Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 18:17:40 +0200 From: Philip Nienhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [LIB] OT: 30GB BIOS barrier on Dell Dimension
Matt Hanson wrote: > > Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 01:25:45 +0000 > From: "Matt Hanson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: OT: 30GB BIOS barrier on Dell Dimension > > Hi folks, > > I've got a friend with a Dell Dimension that has a BIOS limitation of > supporting only up to a 30GB hard drive. I wonder if anyone knows whether > or not I can put some flavor of EZ-Drive, or some other drive overlay onto > the drive, and get the system to recognize a 160GB HDD. > > Reading through info from a Google search, I saw where drive overlay on some > systems can be pretty hazardous depending on the specific hardware involved. > A separate controller card was recommended over drive overlay. But that > hinged on whether or not the controller on the MB can be disabled, and I see > no option in the Dell setup. > > Two 45 minute calls to Dell support in India got nowhere. Finally being > handed over to the senior support person there, I got no help other than > repetitive assertions that the system setup only supports hard drives up to > 30GB. > > Also, it seems I read a list post at some point about a possible 80GB or > 120GB (??) limitation of EZ-Drive itself. A disk overlay might help to use a disk up to 128 GiB (= 137 GB in SI units). For still larger disks LBA48 is needed, I don't know if that can be fully emulated in software. Perhaps the connector cable/bracket needs more wires/pins for LBA48? if so, you're out of luck. Besides, also the operating system must be able to support it. Not all OS may be able to. > Then there was the option of installing an external 160GB HDD via a USB 2.0 > cable. Anyone know if I'd still be running into the 30GB barrier there? No problem, as it is the responsibility of the USB I/O and not the (mainboard) IDE controller. IDE and USB Mass Storage are very different things. > Since the HDD wouldn't be a boot drive in that case, would the system still > not see the entire 160GB? (see above) "Boot drive" and disk size limitations are not that directly related. PC's which can boot from USB HD (like my desktop) are not limited to a boot drive size limit similar to the Dell system you describe. Obviously other size limits apply, but not those classical ones relating to IDE (e.g., 540 MB, 8(/32)/128 GB.) Philip ************************************************************** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives -------TO UNSUBSCRIBE------- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe --------TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST------ Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest **************************************************************
