Win2k SP2 and the limit 130GB HD issue

[science2003]

I just bought a 160HD (ata 133, 8mb buffer) and I found the 48 LBA
address issue. Even with Partition Magic 7 there are only 130GB
detected. I cannot update Win2k to SP3 (and open the 48 addressing in
the registry), because the HD is a backup HD that should be used also
by other Win2k/XP PCs (which I cannot update). My questions are the
following:

1. If I format in FAT32 the HD with a single partition of 130GB (as
much as the actual system allows me) will be this partition perfectly
working across PCs, or are there drawbacks (apart the loss of 30GB of
space) in using the HD with the old LBA addressing instead of the 48
addressing?

2. Is there a way to make with Win2k SP2 two or three partitions in the
HD so as to allow to use the entire 160GB, though divided in more
smaller (i.e. below 130GB barrier) partitions. Is there a way to make
this trick work? How?

Thanks in advance for any answer.

 

[David H. Lipman]

48bit LBA in Win2K -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305098


--
Dave




| I just bought a 160HD (ata 133, 8mb buffer) and I found the 48 LBA
| address issue. Even with Partition Magic 7 there are only 130GB
| detected. I cannot update Win2k to SP3 (and open the 48 addressing in
| the registry), because the HD is a backup HD that should be used also
| by other Win2k/XP PCs (which I cannot update). My questions are the
| following:
|
| 1. If I format in FAT32 the HD with a single partition of 130GB (as
| much as the actual system allows me) will be this partition perfectly
| working across PCs, or are there drawbacks (apart the loss of 30GB of
| space) in using the HD with the old LBA addressing instead of the 48
| addressing?
|
| 2. Is there a way to make with Win2k SP2 two or three partitions in the
| HD so as to allow to use the entire 160GB, though divided in more
| smaller (i.e. below 130GB barrier) partitions. Is there a way to make
| this trick work? How?
|
| Thanks in advance for any answer.
|

 

[Andy]

I just bought a 160HD (ata 133, 8mb buffer) and I found the 48 LBA
address issue. Even with Partition Magic 7 there are only 130GB
detected. I cannot update Win2k to SP3 (and open the 48 addressing in
the registry), because the HD is a backup HD that should be used also
by other Win2k/XP PCs (which I cannot update). My questions are the
following:

1. If I format in FAT32 the HD with a single partition of 130GB (as
much as the actual system allows me) will be this partition perfectly
working across PCs, or are there drawbacks (apart the loss of 30GB of
space) in using the HD with the old LBA addressing instead of the 48
addressing?

It will work fine.

2. Is there a way to make with Win2k SP2 two or three partitions in the
HD so as to allow to use the entire 160GB, though divided in more
smaller (i.e. below 130GB barrier) partitions. Is there a way to make
this trick work? How?

No. The problem is not the size of partitions, but the ability to
access past the 137GB point in the drive.

 

[DL]

On the assumption 130gb is your master, your version of the win2k install
disk does not have the 48bit fix, and your bios recognises the 130gb hd.
Use win2k installation disk to create a primary partition of say 15gb,using
ntfs, install win2k to that, together with any neccessary drivers. Update
win2k, ensure 48bit is enabled, then use disk management to 'recover' the
spare space, as required. Do not use PM to do this.
Finally create a slipstreamed install of win2k sp4.