127 or 137 GB or 137427943424 Bytes Hard Drive Capacity limit? WTF?

[MobiusPizza]

Description:
For those who have searched google for solutions would have found that such problem is common, but luckily the fix is easy.

A HDD greater than advertised 140GB+ might be seen in Windows as 127GB. (Or 137GB in HDD manufacturer's counting standard)
(137427943424 bytes)


Cause, the evil:

Quoted from Microsoft:
By default, the original release version of Windows XP Home Edition and of Windows XP Professional do not have 48-bit LBA support. Your computer must meet the following requirements to use 48-bit LBA ATAPI support:
? 48-bit LBA-compatible BIOS.
? 137-GB hard disk or larger.
? You must have Windows XP SP1 installed.

Microsoft Reference

To summarise, causes include:
a. Motherboard BIOS does is not 48-bit LBA-compatible.
b. Windows' lack of 48-bit LBA ATAPI support

Note that this is not the Harddisk's problem; nor anything to do with jumper settings. It has nothing to do with format or FAT32 or NTFS whatsoever.

This problem can be fixed inside Windows. A clean install is NOT necessary!


Solution:

Motherboard/RAID controller BIOS:
Check your motherboard/RAID controller website for the newest BIOS or one with stated 48-bit LBA fix. Download it and flash the BIOS according to the instructions given on your motherboard manufacturer's website. Usually you'll need a BIOS flashing program and the BIOS bin file.

Most BIOS flashing for motherboards requires a bootable floppy disc. If your motherboard supports booting from USB devices it should do the job as well. However you do need a copy of DOS there.

Another easy way is to use Windows 98/ME CD disc and boot up DOS. Or if you have a CD writer, use this Clean Bootable CD-Rom (for BIOS upgrade)

Remember to include your copy of BIOS in the media
Ihe files can be loaded from your HDD if the boot medium's OS is DOS; however if your HDD is NTFS, it cannot load from the HDD. If the boot medium's OS interface is not DOS it might not even read the HDD.

Either way it's safest to put both the flash program and the BIOS inside the medium

Manufacturer links:

Motherboard Manufacturers BIOS download links
ABIT
Albatron
AOpen
ASUS
ASRock
Biostar
Chaintech
DFI
Elitegroup
EPoX
Intel
MSI
Leadtek/WinFast

RAID/IDE Controllers Manufacturers BIOS download links
3ware
Adaptec
Promise Tech.
HighPoint

OS:
You will need a copy of Windows XP Service Pack 1, or 2; Windows 2000 Service pack 3 or 4;

 

[n7]

Thank you

Mods: can we get this stickied? :thumbsup:

 

[theMan]

nice

 

[MobiusPizza]

Added some links

 

[Tiamat]

Thanks!
But just cause i feel nit-picky, this problem was solved over a year ago and a simple search would find solutions as you posted about.

 

[MobiusPizza]

I know
Once a while newbies do for some reason found this forum but did not find the solution.
If there's any more troubleshooting FAQs that I should integrate with this thread would be cool. Ideas?

 

[KoolDrew]

Good job :thumbsup:

 

[MobiusPizza]

Thanks. Added some BIOS flashing info.
I've actually learnt something. I wasn't sure that you can flash your BIOS with a CD... Now I am sure

Can someone confirm for me? I said a USB drive with DOS in it should be fine for BIOS flashing given that the motherboard is set to boot from USB drive. However I am not sure whether the BIOS is resiponsible for the communication between the USB drive and the motherboard. Otherwise it would be a disaster to flash BIOS using an USB drive.

 

[vailr]

USB thumb drives are usually bootable only when connected to certain USB ports adjacent
to the PS2 ports, at the back.
Not: front of case, motherboard header, or PCI card USB ports.

 

[Genx87]

yeah I ran into this probably 18 months ago when I installed a pair of 160GB drives in Win2K server.

Has Microsoft finally just enabled this setting by default yet?

 

[aplefka]

Good post, hopefully stickified eventually. While searching would do the trick, this obviously is aimed at those who can't search.

 

[n7]

Bump for a sticky...?

 

[zendari]

I'm still having a problem: Used the big drive enabler, and the keyword is in the registry, but I am still getting a 137 GB drive. I have service pack 2. I am using a new DFI Ultra-D mobo, doesn't this BIOS already have the new 48 bit addressing?