Windows won't boot if any partition extends past 120 GB on 250 GBdrive

[JS]

Does your BIOS support 48Bit LBA?

JS

 

[Will Pittenger]

Supposedly, XP SP2 (which is installed) supports 48-bit LBA addressing.
However, when I attempt to extend any partition past 120 GB, Windows
refuses to boot. It just sits there at the animated boot splash screen
forever. Can someone tell me what is wrong and how to fix it? I would
like to use the extra disk space that I now have.

I am also having problem with PartitionMagic 8 that might be related.
The installed version crashes all of Windows shortly after the splash
appears. The rescue floppy boots, but then displays Error #114 for the
250 GB drive. The CD won't boot issuing some internal error code and
leaving me with a Y: DOS prompt.

 

[John]

I'm thinking the same thing. BIOS might need an update (if there's any).

Does your BIOS support 48Bit LBA?

JS

 

[Will Pittenger]

Based on what I saw in GParted and Linux (which didn't care), yes.

 

[JS]

Can you use Windows 'Disk Management' to create a second partition from the
unused space?

JS

Based on what I saw in GParted and Linux (which didn't care), yes.

 

[C.Joseph S. Drayton]

Supposedly, XP SP2 (which is installed) supports 48-bit LBA
addressing. However, when I attempt to extend any partition past 120
GB, Windows refuses to boot. It just sits there at the animated boot
splash screen forever. Can someone tell me what is wrong and how to
fix it? I would like to use the extra disk space that I now have.

I am also having problem with PartitionMagic 8 that might be related.
The installed version crashes all of Windows shortly after the splash
appears. The rescue floppy boots, but then displays Error #114 for
the 250 GB drive. The CD won't boot issuing some internal error code
and leaving me with a Y: DOS prompt.

Off the top of my head it sounds like you made the partition FAT32
rather than NTFS. WindowsXP has a problem formating FAT32 partitions
over that size.

--

Sincerely,
C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T

CSD Computer Services
Web site: http://csdcs.tlerma.com/
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)

 

[Will Pittenger]

I am certain that NTFS was used. Please try again.

 

[Will Pittenger]

How do I check for out of date BIOSes? I have a Intel 845 chipset.
Intel motherboard, but I don't know the model.

 

[PD43]

How do I check for out of date BIOSes? I have a Intel 845 chipset.
Intel motherboard, but I don't know the model.

run the Belarc Advisor (google it) to get the motherboard make/model
no.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Off the top of my head it sounds like you made the partition FAT32
rather than NTFS. WindowsXP has a problem formating FAT32 partitions
over that size.

Well, that's a rather misleading statement. Windows XP will not create
a FAT32 volume larger than 32GB. But that's by design, rather than its
having a problem doing so.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

The "problem" is that FAT32 uses a fixed number of clusters. As the size of
the partition increases so does the cluster size. Eventually you get a
situation where a 2k dll takes up a 64k cluster. In other words, partitions
above 32GB become extremely inefficient. It is not a formatting problem, it
is a format problem. The FAT32 format is simply not designed to use large
partitions efficiently. That isn't the only reason to use NTFS instead, but
it is a compelling one.

 

[C.Joseph S. Drayton]

Well, that's a rather misleading statement. Windows XP will not create
a FAT32 volume larger than 32GB. But that's by design, rather than its
having a problem doing so.

If it was mis-leading my apologies. The bottom line is that with
WindowsXP's built-in tools it can not do so. It has no problem reading
a large FAT32 partition, but as far as I have seen, it does not format
a large FAT32 partition properly. Even when you do an initial install,
it will let you say 150GB partition, and will 'supposedly' format it as
FAT32. It will even 'install' the OS, but when you go to boot it won't.

Note also that PartitionMagic will allow you to specify the partition
type. So that if you set it as FAT32 and then format as NTFS, you can
get file corruption.

I use PartitionMagic v8.05 occassionally, and I have seen that there is
a couple of things that it does that some might consider 'non-standard'.

