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PC not detecting new 160 Gig hard drive.
- Thread starter jamin123
- Start date
It should see the hard drive regardless if it shows the correct free space. Showing the correct free space is what the BIOS update is for.
At this point, I would suspect a jumper setting is off. As you know, make sure one drive is master and the other slave. What you might not realize, is that IDE cables are designed to have the Master at the end of the cable, and the slave using the middle connector. You can often reverse it, but some drives will only work in certain positions. So the key here is to try various combinations.
Let us know if that gets you anywhere...
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
At this point, I would suspect a jumper setting is off. As you know, make sure one drive is master and the other slave. What you might not realize, is that IDE cables are designed to have the Master at the end of the cable, and the slave using the middle connector. You can often reverse it, but some drives will only work in certain positions. So the key here is to try various combinations.
Let us know if that gets you anywhere...
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
- Thread starter
- #3
cdogg - some boards just don't see the drive at all if its too big (unless it has limiting jumper).
has a couple of bios versions for that board - but I've no idea if they're any good. You may need to buy a PCI controller card to get this drive to work in your machine (but good luck with trying cdogg's good suggestion)
has a couple of bios versions for that board - but I've no idea if they're any good. You may need to buy a PCI controller card to get this drive to work in your machine (but good luck with trying cdogg's good suggestion)
Wolluf,
I have yet to install a hard drive larger than 120GB in any system, so I haven't had to deal directly with the 137GB barrier....yet! But I've done a helluva lot of reading on it! LOL, yeah I'm like the cadet fresh out of West Point!
Guess I've just been lucky that in all the systems I've worked on, I've never had trouble with the BIOS seeing the hard drive after playing around with jumper settings.
Getting the BIOS to see the correct size.....well, that's another story!
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
I have yet to install a hard drive larger than 120GB in any system, so I haven't had to deal directly with the 137GB barrier....yet! But I've done a helluva lot of reading on it! LOL, yeah I'm like the cadet fresh out of West Point!
Guess I've just been lucky that in all the systems I've worked on, I've never had trouble with the BIOS seeing the hard drive after playing around with jumper settings.
Getting the BIOS to see the correct size.....well, that's another story!
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
My experience echos that of cdogg.
A possible workaround might be found in a cdogg reference in another post:
I too, like cdogg, suspect jumpers. Most replacement drives come jumpered as Slave or Cable Select by default.
This puppy needs to be jumpered as Master in a single drive setting if I read what is being attempted correctly.
A possible workaround might be found in a cdogg reference in another post:
I too, like cdogg, suspect jumpers. Most replacement drives come jumpered as Slave or Cable Select by default.
This puppy needs to be jumpered as Master in a single drive setting if I read what is being attempted correctly.
- Thread starter
- #7
- Thread starter
- #9
I use Win Advance server Disk M. to create 4 partitions of 40Gs and 20Gs for dual boot with XP, Linux and 2K. I'm unable to install any OS because I can't get the system to pass the BIOS check. My Biostar M5SAA motherboard has not put out a BIOS update since 2000, so I may need a new board. I hope I can fix it without investing in a new board.
Is it hanging during the POST test, or is it giving you an error (either on the screen or beeps)?
You should be able to get this resolved. Also a couple more questions:
- Did you format the hard drive on this PC or another one?
- Are the OS's already installed on the hard drive?
- What file system did you use during formatting (NTFS, FAT32, etc)?
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
You should be able to get this resolved. Also a couple more questions:
- Did you format the hard drive on this PC or another one?
- Are the OS's already installed on the hard drive?
- What file system did you use during formatting (NTFS, FAT32, etc)?
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
- Thread starter
- #11
It hangs as soon as the drive is detected on the line that reads some thing like master hard drive " LBA, UHMS 2, ." When I boot with a small drive that line completed as "LBA, UHMS 2000000" but in the case of the 160G it hangs. I have a later model motherboard w/800 processor runing 2Kserver which recognizes the drive it's on that system I format the drive with NTFS, FAT32 partition. No OS has never been installed on this drive. I tried it on the BIOSTAR M5SAA board new out of box when it hangs I decided to format on the other system. The drive is good but I believe it's a BIOS problem.
benpollinger
Technical User
I have had similar problems with large disks on old mobos. Most drives should have a jumper setting to limit the apparent size to <137GB, which the BIOS can detect. You then use an overlay to allow access to the whole drive.
These overlay solutions (e.g. EZ-BIOS) are not without their problems, but often the only solution on an old board. A new board is a bit drastic but there are some cheap options.
