Re: Breaking 137GB Barrier 440BX

In article <pfa1g.6325$P2.5224@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Recra
<recra05azy@xxxxxxxxx> writes

- Buying an add-on PCI card that would provide 48-bit LBA support.

Best option, but unattractive to you.

- BIOS "extensions". I remember many years ago, you could buy a "BIOS on a
(ISA) card" that would either extend the main m/b BIOS or run in place of
it. Anything like this exist today, to do "modern stuff" like get a 48-bit
LBA translator up in memory and cooking?

No.

- Dynamic Drive Overlays. Yuck, but maybe.

Don't go there. Just don't.

If you don't have 48-bit hardware support, can you use a HDD greater than
137GB as a "137GB drive"

Yes.

-- and later, if you do apply a 48-bit LBA hardware
support, will the unused space appear as "unallocated"?

Pass. Probably, but you'd be very wise to take a backup before
attempting to partition and use it.

I want to start using the drive now, but want to make sure I'm not screwed
down the road when I decide on a 48-bit LBA approach.

You don't _need_ 48-bit hardware (BIOS) support to use a >137Gb drive if
you're not going to boot off it. As long as your OS has 48-bit LBA
support built into its IDE drivers, you can use a large drive as long as
you're happy to continue booting off a smaller disk.

Install the new disk and configure it in the BIOS as "None" or "Not
Installed". The BIOS IDE scan may lock up if you don't do this. Ensure
your OS has 48-bit LBA installed and enabled - see www.48bitlba.com for
details on how to do this and a test utility (EnableBigLba.exe) for
Windows. All modern Linux kernels support 48-bit.

Use Disk Management in Windows and your preferred tools in Linux to
partition and format the drive. It can then be used normally.

Be warned that if you reinstall your OS or apply any patches or fixes
that disable 48-bit LBA, the data on your large disk will be at serious
risk. It may take only one write to scramble the partition table and
lose all the data.

--
(\__/)
(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help him gain world domination.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Write-protect sctors?
    ... Remember that partitioning does modify the existing data on the disk, just the partition table, unless you chose to do a full format that data is still there. ... I imagine it would be possible for someone to modify the CMOS and protect any sectors they wish, but the attacker would undoubtedly need to have advanced knowledge of your system, BIOS, hard disk and geometry to make this attack possible. ... As the install progresses to the partitioning of the disc,I opt for the erase whole disc option.It progresses to a certain point and then quits with an error..repeatedly. ...
    (Focus-Linux)
  • Re: Question on Windows Server 2003
    ... It stops reading the install disk. ... >> It hits this certain spot and it stops reading the disk, ... Had the BIOS ...
    (alt.2600)
  • Re: Question about OS/2 FDisk/BM pre/post FP13
    ... For instance, it was boot used while booted to a DOS, that won't work, because DOS itself requires Cylinders/Heads/Sectors, and does not use LBA. ... and logical partition type "F" support), which back then in 2002 was also named to be LBA capable, booted from my now finally working updated W4 Installation disks, using the /query command. ... But its result and my late test experience indicate, that the limiting factor still today is FDisk/BM, since quite obvious, it still cannot handle the BIOS' LBA mode. ... You have to exit fdisk in the middle to make it install the newer version or else it detects the existing one and neglects to reinstall it. ...
    (comp.os.os2.misc)
  • RE: Problem Installing FreeBSD 6.0, asking for help
    ... You have to change the pc bios setup to boot from the cd drive ... The pc will then boot from the 6.0 cd and install 6.0 destroying the ... the install program does not find any disk. ...
    (freebsd-questions)
  • Re: F8 install failure again & again
    ... the target disk as the only disk in the system, ... I rarely install from a CD or DVD. ... I learned long ago that setting the BIOS to use anything other than AUTO was ... F8 had all three of my drives set as bootable. ...
    (Fedora)