Award Bios & XP do not recognize >32 GB

[GOldenSIlence]

Can someone help please?

I have a VIA P4PA (P4X266 8233a 6A6LWV59C) motherboard
an Award v 6 Bios (flashed to 5/23/2002 (v 2.60))

It will not reocgnize more than 32 GB on a Maxtor 200gb drive.

VIA tech support, and everything else I read, says it should recognize and reliably use 137GB, but no go.

Makes no difference when I set bios defaults to "Fail safe"
or set Bios HD access to "Auto" or "LBA."

Win XP pro (SP2) install gets the same thing
and only recognizes some 32 GB.

Maxblast of course can see whole 200 GB, but I think
it goes around Bios.

I've even zeroed out the drive to try again,
but nothing works so far.

Thank you,
-David
(David06@1hope.org)

[Denniss]

Check for a jumper limiting your drive to 32GB

[GOldenSIlence]

The drive was jumpered but Maxtor says it is a 137GB jumper - not a 32GB limit.

In any case, the results are the same - even without the jumper neither the Bios or XP SP2 sees more than 32GB.

Any other ideas?

Does anyone have a BIOS for this board that genuinely
sees 137 GB or even better than whole 200 GB?

Thank you.

[Denniss]

Run Maxtor diagnostics program if they support one. Maybe the Partition table or something else is fubared.

[KURIAKI]

Run Maxtor diagnostics program if they support one.

http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxto ... nloadID=57

[leynaxminh]

There was a post that I saw while browsing around and i found my exact machine (seanix) (http://www.wimsbios.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3379) but i need the updated patched bios .. can some body help please? i got a western digital 120 gb wd1200jb and again same problem as the one with the other guys post ..

much help be appreciated
thank you

Program: eSupport.com BIOS Agent Version 3.52
BIOS Date: 03/06/00
BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
BIOS ID: 03/06/2000-i440BX-NS351-UA69KS00C
OEM Sign-On: Seanix Columbia III BIOS rev.1.2
Chipset: Intel 440BX/ZX rev 3
Superio: NSC 351 rev 2 found at port 2Eh
OS: WinXP
CPU: Pentium III 550 Mhz
BIOS ROM In Socket: Yes
BIOS ROM Size: 256K
Memory Installed: 576 MB
Memory Maximum: Unknown
Memory Slot 01: 256 MB
Memory Slot 02: 64 MB
Memory Slot 03: 256 MB

[KURIAKI]

Latest BIOS update patched by Edwin:
http://wims.rainbow-software.org/edwin/ ... ia%203.zip

[edwin]

This is an Award 4.5x generation bios, they have an absolute limit of 137GB. The only options you have to go beyond that are:

1) get an ATA133 controller card with its own bios
2) get a commercial bios upgrade
3) get a new motherboard

all other options (overlay software, add-in bios cards whatever) are going to sting you in the end.

[leynaxminh]

Thank you edwin/wim moderator for the Bios Update

[cp]

edwin is right in first place..BUT (!!!) modern operating systems detect the drives even if they are not at all or wrong size in the bios. they simply query the drives on the interface itself rather than relying on the flaky bios information. those operating systems are ex. windows xp and linux.
no need to buy a controller, new hdd, new mainboard, whatever.

[Denniss]

But these "modern" operating system (you forgot W2K, somewhat "modern") do need to rely on the Bios regarding their boot partition. This has to be within Bios limits.

[cp]

@Denniss: that's correct. the boot partition has to be within the bios limits. but i guess 32GB (or even 8GB for very old bios) should be enough to fit a boot partition. as soon as some basic stuff is loaded (like the HAL in NT5 / kernel in linux) there's no need to worry about the bios limits anymore.

NT5 should have been adequate for W2k/WiXP i guess.