Overcoming 8GB BIOS limit

[Michael]

Having an off day? I quote OP: "The BIOS limits the system to seeing
only

8GB ". We're talking about a BIOS limitation here. Also, how DOS sees a disk
or Windows are entirely different matters.

I thought that Windows 3.1/95/98/ME all used the BIOS and only 2000/XP
couldn't have this problem. Also, I might want to create a Linux
partition somewhere in the unallocated space, but I think there's some
kind of LILO problem with 8GB too.

 

[Joep]

I thought that Windows 3.1/95/98/ME all used the BIOS and only 2000/XP
couldn't have this problem.

Incorrect.

 

[Joep]

There are no standard utility which will do it without warning u of
data loss. The easiest manual alternative is Diskedit from Norton
Utilities. However if u are not conversant with low level sector
writing I wont advise u. If u must use the free space and want a custom
utility mail me with your hard drive specs like total number of
addresable sectors and total tracks/cylinder

Look, the problem is the BIOS only sees 8 Gb. There's *nothing* you can do
with any editor to make to see the BIOS more than 8 Gb.

 

[Arno Wagner]

I thought that Windows 3.1/95/98/ME all used the BIOS and only 2000/XP
couldn't have this problem. Also, I might want to create a Linux
partition somewhere in the unallocated space, but I think there's some
kind of LILO problem with 8GB too.

The limitation in LILO is the same as for all boot-managers: They
need the BIOS to load the system. Hence for Linux the kernel
has to reside in a BIOS-accessable area. That does not need
to be the root partition. I get around the problem by having a
small Linux partition at the beginning of the disk, where I
store the kernels. You also can put the kernels into a windows-
partition, however then you will need to reinstall when you
defragment the partition or move the kernel files.

Arno

 

[chrisv]

Hello,
I have a P166 computer running Windows ME on a 40GB Western Digital
hard drive. The BIOS limits the system to seeing only 8GB of the
drive, so the whole partition is 8GB. My question is, is there any way
to make another partition in the other 32GB without reformatting the
entire drive? I tried WD's Data Lifeguard, but that tells you that by
starting it will erase all information on the disk.

Get a different computer. Heck, I have a Celeron "450A" that's been
collecting dust for quite some time, and I would have to believe that
a PC in that class would be damn near free now-days, and would be a
huge upgrade over what you have.

 

[Michael]

The limitation in LILO is the same as for all boot-managers: They

need the BIOS to load the system. Hence for Linux the kernel
has to reside in a BIOS-accessable area. That does not need
to be the root partition. I get around the problem by having a
small Linux partition at the beginning of the disk, where I
store the kernels. You also can put the kernels into a windows-
partition, however then you will need to reinstall when you
defragment the partition or move the kernel files.

So I could defragment the Windows partition, then resize it with
something like Ranish Partition Manager, and then make my entire Linux
partition *overlapping* the 8GB mark, and then have some space in the
very end of the drive as a Windows D drive?

 

[Eric Gisin]

The limitation in LILO is the same as for all boot-managers: They
need the BIOS to load the system. Hence for Linux the kernel
has to reside in a BIOS-accessable area. That does not need
to be the root partition. I get around the problem by having a
small Linux partition at the beginning of the disk, where I
store the kernels. You also can put the kernels into a windows-
partition, however then you will need to reinstall when you
defragment the partition or move the kernel files.

Microsoft fixed their MBR to use Int13 extensions in 1998, likewise FAT boot
code, then NTFS in 2000.

You mean LILO still doesn't see 2TB 10 years after Int13 extensions came out?

 

[Arno Wagner]

So I could defragment the Windows partition, then resize it with
something like Ranish Partition Manager, and then make my entire Linux
partition *overlapping* the 8GB mark, and then have some space in the
very end of the drive as a Windows D drive?

No, definitely not!!! Never, ever overlap partitions!

