have to call newegg and ask them to reinstall the charge.

[Midknyte]

4096 is fine.

You don't need to enable file and folder compression. That could give you problems down the line.

Make sure to check quick format also. Otherwise, it will take a long time to format.

[jimbo1763]

Happy New Year, Midknyte, and another nice new avatar.

And Happy New Year to you as well, alexBB.

[alexBB]

It is coming along. 13% formatting is done by now. Thanks. The issue is closed. Till next trouble.

[Midknyte]

Happy new year to you as well. The Charlie Brown Xmas tree is just a seasonal thing.

Good luck, alex. I hope you aren't stuck in front of the computer all night. I'm heading out for some New Year's eve shenanigans.

[alexBB]

I am stuck. I am a homebody. That's my major entertainment in life.

Thanks a lot Midknyte. You've helped me a lot.

Happy New Year.

[Leoslocks]

Happy New Beer to all.

I think you will like that drive.

[alexBB]

Happy New Beer to all.

I think you will like that drive.

Thanks. I am really looking forward to trying it. I will get the new machine probably in 10 days. The formatting went quite well. Took a few hours. The drive was outside the box and I was surprised that it did not overheat. Turned out to be slightly warm after being plugged in overnight. I've read reports that overheating for 10,000 rpm is a real problem.

[Midknyte]

The Velociraptor is based on a 2.5" SAS drive, so it's not going to get as hot as the older 3.5" drives.