1 TB System Drive missing lots of space.

Hi all, I've a 1 TB system drive that I partitioned into (2) evenly spaced partitions for a test. After the test, I was trying to retrieve back the space and wipe clean the whole drive so I could get back to 1 TB and start new. No matter what steps I've taken with Disk Utility (erase | zero out | rename drive), I still only show 596 GIGS.

Could there be a ghost drive from when I partitioned ? Why am I missing 400 GIGS ?

Can I install Mac OSX on my external drive and then erase my system drive so it's like brand new ?


NOTES

Also, the once Primary Hard Drive and Recovery Drive that show up when you start-up the Mac holding the (option) button, .... now DONT show up anymore. Now when I launch the computer, just the intall disk icon shows.


I do have the Mac Install Disk
Early 2009 | Mac OSX 10.5 (Just Before Snow Leapord)

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. This was my first time partitioning drives and now I've caused a mess.

Boot from you Leopard disc.

Open Disk Utility.

Delete any partitions (the minus symbol and the bottom of the partition tab).

Erase the remaining single partition.

Continue on to install Leopard

Mrplow, I've done this approach you l mentioned and yet not retrieved my space. Now I'm starting to second guess myself. I checked the mac-tracker version and it says that the early 2009 versions came out with a 640 GIG drive ? I was under the assumption that I had a 1 TB drive, which they also came out with. Is there a way to check this variable for sure ?

Thanks for your help

In disk utility select the disk (the top most level) in the sidebar and the bottom of the Disk Utility Window will give you disk details, including the overall capacity of the drive.

mrplow, thanks, one last question though, If I select the drive in Disk Utility like you say (I know about this) and it shows 600 GIGS. Is it possible that I have a Ghost Volume or space that Disk Utility is not seeing ?

The thing is, I always thought I had a 1 TB drive.

If the physical drive is a 640gb drive. That's that. The only way you can have further storage is if you have a second physical disk

mrplow, thanks for all your help. I think I have a 640 GIG drive. Thanks again