137GB limit on new installed raid 1 disks on Windows 2003

[mxnerd]

This is very weird.

I have a system that's using ABIT IP35 Pro XE with Intel Matrix RAID.

I decided to upgrade the system to use Dell PERC 5i SAS controller. After masking pin 5, 6 (which cure this card's compatibility problem with P35 chipset according to some other hardware forums' discussions) and installed the driver, the system recognized the new RAID 1 disks, which are 2 WD Raptor 150GB 10,000 RPM SATA drives.

However, I was unable to format the virtual disk with NTFS and it always gives me error message "Windows was unable to complete the format" after 99% formating.

Later I found that it was because Windows 2003 was unable to format the disk since it's larger than 137GB! Isn't this a limitation back in Windows 2000?

If I make the partition less than 137GB, than it formats perfectly.

The weird thing is that I have another 500GB disk right inside the system. So how come Windows 2003 was not able to format this new RAID array?

Any idea?

 

[Evadman]

The 137 GB limit is for any hardware or software that doesn't have 48 bit addressing. That wasn't solved in XP until SP1, I don't know if it was solved with the initial release of Server 2k3, or with 2k3 SP1, I can't find an article on dates.

 

[videogames101]

Yep, everything before XP SP1, possibly including Windows '03, can't do more than 137GB.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: videogames101
Yep, everything before XP SP1, possibly including Windows '03, can't do more than 137GB.

Although XP (before SP1) just need a registry edit to enable 48-bit LBA.

 

[mxnerd]

Yeah, the 48bit info all of you provided is correct.

But i was able to format the 500GB SATA disk in the same system on Intel SATA port. So why can't it format a disk that is 150GB (although it's on SAS port)?

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: mxnerd
Yeah, the 48bit info all of you provided is correct.

But i was able to format the 500GB SATA disk in the same system on Intel SATA port. So why can't it format a disk that is 150GB (although it's on SAS port)?

Does your mod disable 48-bit LBA? I'm running multiple disks on multiple machines using PERC 5 and PERC 6 controllers, and have never had a problem with 48-bit LBA. And all the servers are running 32-bit OSs (for compatibility with the software we run). I'd check drivers, etc, as it would seem the controller is the limiting factor, but I know the PERC 5/6 controllers do >137gb.

What bus are you using the Perc controller on in the P35 motherboard?

 

[Nothinman]

The LBA48 stuff only matters when talking about PATA, not SATA or SAS.

 

[mxnerd]

I'm using PCIEx16 slot.

I gave up on format it in Windows 2003 and installed XP on the 500GB disk. Used Aconis disk director to delete and format the disk on PERC SAS controller.

Rebooted Windows 2003, now Windows 2003 was able to format the whole disk over 137GB for several times! Probably somehow Windows 2003 format was unable to erase MBR record or something. Now it works perfectly. Thanks!

 

[Nothinman]

Probably somehow Windows 2003 format was unable to erase MBR record or something.

A format doesn't touch the MBR. I would guess that the partition table didn't match up with how the controller was presenting the disk, deleting the partition and recreating it in Win2K3 probably would've fixed it.

 

[mxnerd]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Probably somehow Windows 2003 format was unable to erase MBR record or something.

A format doesn't touch the MBR. I would guess that the partition table didn't match up with how the controller was presenting the disk, deleting the partition and recreating it in Win2K3 probably would've fixed it.

I think you are right. By the way, do you know any free MBR record erasing tools that runs inside Windows?