"bbersted" <bbersted@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:42DCA7AD-BFC1-4B62-99B9-5018CB0CC0FA@microsoft.com...
>
>
> "Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:
>
>>
>> "bbersted" <bbersted@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:38CEEC50-7C59-4752-9CA3-99E270AC38C2@microsoft.com...
>> >
>> >
>> > "Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> "bbersted" <bbersted@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:F26F4835-8AA3-4F11-A3DD-9D896A595EFC@microsoft.com...
>> >> >I use a third party disk partition program ( Paragon Partition
>> >> >Manager)
>> >> >to
>> >> > partition and format my HD, Installing Windows XP home on a
>> >> > partitioned
>> >> > and
>> >> > NTFS formatted (NTFS) HD works fine. The partitioning and formatting
>> >> > schemes
>> >> > are recognized and installation proceeds smoothly. However, XP Pro
>> >> > is
>> >> > a
>> >> > different story. When I get to the screen where the partitions are
>> >> > displayed
>> >> > during installation, no partitions are displayed, but the only the
>> >> > total
>> >> > amount of unformatted unused space. My only option is to create a
>> >> > new
>> >> > partition from this unused space ( which apparently spans all my
>> >> > preexisting
>> >> > partitions or to exit the installation.
>> >> >
>> >> > Why is XP Home able to see existing partitions and the XP PRO not?
>> >> > Additionally, how can I use the third party partitioning program to
>> >> > partition
>> >> > and format while installing XP pro on a preexisting partition .
>> >> >
>> >> > Thanks in Advance
>> >> > bbersted
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> WinXP Home and WinXP Professionals use the same engine when it comes
>> >> to
>> >> detecting file systems. There is some other difference that you may
>> >> not
>> >> be
>> >> aware of and that is not apparent from your report.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Doesen't the pro have some additional capabilities, such as hiding or
>> >> limiting access to folders or partitions? The only difference I
>> >> neglected
>> >> in my post was that the XP home is an upgrade version, while the Pro
>> >> is a
>> >> full version.
>> >
>> > bbersted
>>
>> Here the features that are present in WinXP Professional but not in WinXP
>> Home:
>> - Remote desktop
>> - Domain validation
>> - EFS (Encryption File System)
>> - Device driver rollback, last known configuration, system rollback
>> - IIS
>> - Multiple CPUs
>> - Multiple language support
>> - Dynamic disks
>> As you see, none of them refer to partition recognition. Upgrade/Full
>> Version does not matter either. There is something else that is lurking
>> on
>> your machine. Is your WinXP Pro a legitimate version?
>>
>>
>> XP Pro Not Recognizing Existing Partitions From Partition Manager
>
> Thanks for your help Pegasus. You were right about something being
> different
> between versions. First, let me say that the HD I was trying to install
> windows on was a 1 TB WD HD. I finally realized that the original version
> I
> installed on this HD was the Home Upgrade, which I had slipstreamed SP2 on
> it, while the PRO full version was from the pristine disk with no SP2. As
> I
> recalled SP2 greatly extended the partition and HD sizes. Apparently
> without
> SP2, the installation was not the same and the HD with the the large
> partitions was incorrectly recognized.
>
> After slipstreaming SP2 into the PRO version, the problem was resolved.
> Feel
> kind of dumb as I should have remembered the difference and its effect on
> large HD's without SP2. Thanks again.
>
> bbersted
>

Thanks for the feedback - nice detective work! I would not have suspected
this particular issue as a possible cause because it goes against my
principles having a large system partition. To me a system partition should
be large enough to accommodate all OS and program files, for which 20 . ..
50 GBytes is in most cases plenty. On the other hand I accept that different
people have different preferences.