Hard Drive Size Limits

[mcp6453]

At what point does the 137MB HD size limit become an issue? I have an XP
machine with a 250 MB slave drive, and it works fine. An 80GB primary
boot drive is in the process of failing, and I am wondering whether to
replace it with a 120GB drive or larger. Could someone please explain
the (BIOS?) limitation as it affects XP?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

At what point does the 137MB HD size limit become an issue? I have an
XP machine with a 250 MB slave drive, and it works fine. An 80GB
primary boot drive is in the process of failing, and I am wondering
whether to replace it with a 120GB drive or larger. Could someone
please explain the (BIOS?) limitation as it affects XP?

If your hardware (BIOS) supports it - then for all intents and purposes,
Windows XP with SP1 or later supports it.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

In your case this isn't a BIOS issue as it recognizes the slave. However
Windows XP "pre SP1" is the issue. If you have SP1 or SP2 then you won't
have a problem. But if your copy of Windows XP does not have SP1 or SP2
already embedded and you try to do a clean install you may very well run
into trouble with drives over 120 GB.

If you have an original Windows XP you may wish to slipstream SP1 or SP2
into it. See here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

More info here
http://york.gose.org/pipermail/yorkcc/2003-December/000075.html
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;303013

BTW as you know a 120GB drive is under the 137GB limitation ;-)

 

[Andy]

At what point does the 137MB HD size limit become an issue? I have an XP
machine with a 250 MB slave drive, and it works fine. An 80GB primary
boot drive is in the process of failing, and I am wondering whether to
replace it with a 120GB drive or larger. Could someone please explain
the (BIOS?) limitation as it affects XP?

The BIOS is not a factor as long as it does not prevent the computer
from completing POST (power-on self test). This generally happens with
pre-2000 computers where the computer hangs in POST because the BIOS
cannot detect large drives.
The issue is getting the Windows XP setup program to recognize drives
larger than 137GB during the installation process. For this you need
to use an installation CD that incorporates SP1 or SP2, either by
buying the XP CD that way, or by slipstreaming SP1 or SP2 into the
original Windows XP CD.
Bottom line is during installation the original Windows XP CD will not
recognize the entire capacity of drives larger than 137GB even if the
BIOS does. Conversely, a Windows XP CD containing SP1 or SP2 will
recognize the entire capacity of drives larger than 137GB during
installation even if the BIOS does not.
The BIOS is used during the boot process. This means that a 137GB
limited BIOS will prevent installation in a partition that begins
close to or past that boundary, because it wouldn't be able to boot
the operating system from such a partition. This I have tested.
A drive that is large enough such that the MFT falls past 137GB should
also be a problem for a 137GB BIOS. This I have not tested, since I
don't have a drive that large.

 

[Rodney Kelp]

So does that mean that XP SP2 has unlimited harddrive recognition? If not,
what is the limit?

 

[namniar]

Many times larger than any drive you will be able to buy in the next 5
years.

r.

 

[Art]

At what point does the 137MB HD size limit become an issue? I have an XP
machine with a 250 MB slave drive, and it works fine. An 80GB primary boot
drive is in the process of failing, and I am wondering whether to replace
it with a 120GB drive or larger. Could someone please explain the (BIOS?)
limitation as it affects XP?

Andy:
Perhaps I misunderstand you but when you say you "have an XP machine with a
250 MB (I assume you mean GB) slave drive, and it works fine.", does that
not tell you your system supports large-capacity disks, i.e., disks whose
capacity is greater than 137 GB? Again, I assume when you say "it works
fine", you mean the entire capacity of the disk (250 GB) is recognized in
the system, yes?

Hmmm. Now that I think about it maybe you do mean 250 MB!

It would be helpful if you would indicate whether your version of XP
includes SP1 and/or SP2. Also, the make and model of your motherboard and
its BIOS version.

Anyway, here's an overview of XP's recognition (or lack of!) of
large-capacity (137 GB and larger) disks...

There are two basic requirements for Windows XP to recognize the full
capacity of large-capacity drives, i.e., drives having a capacity greater
than 137 GB...
1. Your motherboard's BIOS must support large-capacity disks, and,
2. SP1 and/or SP2 has been installed.

Note that in every case your motherboard's BIOS must support large-capacity
disks. (I believe you received a response to your query stating that Windows
XP with SP1 and/or SP2 will support large-capacity disks even if your
motherboard's BIOS doesn't. This is simply not true.) If your MB's BIOS does
not presently support large-disk capability, perhaps the manufacturer has a
BIOS upgrade for that MB that will allow this capability. In the event your
motherboard does not support large-drive capability, you can purchase a
controller card such as the Promise ULTRA133 TX2 to support this capability.
They're not terribly expensive, running about $35. They're simple to install
and they're effective.
Art

 

[Alex Nichol]

At what point does the 137MB HD size limit become an issue? I have an XP
machine with a 250 MB slave drive, and it works fine. An 80GB primary
boot drive is in the process of failing, and I am wondering whether to
replace it with a 120GB drive or larger. Could someone please explain
the (BIOS?) limitation as it affects XP?

These big drives started to show a couple of years back. To use one you
have to have '48 bit' LBA to be able to have it handle addresses beyond
256 M (28 bits) to identify sectors - that is where the limit arises.
You need a BIOS that handles 48 bit LBA and XP SP1 or later. I would do
the partitioning and formatting from XP Disk Management; not some
utility that comes with the drive

 

[Carl Nettelblad]

news:[email protected]...

Note that in every case your motherboard's BIOS must support
large-capacity disks. (I believe you received a response to your query
stating that Windows XP with SP1 and/or SP2 will support large-capacity
disks even if your motherboard's BIOS doesn't. This is simply not true.)

I haven't tested this in XP (haven't run it on any computer with a BIOS that
old), but in Win2000, it is completely true that you can use 48-bit LBA,
with the proper service pack, even if your BIOS doesn't handle it. You can
run into some troubles if you partition the drive with a boot partition size

137 with such a BIOS, but it's not impossible. I see that the KB article

on XP says otherwise, so maybe the implementation in XP is really inferior
to the 2000 one.

/Carl

 

[Art]

I haven't tested this in XP (haven't run it on any computer with a BIOS
that old), but in Win2000, it is completely true that you can use 48-bit
LBA, with the proper service pack, even if your BIOS doesn't handle it.
You can run into some troubles if you partition the drive with a boot
partition size
on XP says otherwise, so maybe the implementation in XP is really inferior
to the 2000 one.

/Carl

Carl:
It may, as you say, work fine in Win2000, but that is simply *not* the case
in Windows XP. The two basic requirements for recognizing large-capacity
disks, i.e., disks > 137 GB, in an XP environment are:
1. A motherboard's BIOS that supports large-capacity disks, and,
2. SP1 and/or SP2 has been installed.
Art

 

[Guest]

Carl:
It may, as you say, work fine in Win2000, but that is simply *not* the case
in Windows XP. The two basic requirements for recognizing large-capacity
disks, i.e., disks > 137 GB, in an XP environment are:
1. A motherboard's BIOS that supports large-capacity disks, and,
2. SP1 and/or SP2 has been installed.
Art

Art,

You are correct on both items there. Except that SP1 and/or SP2 does not
work just installing it alone. Either one should be incorporated with the
Windows XP installation CD to make it work. The new Windows XP installation
disk has either SP1 or SP2, but the original doesn't.

Drew