Windows 7 installer serious bug

[VirtualLarry]

I've noticed what I belive to be a serious bug in the Windows 7 installer. On a fresh disk, without Windows 7 installed, the BIOS reports "LBA" for disk access mode. Once Windows 7 is installed, this reverts to "LRG" (Large) mode.

This is because the most-common BIOS out there attempts to auto-detect the disk mode, by reading the MBR partition table, and something that Windows 7 does munges that table such that it is detected in large mode.

This is the same bug that plagued the Fedora Linux installer in the past. There were many reports of corrupted XP on dual-boot systems after installing Fedora Linux onto the system. The root cause was determined to be that the BIOS was changing the disk geometry access mode from LBA to Large, which of course caused problems with OSes that were originally installed under "LBA" mode.

Well, Windows 7 seems to have repeated this bug.

Is MS going to fix this? Or are they going to risk munging existing OS installs (including XP) when Windows 7 is installed?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I've noticed what I belive to be a serious bug in the Windows 7 installer. On a fresh disk, without Windows 7 installed, the BIOS reports "LBA" for disk access mode. Once Windows 7 is installed, this reverts to "LRG" (Large) mode.

This is because the most-common BIOS out there attempts to auto-detect the disk mode, by reading the MBR partition table, and something that Windows 7 does munges that table such that it is detected in large mode.

This is the same bug that plagued the Fedora Linux installer in the past. There were many reports of corrupted XP on dual-boot systems after installing Fedora Linux onto the system. The root cause was determined to be that the BIOS was changing the disk geometry access mode from LBA to Large, which of course caused problems with OSes that were originally installed under "LBA" mode.

Well, Windows 7 seems to have repeated this bug.

Is MS going to fix this? Or are they going to risk munging existing OS installs (including XP) when Windows 7 is installed?

Well, Larry -- they fixed VISTA belatedly with a service pack, didn't they? To think they've tried SO HARD this time to avoid another debacle . . . . .

I'll have to look into this per my own "Windows 7 experiment" project . . . . Meanwhile, I hear there's an SP2 release for VISTA. I'm only guessing at the moment, and need to look further than just memory usage indications, that Windows 7 has less bloat, as if they gave VISTA a liposuction.

 

[MrChad]

Isn't this an issue with the BIOS? Can it be fixed by simply manually setting the disk to LBA mode instead of auto-detect?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: MrChad
Isn't this an issue with the BIOS? Can it be fixed by simply manually setting the disk to LBA mode instead of auto-detect?

If it were only that simple. Most don't have an option to force LBA mode. Only "Auto", or "Large", or something else that I forget.

 

[EndGame]

Must be a bios issue. I've installed Win 7 RC1 and even later builds on clean discs numerous times and have not encountered this. Went as far as to check several after seeing this thread and none are encountering this problem.

 

[Aquila76]

This happened on my system, too; an A8N-SLI Deluxe (74GB Raptor on the nF4 SATA ports). I dBan'd the HDD before installing Windows 7 RC. I didn't even notice it until reading this post and watching the BIOS cycle. I guess my next step is to find out what the differences between LRG & LBA are.

EDIT: Would this explain why I have a random unlettered 100MB System Partition at the start of my drive? Pic

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Aquila76
EDIT: Would this explain why I have a random unlettered 100MB System Partition at the start of my drive? Pic

Nope. This would explain what that 100MB partition is.

Don't delete it!! If you install W7 to an unformatted disk, the installer will create two partitions; a 100MB with boot and recovery files and then the system partition. If you partition the disk first and install W7 to a certain partition, it will not create that sep 100MB partition. Hope this helps.

AFA the OP's issue goes...I'm pretty clueless on that. I have W7 installed on my test box...I never bothered to check LBA vs LRG...it runs fine...don't notice it's any slower than my XP box. In fact, it's a heckuva lot faster.