--

Sincerely,
C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T

CSD Computer Services
Web site: http://csdcs.tlerma.com/
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

If it was mis-leading my apologies.

Accepted.


The bottom line is that with
WindowsXP's built-in tools it can not do so.

Correct.


It has no problem reading
a large FAT32 partition,

Also correct.

but as far as I have seen, it does not format
a large FAT32 partition properly.

But it's not a matter of doing it "properly." It won't do it at all.
FAT32 won't even be offered as an option if the partition is over
32GB.

 

[JS]

From: http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=339067
"All members of the 845 chipset family support the Intel Application
Accelerator (IAA), a driver which provides faster disk I/O, quicker boot
times, 48-bit LBA (over 137GB) hard disks, automatic selection of fastest
DMA transfer rates for ATA devices, and other benefits. Specific versions of
the Intel Application Accelerator vary according to whether you use Windows
XP or other Windows versions. See the Intel Application Accelerator Web site
for details and to download the latest version of the IAA for your version
of Windows: http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/iaa/index.htm"
I have used the "Intel Application Accelerator" on a PC that uses the 815
chipset but not on the 845. It look like you will need to install it to get
Large Hard Drive support

JS

 

[Bill in Co.]

Also correct.


But it's not a matter of doing it "properly." It won't do it at all.
FAT32 won't even be offered as an option if the partition is over 32GB.

But he can do it with Partition Magic, if he really wants.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

But he can do it with Partition Magic, if he really wants.

Sure. There are many ways to create FAT32 partitions larger than 32GB.
You can even use FDISK from Windows 98; no third-party program like
Partition Magic is required. My point was only that Windows XP will
not do it.

By the way, I recommend that NTFS be used in preference to FAT32. The
only good reason for using FAT32 under Windows XP is if you are dual
-booting with an operating system that is not NTFS-aware.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Sure. There are many ways to create FAT32 partitions larger than 32GB.
You can even use FDISK from Windows 98; no third-party program like
Partition Magic is required. My point was only that Windows XP will
not do it.

By the way, I recommend that NTFS be used in preference to FAT32. The
only good reason for using FAT32 under Windows XP is if you are dual
-booting with an operating system that is not NTFS-aware.

Right.

I think all the "journaling" of NTFS adds some overhead and slight delays,
but the advantages of NTFS do (I have to concede) seem pretty great (like I
haven't seen many BSODs yet, if any).

And, of course, the more efficient use of clusters and the hard disk space,
and the elimination of the maximum 4 GB file size under FAT 32.

 

[Will Pittenger]

I use NTFS mainly for the security issues. I don't like leaving my
private information publicly available if I ever have someone work on my
machine.

 

[Will Pittenger]

IAA is already installed. In fact, I just downloaded the lastest
version in January. Try again.

From: http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=339067
"All members of the 845 chipset family support the Intel Application
Accelerator (IAA), a driver which provides faster disk I/O, quicker boot
times, 48-bit LBA (over 137GB) hard disks, automatic selection of fastest
DMA transfer rates for ATA devices, and other benefits. Specific versions of
the Intel Application Accelerator vary according to whether you use Windows
XP or other Windows versions. See the Intel Application Accelerator Web site
for details and to download the latest version of the IAA for your version
of Windows: http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/iaa/index.htm"
I have used the "Intel Application Accelerator" on a PC that uses the 815
chipset but not on the 845. It look like you will need to install it to get
Large Hard Drive support

JS

 

[C.Joseph S. Drayton]

Also correct.




But it's not a matter of doing it "properly." It won't do it at all.
FAT32 won't even be offered as an option if the partition is over
32GB.

Hi Ken,

I use WindowsXPpe[sp2], and if I right-click on the drive and chose
format to a partition made as FAT32 with PartitionMagic 8.05 it will in
fact try to format it.

--

Sincerely,
C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T

CSD Computer Services
Web site: http://csdcs.tlerma.com/
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)