You can copy the linux kernel the bootmanager needs into the windows
partition if that is before the 8GB mark. After all the kernel is just
a file. The bootmanager does not care where the kernel is, as long as
ot can read it. It also does not need any file besides the kernel
on booting (Grub needs its menufile in addition, but than can also
be one a non-linux partition). Once the kernel starts, it has its own
disk driver and the 8GB mark is no issue.

What you will need to do is boot windows with the same boot-manager
as Linux. I have had no problems here with either LILO or GRUB.

Arno

 

[Arno Wagner]

Microsoft fixed their MBR to use Int13 extensions in 1998, likewise FAT boot
code, then NTFS in 2000.

You mean LILO still doesn't see 2TB 10 years after Int13 extensions came out?

It sees them is the BIOS is not broken. No problem here so far,
but people have reported issues. My personal set-up is
older than the fixes you quote and by now I am used to do it
that way and like to have my kernels on a separate partition.
It is also handy with several different Linux installations on
the same disk (which I have from time to time). No need to
have that partition at the start today.

On re-read, I might have misunderstood the OP. I thought that he
actually had observed a problem with LILO. If that is not the case
he should just try it. Having a windows and a Linux rescue system on
floppy or CDROM is a good idea in such operations. If LILO has
a problem the next best idea is to try GRUB and only then start
to move kernels or re-partition.

Arno

 

[Michael]

No, definitely not!!! Never, ever overlap partitions!
I meant, could I have a, say, 7GB Windows partition and then have a
Linux partition which overlapped the 8GB mark, not having the two
partitions overlap.

 

[Michael]

On re-read, I might have misunderstood the OP. I thought that he

actually had observed a problem with LILO. If that is not the case
he should just try it. Having a windows and a Linux rescue system on
floppy or CDROM is a good idea in such operations. If LILO has
a problem the next best idea is to try GRUB and only then start
to move kernels or re-partition.

No, I have not observed a problem with LILO. In fact, I have never
actually used Linux and really do not know how to move kernels or set
up GRUB.

 

[Rod Speed]

I thought that Windows 3.1/95/98/ME all used the
BIOS and only 2000/XP couldn't have this problem.

Nope, all the 9x Wins and later do their own scan for drives and arent
limited by the bios limit except in the sense of what they can boot from.

 

[Michael]

Nope, all the 9x Wins and later do their own scan for drives and arent

limited by the bios limit except in the sense of what they can boot

from.
In that case, isn't this whole thread kind of silly? Why don't I just
create another partition in the other 32GB from fdisk from within
Windows? Is that possible?

 

[Michael]

In that case, isn't this whole thread kind of silly?  Why don't I just

create another partition in the other 32GB from fdisk from within
Windows?  Is that possible?

Well, I just tried that, and it still lists the capacity as 8025 MBytes.

 

[Rod Speed]

In that case, isn't this whole thread kind of silly?
Why don't I just create another partition in the other
32GB from fdisk from within Windows? Is that possible?

That certainly works for other than the boot drive, havent tried
it with the boot drive on a system with a 8GB bios limit tho.

 

[Rod Speed]

Well, I just tried that, and it still lists the capacity as 8025 MBytes.

That might just be fdisk tho. Try partitioning it with something else.

I'd try a Universal Boot CD 4 Windows and do the partitioning from there.
http://www.ubcd4win.com/index.htm

 

[Michael]

That might just be fdisk tho. Try partitioning it with something else.

I'd try a Universal Boot CD 4 Windows and do the partitioning from there.
http://www.ubcd4win.com/index.htm

I can't boot from a CD though. Are there any downloadable ones?

 

[Rod Speed]

I can't boot from a CD though. Are there any downloadable ones?

Yeah, have a look at what it puts on the CD and just download one of them.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Incorrect.

And that dares to talk about incomplete and incorrect answers.
Go stand in a corner and recite the alphabet 100 times.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

My comments reflect on your quasi casual, incorrect and incomplete
suggestions on editing the partition table. By no means did I have the
intention of insulting OP.

Anyone can see how that is an obvious lie, Joepie.