80GB HDD + Win98

[KHysiek]

Win98SE doesn't recognize properly my new Maxtor 80GB 4D080H4 - It displays 12GB in FDISK and Format. After updating FDISK works ok, but in DOS mode drive is inaccesible. In GUI mode drive is not visible on start-up letter (inaccesible - Compatibility mode in System, Performance), working ok as new drive with new letter (autodetected by Windows). It is working now as secondary (not bootable) drive, but I'm wondering if I can buy and install 80GB or more drive as main-bootable with such problems 🙁.
config is:
Gigabyte 7VRX 1.1, AXP1800, 512 DDR PC266 by Siemens, IBM 60GXP/40GB (main OS-bootable), Seagate U6/60GB, Maxtor as above (connected as secondary with IBM), CDROM CTX 54x, Leadtek Ti200 64MB TDH.
Any solutions (except OS change - I still need Real-Mode DOS) ?

Thanks,
KHysiek

 

[crisp82]

Maybe you should try using fdisk to partition the Hard drive into 2 or more smaller drives

 

[nihil]

make sure your bios will support a drive this large.

 

[spanky]

u might need to install ez bios.

 

[TheCorm]

Maximum partition size for Windows 98 is 32GB under FAT32. Partitions will need to be this size or smaller for smooth (or any) operation.

Corm

 

[Rob G.]

I've run 40gb+ partitions perfectly OK in Win 98. The 32gb limitation applies to 2K/XP - and then it's only a limitation on actually formatting the partition.

This is more likely to be an issue with the mobo/bios.

 

[TheCorm]

Hmmmm..

 

[KHysiek]

This 64MB limit is a bug in Win98, I think - some 16bit variable, registers used, OSE. They have fixed FDISK (but not Format) so one could use disk, doesn't wanted to change more to support bigger partitions. I was suprised that problem never appeared in Microsoft Knowledge Base - however I don't think it's problem of my mobo's BIOS - it recognizes and displays ok all data.
EZ isn't good - it like to cause incompatibilities with OS' drivers and causes more problems than it solves.
So no easy solutions? It's working in some way as secondary, but not as primary. Probably it could with 65GB< partition, but I don't like to have hundreds of letters messed together (as system does with primary and secondary partitions).
Anyway, thanks for all support 🙂