Anyway, can you tell us the new drive make and model? This should let us find a manual to get the jumper settings.
cheers,
Ben
These overlay solutions (e.g. EZ-BIOS) are not without their problems, but often the only solution on an old board. A new board is a bit drastic but there are some cheap options.
Anyway, can you tell us the new drive make and model? This should let us find a manual to get the jumper settings.
cheers,
Ben
Unfortunately, overlay will not be an option unless the BIOS and IDE controller support 48-bit LBA. Without 48-bit support, the highest you can go (even with overlay software) is 137GB. Take a look at the link bcastner posted above for more info.
Instead, you will need to use Ben's suggestion of limiting the drive to a size less than 137GB. Even then, it still might not work if the BIOS is extremely old. Old limits from the past include 8GB, 32GB, and 64GB. So, you might have to limit it to a size below one of those.
Kind of pointless though if there's no BIOS update available, however...
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
Instead, you will need to use Ben's suggestion of limiting the drive to a size less than 137GB. Even then, it still might not work if the BIOS is extremely old. Old limits from the past include 8GB, 32GB, and 64GB. So, you might have to limit it to a size below one of those.
Kind of pointless though if there's no BIOS update available, however...
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
benpollinger
Technical User
FAQ 4 on this page:
...suggests overlays are a workaround if the BIOS is limited to 137GB, but are not recommended. My old machine had such a BIOS (dated 2000 i think) and I used Maxtor's overlay to add a big drive. Worked eventually, but became a pain to make sense of partitions and MBRs when things started going wrong with the drive.
FAQ 5 on that page goes on to mention size limit jumpers as above, called things like "4092 Cylinder Limit".
cheers,
Ben
...suggests overlays are a workaround if the BIOS is limited to 137GB, but are not recommended. My old machine had such a BIOS (dated 2000 i think) and I used Maxtor's overlay to add a big drive. Worked eventually, but became a pain to make sense of partitions and MBRs when things started going wrong with the drive.
FAQ 5 on that page goes on to mention size limit jumpers as above, called things like "4092 Cylinder Limit".
cheers,
Ben
Ben,
Good point! I should have rephrased my suggestion as it won't "likely" work, especially if you're using a modern OS such as XP. The interface between the OS and BIOS is at a lower "hardware" level with XP, and introducing overlay software can complicate things. I was unsuccessful on two P-II systems using the BX440 chipset.
But yeah, it's a possibility though not recommended.
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
Good point! I should have rephrased my suggestion as it won't "likely" work, especially if you're using a modern OS such as XP. The interface between the OS and BIOS is at a lower "hardware" level with XP, and introducing overlay software can complicate things. I was unsuccessful on two P-II systems using the BX440 chipset.
But yeah, it's a possibility though not recommended.
~cdogg
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884
- Thread starter
- #16
cyberdruid
Technical User
When I broke the 137 GB barrier it was with a maxtor 160 and lucky for me came with a Promise Ultra DMA 133 card that lets XP see the drive(s)--when you load the OS the first (or hundredth) time a prompt appears for F6 to load SCSI (or other) drivers. You'll need a card and driver for this part. Insert the floppy and the install will prompt to skip or force the loading of the drivers--load 'em. At that point Windows will see the full size of the drive.
Continuiing to try and load the OS or us the HD without taking these steps will result in a variety of errors.
Now my MB is 2 years old (ASUS P4SDX) but the 137 barrier is an OS issue I believe (correct me if I am wrong) and no amount of Bios tinkering will make a difference in how your OS perceives the hardware in this case.
I reccommend a Promise card or RAID card or whatever suits your system requirements--they are dirt cheap and will solve your issue (and possibly allow higher transfer rates!)
Let us hear how it works out--CyberD
Continuiing to try and load the OS or us the HD without taking these steps will result in a variety of errors.
Now my MB is 2 years old (ASUS P4SDX) but the 137 barrier is an OS issue I believe (correct me if I am wrong) and no amount of Bios tinkering will make a difference in how your OS perceives the hardware in this case.
I reccommend a Promise card or RAID card or whatever suits your system requirements--they are dirt cheap and will solve your issue (and possibly allow higher transfer rates!)
Let us hear how it works out--CyberD
CyberD - the 137GB barrier is a bios AND an operating system issue (read some of the links above). But you need the bios to be able to recognise larger drives first - unless you circumvent it by adding a controller card like you did (which is independent of the mobo's bios, and provides the large drive recognition).
- Thread starter
- #19
automatic2
Technical User
wouldn't it help to run the drives manufacturer's setup disk against it. It may well have partioning info beyond the capability of your current BIOS. Repartitioning and maintaining the boot sector below 1K could make the difference.
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