 

[Bozo Galora]

I am beginning to get a handle on this thing little by little

The factors involved are ATA HDD (always in IDE mode), SATA HDD in IDE mode, SATA in SATA mode ("native" "AHCI" "SATA" "RAID"), and the interaction between BIOS, HDD Controller, and O/S using both 28 bit access HDD (<137GB) and 48 bit access HDD, or even 64 bit access SATA II card.

Firstly, I found this interesting:

http://www.dewassoc.com/kbase/hard_drives/lba.htm

Often we review other sites to ensure that we provide you with accurate information, and with respect to LBA, we came upon a unique, but inaccurate, statement. One purported authority on computer systems stated that when drives supporting LBA are auto-detected by a BIOS that supports LBA, it will be set up to use that mode. This is inaccurate and misleading, as there's nothing in the BIOS code that will set up your drive to use LBA mode. If you have ever used Fdisk, you may recall that during the drive setup process, you are asked whether you want to enable LBA. Hence, it is a function of the operating system, and therefore don't expect your BIOS to somehow mysteriously setup your drive

LBA or Large geometry mode appearing at boot is only when a SATA in IDE config is installed (non -PATA), not IDE, and not AHCI/RAID.
Furthermore, as it turns out, "AUTO" for IDE drive aint good enough to get LBA geometry set - its showing CHS related numbers, at least in the bios I am using here to post.
:Q
So bios options CHANGE when mobo bios SATA/SATA IDE modes are reset, especially when HDD types change
As always, bios changes only reflect AFTER a reboot to bios.
And you must do F6 driver load when bios set for AHCI.

Heres the whole size limit saga, step by step
http://www.storagereview.com/g...ref/hdd/bios/size.html

More info.............

Quote:
Advanced Host Controller Interface
Main article: Advanced Host Controller Interface

As their de facto standard interface, SATA controllers use the Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI), which allows advanced features of SATA such as hot plug and native command queuing (NCQ). If AHCI is not enabled by the motherboard and chipset, SATA controllers typically operate in "IDE emulation" mode which does not allow features of devices to be accessed if the ATA/IDE standard does not support them. Windows device drivers that are labeled as SATA are usually running in IDE emulation mode unless they explicitly state that they are AHCI. While the drivers included with Windows XP do not support AHCI, AHCI has been implemented by proprietary device drivers.[4] Windows Vista[5] and Linux with kernel version 2.6.19 onward[6] have native support for AHCI.
----------
http://i39.tinypic.com/2vimefp.jpg

Edit: As noted in posts below, several conclusions here have been "updated"

 

[VirtualLarry]

For some links about the problem with Fedora Linux, google "Fedora installer large LBA XP boot failure". Such as this one.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: Bozo Galora
Here is further proof that large just means HDD larger than 137GB, not CHS or ECHS:
(Gigabyte P45 UD3P Bios)
http://i42.tinypic.com/20hncwp.jpg
Here we have offered BOTH CHS and Large, a bit of a contradiction wouldn't you say?

So, my thesis is that Win 7 was absolutely correct in what it did, saving your ass.

Nope, that doesn't mean that "Large" means > 137GB. CHS is limited to about 8.4GB, AFAIK, whereas Large (bit-shifted CHS) is good for a bit more. I don't recall what the limit of size is. But modern systems should be using LBA.

No, Win7 didn't save me from anything. It is writing bad info to the partition table, which causes the BIOS to default the disk geometry to Large. It really should not be doing that. Read up a bit on the Fedora issue for some background.

 

[RebateMonger]

Anybody know how to determine the controller mode (LBA/Large/etc.) from Windows? I see no way to tell the status from inside my AMIBIOS and also see no indication as the BIOS screens flash by. The only setting is LBA/Large - Enable/Disable

Upon boot, the BIOS drive info flashes by in a millisecond. By booting many times, I finally got it to pause in the "right" place, but I still see no indication of what mode it's in.

