I have an older computer with a J-Bond Motherboard and an AMP 233Mhz K-6 processor. I just replaced the hard drive with a 20G drive, the smallest I could get. The processor only recognizes 8G of the available space. Is there any way I can partition the disk to trick it into recognizing it as two or more 8G drives?
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20G Hard Drive too big for Processor
- Thread starter btfsplk
- Start date
The manufacturer of the hard drive should have a Dynamic Drive Overlay (DDO) for the drive. This does BIOS translations so the OS recognizes the entire capacity. The BIOS will STILL only see 8G, but the entire capacity will be available for use, after the DDO loads into memory on boot.
e-mail me at ddraper at igalaxy dot net
e-mail me at ddraper at igalaxy dot net
Or there might be a bios upgrade for your motherboard (overlay software usually causes other problems sooner or later) - use google with the full board model to search. I'd have thought anything capable of running a 233mhz processor would have bios upgrade (to 32GB limit) available.
I had an old IBM Aptiva Pentium 166MHz upgradable to 233MHz. The max it supported even with BIOS updates was 8GB. Using DDO was my only option.
It's not the processor, but it's the BIOS and motherboard that limits it. Definitely try a BIOS update first, then DDO as a 2nd option. If not, you could always get yourself a PCI IDE controller card (<$40) that will get around it.
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
It's not the processor, but it's the BIOS and motherboard that limits it. Definitely try a BIOS update first, then DDO as a 2nd option. If not, you could always get yourself a PCI IDE controller card (<$40) that will get around it.
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
- Thread starter
- #5
I like the idea of a bios update, but I have no idea how to go about it. The bios I have is Award Modular v.4.51PG, running on a J-Bond PCI1500C-K system board. Do I have to connect it to the Intenet, or can I use another computer as a surrogate to do the download?
You can use another computer for the download, which is likely an executable to create a floppy. Be sure to read the instructions carefully prior to bringing the floppy over to the problem PC.
Also, it's best to download from the mobo manufacturer, if a website still exists. If not, then search for the Award version that you have and see what you can find. Beware that the wrong update could ruin your BIOS completely (the Flash ROM).
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
Also, it's best to download from the mobo manufacturer, if a website still exists. If not, then search for the Award version that you have and see what you can find. Beware that the wrong update could ruin your BIOS completely (the Flash ROM).
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
You dont need another computer for any reason at all.
First you have to find the bios, which you can do by going to the motherboard mfgrs website and look it up.
In the same place you will find the bios update program, it will be ami or award, or possibly phoenix. Download both to your desktop.
Then you make a win98 startup disk, which can be done right inside win98.
Then you slip the win98 boot disk into your floppy and then go to your desktop and add the 2 files into your boot disk.
Then reboot and go into your bios and set it to boot from your floppy instead of booting from hard drive.
At that point we will help you finish the job of installing your new bios. It amounts to just the right command, its easy, and we will help you with it.
Good advice + great people = tek-tips
First you have to find the bios, which you can do by going to the motherboard mfgrs website and look it up.
In the same place you will find the bios update program, it will be ami or award, or possibly phoenix. Download both to your desktop.
Then you make a win98 startup disk, which can be done right inside win98.
Then you slip the win98 boot disk into your floppy and then go to your desktop and add the 2 files into your boot disk.
Then reboot and go into your bios and set it to boot from your floppy instead of booting from hard drive.
At that point we will help you finish the job of installing your new bios. It amounts to just the right command, its easy, and we will help you with it.
Good advice + great people = tek-tips
I forgot, i dont like the DDO either, like wolluf said it causes problems later when it either undoes itself or something happens that undoes it, either way there is trouble.
But, you can get a pci ide card these days for next to nothing, like $10, and use that card and get the full 20 gigs of hard drive. It amounts to installing the pci card and running the driver setup and then going into your bios and telling your bios to boot from it, thats all.
You can join a forum or 2 that specializes in buying and selling used computer parts and get a pci ide card for around $10, or even get a 8 gig hard drive for $10 or less and sell your 20 gig hard drive for $20, places like tech imo, anandtech, and a dozen others are good for that.
I hate to advertise other fora but this one doesnt have a buy,sell, trade section so i have no choice.
But for tech help, this IS the place to go, always, the knowledge level here is higher than any other forum i know of!
Good advice + great people = tek-tips
But, you can get a pci ide card these days for next to nothing, like $10, and use that card and get the full 20 gigs of hard drive. It amounts to installing the pci card and running the driver setup and then going into your bios and telling your bios to boot from it, thats all.
You can join a forum or 2 that specializes in buying and selling used computer parts and get a pci ide card for around $10, or even get a 8 gig hard drive for $10 or less and sell your 20 gig hard drive for $20, places like tech imo, anandtech, and a dozen others are good for that.
I hate to advertise other fora but this one doesnt have a buy,sell, trade section so i have no choice.
But for tech help, this IS the place to go, always, the knowledge level here is higher than any other forum i know of!
Good advice + great people = tek-tips
I thought of the additional controller as well, but very likely, if the BIOS is THAT old (and I did check for the manufacturers website, and J-Bond no longer exists, BTW) it is pretty likely it will not support booting from a SCSI or secondary IDE controller, which is how those pieces of hardware appear to the BIOS. This is what I have seen in the past.
I did look down that avenue before suggesting the DDO, and I think, in this case the DDO, with all of it's problems and issues, might be the way he needs to go.
e-mail me at ddraper at igalaxy dot net
I did look down that avenue before suggesting the DDO, and I think, in this case the DDO, with all of it's problems and issues, might be the way he needs to go.
e-mail me at ddraper at igalaxy dot net
Its been quite a while since i have installed a pci ide controller, but i think most motherboards will support booting from pci controller and one can pick them up pretty cheap these days.
On the other hand, if you cant even get info on the mobo, or get bios update, then maybe its time to go with a newer motherboard instead of messing around.
You can pick up a P3 mobo with decent cpu these days for about $30 or so, this may be a better way to go, for the low cost fix. This will give you a much better motherboard and a faster cpu.
Good advice + great people = tek-tips
On the other hand, if you cant even get info on the mobo, or get bios update, then maybe its time to go with a newer motherboard instead of messing around.
You can pick up a P3 mobo with decent cpu these days for about $30 or so, this may be a better way to go, for the low cost fix. This will give you a much better motherboard and a faster cpu.
Good advice + great people = tek-tips
Yeah, haemphyst is right on. From my experience, PCI controller cards are a hit & miss on older motherboards, especially ones that date back before 1999. Older BIOS's just weren't configured to allow boot from PCI. Sometimes a BIOS update helps this as well, however.
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
- Thread starter
- #12
Thanks, Guys. Since I am out of my league with BIOS and PCI Card modifications, and probably can't the right BIOS update anyway, I think I'll go with the DDO approach. If that doesn't work well, I'll go with GAREBO's suggestion of a newer motherboard. Thanks to all of you for your help!
Another thought is that if you are gonna go thru all the effort, maybe put the old hard drive back on that unit and sell it as a working computer, you can get more for it.
Then go out and get a used P3 mobo and cpu that you can use your 20 gig hard drive with.
Probably the best way to go. Still, you do want to learn about bios upgrades and such, lol. But you can do that after.
Good advice + great people = tek-tips
Then go out and get a used P3 mobo and cpu that you can use your 20 gig hard drive with.
Probably the best way to go. Still, you do want to learn about bios upgrades and such, lol. But you can do that after.
Good advice + great people = tek-tips
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