P2B HDD Limits with USB2

[peter z]

I have an older PC with a P2B mobo using the latest BIOS (1014.Beta003). I
want to dedicate this box to be a music server feeding a Squeezebox2
connected to my stereo. My question concerns the HD limits with this setup.

I'm currently using a 80GB internal drive with no problems. I'd like to put
all the music files on an external drive at least 250GB. It's my
understanding that the P2B has a limit of 137GB for internal IDE drives.
Since I have only USB1.1 on board, I'd like to get a USB2 adapter to connect
the external HD.

Will a USB2 adapter be all I need to have the system recognize the 250GB HD
or is something else required?

Any suggestions very welcome.

-Peter

 

[Robert Hancock]

I have an older PC with a P2B mobo using the latest BIOS (1014.Beta003). I
want to dedicate this box to be a music server feeding a Squeezebox2
connected to my stereo. My question concerns the HD limits with this setup.

I'm currently using a 80GB internal drive with no problems. I'd like to put
all the music files on an external drive at least 250GB. It's my
understanding that the P2B has a limit of 137GB for internal IDE drives.
Since I have only USB1.1 on board, I'd like to get a USB2 adapter to connect
the external HD.

Will a USB2 adapter be all I need to have the system recognize the 250GB HD
or is something else required?

BIOS limits don't affect USB devices as the BIOS essentially knows
nothing of them. It should work fine.

 

[DaveW]

No, it will not work. The updated BIOS on the P2B's motherboard is what
limits you to 137 GB. The USB 2.0 is irrelevant to the mazimum capacity
that your motherboard can recognize.

 

[Robert Hancock]

No, it will not work. The updated BIOS on the P2B's motherboard is what
limits you to 137 GB. The USB 2.0 is irrelevant to the mazimum capacity
that your motherboard can recognize.

This is not correct. The BIOS has absolutely nothing to do with USB
drive support in Windows. That limit applies only to IDE drives on the
onboard controller.

 

[Juergen Keil]

Will a USB2 adapter be all I need to have the system recognize the 250GB HD
or is something else required?

Double check that the USB<->IDE adapter (in the external usb disk
enclosure) supports HDDs >137GB. Apparently some *old* adapters
didn't support the LBA48 feature so they are limited to HDDs <137GB.

But current USB<->IDE chipsets don't have that limit any more.

 

[Roland Scheidegger]

This is not correct. The BIOS has absolutely nothing to do with USB
drive support in Windows. That limit applies only to IDE drives on the
onboard controller.

Yes, it only matters what the ide controller in the external enclosure
supports - should be more than 137GB with current designs.
However, what noone yet mentioned, some USB 2.0 (and firewire too btw)
adapters have a compatibility problem with the bx chipset. At least it
was a problem in the past, don't know if the cards you can buy today
still have problems...

Roland

 

[peter z]

Double check that the USB<->IDE adapter (in the external usb disk
enclosure) supports HDDs >137GB. Apparently some *old* adapters
didn't support the LBA48 feature so they are limited to HDDs <137GB.

But current USB<->IDE chipsets don't have that limit any more.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll check with the local suppliers to make
sure the USB2 adapter I get will work with the P2B.

-Peter