 

[Bozo Galora]

My first attempt at explaining the rather puzzling and contradictary behavior in HDD formatting mode was wrong.
I intitially though there had to be TWO LBA's - Large LBA (>137GB) and regular LBA (<137GB).
This explanation did not satisfactorily reconcile all scenarios.

The suddenly it hit me. Wait a minute!!
If you set SATA HDD to AHCI you have NO access options, they dont even show.
The mobo bios has nothing to say about LBA or Large or anything else about the Intel !CH9R chipset Southbridge SATA
THE SOUTHBRIDGE HAS ITS OWN BIOS!
http://i39.tinypic.com/2qc193p.jpg
Recall when you boot in AHCI the screen waits and then says "Intel AHCI XXXX Bios loaded" (or not if not enabled)
http://i44.tinypic.com/b68oq8.jpg
AHAH!
Intel SB is your translator for AHCI.
Likewise, Intel mobo no longer have native IDE, its all JMicron chips. And it too has ITS own bios, controller in Dev Man and drivers.
So the only time you are using the mobo bios for translation is with SATA on Intel ports in IDE mode.

How about SATA in IDE mode?
One would think that Win 7 - MS latest darling would at least know how to format a SATA IDE mode HDD.
But of course.
But why change LBA to large at bootup?

"LRG" or "Auto" is NOT all about Intel F6 drivers, Intel SATA controller in Dev Manager (and IT'S drivers), and configuring SATA to AHCI (Native/SATA/RAID) in bios.
Its the only 2 translation CHS options the mobo bios can utilize for SATA HDD in emulation/IDE mode. I would guess also that a SATA HDD has no LBA translation routines in its PCB controller chip.

Check out some threads where changing to LARGE (from LBA or Auto) has SOLVED O/S installs/geometry conflicts....
http://vip.asus.com/forum/view...page=1&SLanguage=en-us
http://vip.asus.com/forum/view...page=1&SLanguage=en-us

Here is a guy who cant figure out what's going on.........
http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=445052

(QUOTE)
question..........
I have Epox 9NPA+ Ultra motherboard. After installing my Seagate SATA2 320Gb HDD, I can't find LBA option for it in the BIOS. Only Auto (which is the same as CHS) and Large. The same goes for all of the four SATA channels - I can set either AUTO or LARGE for them. Interestingly, I can enable LBA for IDE hard drives with no problems.
Does anyone have the same problem or is it supposed to be that way? Any help would be very appreciated!
---------------
answer.......
Same board with newest bios and Seagate 7200.8 250Gb, no problem. Are you sure it's in CHS mode? Bios settings won't matter, only what POST says for transfer mode. I don't have LBA option in bios neither, only "AUTO" and "Large".
For example my own POST message for HDD:SATA1: LBA, SATA @ 1,5G, 250Gb
----------------
(UNQUOTE)

Look what happens when you change SATA mode from IDE to AHCI and reboot to the bios - all the IDE master/slave emulation stuff with a SATA HDD disappears
http://i40.tinypic.com/2qk1j4j.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/16bmqzn.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2uhsv4k.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2gtvkna.jpg



Edit: Things written here are not quite fully explained just yet

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Bozo Galora
@Rebate manager
The 'controller mode' is shown at top slightly to right of screen after detecting drives
http://i41.tinypic.com/2h7qxpg.jpg
You may have to turn off quick boot, logo screen, turn on mem count etc.
The minute you see it you can hit pause/break

Thanks for the suggestions, but still no luck with my BIOS screens. I've paused them at every possible point, and there's no indication of the LBA/LRG mode. My BIOS has nothing above the Device List like yours does. I've already disabled quick boot, etc.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Gee whiz Bozo, you were doing some good research, I was just telling you what I know, that the BIOS setting for "Large" is really bit-shifted CHS, and not 48-bit LBA. That's all.

