Busting the 137GB barrier on new XP install

[Michael]

I built a brand new (AMD 2500) system with a 160 GB
Western Digital drive. I'm trying to install XP Home on
the unformatted drive and have hit several problems:

1) If I format during install to NTFS, I get the
Unmountable Boot Volume stop error on re-boot after
setup. The suggestion is to turn off drive caching but I
don't have any option for that in the BIOS settings.

2) Even if problem 1 is solved, XP setup only recognizes
about 131GB of the drive (note: if I partition it using
the WD drive software, XP "magically" reduces the partion
sizes so that the sum of the partition sizes is something
greater than 131GB but less than 160GB, even though the
total drive size is reported to be about 131GB! i.e. Part
1 = 95GB, Part 2 = 56GB, Total = 131GB).

I know that 48-bit Logical Block Addressing is required
to use a drive >137GB. I know that Windows XP home
edition only supports 48-bit LBA after SP1 is installed.
I'm currently trying to verify that my motherboard bios
supports 48-bit LBA (waiting on Tech Support).

Question: Assuming that my mobo supports 48-bit LBA, is
there any way to install XP Home service pack 1 during
initial installation? Or, do I have to install the
original version and then upgrade to SP1 (and later
updates)? There must be a way to install XP Home on a
brand-new, unformatted 160GB drive, right?

Another option: Can I format the drive to, say 120GB,
leaving the rest of the drive unpartitioned, and after
installing SP1 go back and format the rest of the drive?

Last time I built a computer was Windows 3.1, and it
seems that the more things change, the more they stay the
same.

 

[Shenan T. Stanley]

I built a brand new (AMD 2500) system with a 160 GB
Western Digital drive. I'm trying to install XP Home on
the unformatted drive and have hit several problems:

1) If I format during install to NTFS, I get the
Unmountable Boot Volume stop error on re-boot after
setup. The suggestion is to turn off drive caching but I
don't have any option for that in the BIOS settings.

2) Even if problem 1 is solved, XP setup only recognizes
about 131GB of the drive (note: if I partition it using
the WD drive software, XP "magically" reduces the partion
sizes so that the sum of the partition sizes is something
greater than 131GB but less than 160GB, even though the
total drive size is reported to be about 131GB! i.e. Part
1 = 95GB, Part 2 = 56GB, Total = 131GB).

I know that 48-bit Logical Block Addressing is required
to use a drive >137GB. I know that Windows XP home
edition only supports 48-bit LBA after SP1 is installed.
I'm currently trying to verify that my motherboard bios
supports 48-bit LBA (waiting on Tech Support).

Question: Assuming that my mobo supports 48-bit LBA, is
there any way to install XP Home service pack 1 during
initial installation? Or, do I have to install the
original version and then upgrade to SP1 (and later
updates)? There must be a way to install XP Home on a
brand-new, unformatted 160GB drive, right?

Another option: Can I format the drive to, say 120GB,
leaving the rest of the drive unpartitioned, and after
installing SP1 go back and format the rest of the drive?

Last time I built a computer was Windows 3.1, and it
seems that the more things change, the more they stay the
same.

Uhm..

What size does your motherboard show for the drive?
If it does not show 160GB, you cannot MAKE XP see 160GB.

a BIOS that will see the drive as >128
a HDD Driver, ( yes a driver - you may need to press F6 and use it when
installing windows )
and a Registry Patch for Win2K, ( if Win2k OS )

Step 1:
Reboot your machine, go in to the BIOS,
Does the drive detect as >128GB...
if yes - BIOS patch is installed or innately works
if no - Must get a BIOS upgrade or a third party IDE controller card( 48Bit
HDD Detection )

Step 2:
The manufacturer of your HDD knows this better than you...
Contact their website and search for a driver...
Search for words like '128GB' or '137GB'...
WesternDigital's info page is at...

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=533&p_created=1031763968

But the driver is at the URL

http://support.wdc.com/download/#dlgtools


Step3:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=303013

 

[Michael]

Thanks for the tips (and the speedy reply)! I still have
some checking to do about the BIOS, but assuming I get
that fixed, I'll still have the problem with installing
SP1 (the microsoft knowledge base article didn't address
this issue). How do I install SP1 at initial setup? If
not, can I partially format (i.e. set up one partition
<137GB) and format the rest of the drive after XP SP1 has
been installed?

 

[Star Fleet Admiral Q]

Basically, you can't, even an unattended installation will install the basic
OS first and the SP1 after the fact. If you BIOS and IO controller are
48-bit LBA enabled, then you need SP1 slipstreamed into your version of XP
before you start.
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/#require
http://www.broomeman.com/support/wsbootcd.html
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp1_cd.htm
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?object=article.cfm&id=160

 

[Paul]

-----Original Message-----
I built a brand new (AMD 2500) system with a 160 GB
Western Digital drive. I'm trying to install XP Home on
the unformatted drive and have hit several problems:

1) If I format during install to NTFS, I get the
Unmountable Boot Volume stop error on re-boot after
setup. The suggestion is to turn off drive caching but I
don't have any option for that in the BIOS settings.

2) Even if problem 1 is solved, XP setup only recognizes
about 131GB of the drive (note: if I partition it using
the WD drive software, XP "magically" reduces the partion
sizes so that the sum of the partition sizes is something
greater than 131GB but less than 160GB, even though the
total drive size is reported to be about 131GB! i.e. Part
1 = 95GB, Part 2 = 56GB, Total = 131GB).

I know that 48-bit Logical Block Addressing is required
to use a drive >137GB. I know that Windows XP home
edition only supports 48-bit LBA after SP1 is installed.
I'm currently trying to verify that my motherboard bios
supports 48-bit LBA (waiting on Tech Support).

Question: Assuming that my mobo supports 48-bit LBA, is
there any way to install XP Home service pack 1 during
initial installation? Or, do I have to install the
original version and then upgrade to SP1 (and later
updates)? There must be a way to install XP Home on a
brand-new, unformatted 160GB drive, right?

Another option: Can I format the drive to, say 120GB,
leaving the rest of the drive unpartitioned, and after
installing SP1 go back and format the rest of the drive?

Last time I built a computer was Windows 3.1, and it
seems that the more things change, the more they stay the
same.
.

I just installed a WD 160 GB drive on my computer, and it
was to say the least, frustrating. Don't bother trying to
use the windows version of WD's "lifeguard tools", it
doesnt work. Set your computer to boot from the CD first,
and put the WD CD in the drive and reboot. Use the DOS
version of tools, and (be sure you have Windows XP
Service Pack 1 installed first) when you get to the
screen that asks "Are you sure your OS supports drives
over 137 GB?", answer YES, and it should work ok. For
more detail, log onto WD's web site, and you will find
the procedure.