250 gb drive recognized as 128 gb in XP

First, I know WHY this is happening and that I can fix it by upping to Service Pack 1 or 2, as described in this thread:

http://forums.devshed.com/archive/t-102827

Second, I want to use this new drive as a backup so I can reinstall with XP SP2. If I format it as 128gb, can I use those 128 gigs safely to store my backup files? So when I reinstall with SP2, it won't erase anything on that drive?

- J

(^^;?(You can use that 128Gb as backup because it was recognized so available.)

But no one can make sure if it is safe or not. In such a intermediate condition anything would be able to occur. And also when you save the data on this 128 by present XP, then there will be no warranty for new XP installation to recognize the data correctly. This is because Disk Geomery is changed by OS change, several instances in this forum. Though I think DOS with ntfs can read it probably.

Then you'd better take minimum backup to CD-R or so at least. Roughly speaking, such a unstable backup shoud not be called backup from the start. Contrive the backup always into multiple medias, favourates into several floppies and mail data to MO or Zip and so on.

Try Maxblast or DiskManager or so from HDD makers, they say this is what the utility is for.