Subj : Re: Continuing "drive size" problems To : Glen From : Chris Robinson Date : Mon Mar 05 2001 02:20 am From: Chris Robinson Glen, I've missed most of the disscussion so I'm assuming you've checked for BIOS updates and the HDD manufacturers website for possible probs? One thing I can suggest which is kind of a work around would be this: Format the 20Gb drive into 2 X 8Gb and 1 X 4Gb. Go into disk adim. and create a 20Gb volume set. I know this isn't the solution you're hoping for but as I said, it's a possible work around. Apart from that then I'd get another 20Gb HDD and try that. Rgds, Chris. Glen wrote: > I want to thank all those who have suggested solutions for my problems > in getting NT4 to recognize a new 20Gb drive. I appreciate the effort > you have all gone to. > > After a very frustrating period of exploring every suggestion made, I > regret to have to report that nothing has worked. > > For anyone who may have missed the extensive previous posts on this > issue, I will summarize in the hope that there may be someone who has > solved this problem previously... > > The machine I am looking at dual boots to both w98 and NT4 workstation. > These OS's reside on two partitions (FAT & NTFS) on a 4Gb primary master > drive. There is a 6Gb secondary master drive, split into 3 x 2Gb FAT > partitions for data and apps shared by both OS's. > > The seemingly simple task was to replace the 6Gb drive with a new 20Gb > unit. > > The BIOS recognizes the drive as 20Gb. > W98 recognizes the drive as 20Gb. > NT4 only recognizes ~8.1Gb > > At the time of the drive's installation, NT4 was patched to SP5. It has > since been patched to SP6a with no effect. The atapi.sys file was even > replaced with the version from SP3 at one stage as this was suggested to > have working >8Gb support. > > I attempted a long and tedious clean NT install to the 20Gb drive with > patching etc. but this achieved nothing. > > 3rd party partitioning software was also suggested. 4 different products > have been tried (3 downloaded demos, and Partition Magic 5.0 which cost > me!), and none have made any impact at all on the problem. > > So long as the primary and extended partitions remain under 8Gb, NT4 > will work with them fine. Attempting to partition with PM5 from within > NT4, also only offers 8Gb to be partitioned. > > As soon as any formatting of anything happens beyond 8Gb, the entire > drive vanishes from NT's view. Even when partitioned with PM5 from > within W98, on reboot to NT4 neither Disk Admin nor PM5 could see the > drive at all (supposedly not even installed). > > As this is not a boot drive, and does not contain the NT4, or any other > operating system, the Int13's 7.8Gb limits don't apply. As W98 can see > the drive fine, the BIOS is also clear of any blame. > > Again, I'm sorry if you've heard it all before... but of all the avenues > I've explored for help with this issue over the last couple of months, > this NG has by far been the most responsive. Most have simply told me > that it does work, despite the infuriatingly obvious fact that in this > case at least, it doesn't. I only hope there are some more > suggestions...? > > Regards, > > Desperate. > (formerly known as Glen) --- BBBS/NT v4.00 MP * Origin: Barktopia Gating Project http://HarborWebs.com:8081 (1:379/45) .