 

[masterbm]

I had that board on my windows 7 test machine it has always acted strange on with hd. But have not had that issue

 

[Bozo Galora]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Thanks for the suggestions, but still no luck with my BIOS screens. I've paused them at every possible point, and there's no indication of the LBA/LRG mode. My BIOS has nothing above the Device List like yours does. I've already disabled quick boot, etc.

I did a little (actually considerably more) checking on this, and its because you are NOT running SATA HDD in IDE, auto or LRG access. Also, some mobo give further adv options for this config.

As a side note, changing access back and forth in bios with same SATA HDD reset as IDE or SATA can wreck a config since different drivers controllers and protocols involved. Note for example that when you change from IDE mode to AHCI, AFTER you reboot to bios, all the slave/master stuff for SATA ports disappears, and vice versa. You are really in the danger zone when adding a previously formatted or fresh HDD, or cloning an O/S partition to a new drive and removing the original HDD, or multi - booting accross HDD's.
ALL geometries MUST be co-ordinated, or reflect ORIGINAL access.

So, I loaded Win 7 about 5 different ways, and it always showed LRG during boot time on a 640GB WD Black SATA. This was with one big "C" partition format, Auto or LRG in access. My last session was with the drive partitioned 28/28/52/265/265, getting it ready for actual triple boot use - Win XP3, WinXP2 X64, Win 7-7229 X64. With XP install on auto access usually you get LBA.

Luckily, a while back I stumbled accross a freeware prog called Killdisk that zero writes all data/folders/directories/partitions or HDD that you specify. The active vers works fine in Win 7.
http://killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm
The NICE thing is that it tells you (in Windows or DOS) what access mode the HDDs are in and the translated geometries.

No matter what I did in the bios, or to the partitions number or sizes, whether IDE or AHCI, whether it showed nothing or "LRG" at bootup, killdisk ALWAYS showed "yes" to LBA mode AFTER GEOMETRY TRANSLATION. Remember - ALL O/S side file structure is LBA - one block numbered sector after another in order
Do not confuse big HDD "LBA" geometry and an LBA Master File table. You dont need the first to get to the second.
http://i39.tinypic.com/246w0o1.jpg

Heres my 320GB SATA Seagate HDD 5 partitons, triple boot, HDD access "Auto", primary XP SP2 X86 Sep 06 (no Vista/Win7) See the boot "LBA", even tho geometry shown in bios is actually CHS type.
http://i40.tinypic.com/22ku8o.jpg

Now here's 640GB WD SATA as IDE, 5 partitions newly created with Diskwizard 10.45 in Caldera DOS. NO O/S or anything else loaded - nothing, as seen in killdisk
http://i39.tinypic.com/x393c3.jpg
There is a slight problem here, as that vers of disk wizard has no Vista or Win 7 option - only O/S greater than SP1, which means it will simply detect and allocate the required number of sectors, per partition (per HDD label total). It gives the message "unknown controller" (on a fresh new HDD with no O/S), then lists your drives. It does seem to be able to detect access mode set on whichever mobo bios HDD is plugged into. The whole format only takes seconds. Seems to work just great tho.

To make sure the MBR MFT and BOOT were not stuck in LRG mode, I used the bootable Killdisk ISO CD version to clean my C system primary partition, which erases everything there - EVERYTHING! Including First sector MBR 0-0-1.
So, here I am wiping part C
http://i42.tinypic.com/28rjnfq.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/20pxbpz.jpg

Note primary "C" is now empty. ( I could have been using WD Lifeguard software instead)
http://i43.tinypic.com/2vux4zo.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2lk89e8.jpg

Then I loaded Win 7 on "C" and got the same LBA enabled in windows active killdisk. I got no LBA or LRG during boot because this time I set SATA to AHCI. Mobo bios hands off SATA mode HDD to SB Bios which is what is seen by Win 7 O/S for formatting if clean new drive.
Alternately, Win 7 may be able to correct previous wrongly created geometry during install.

What have I learned from all this?
There is no prob with Win7 "changing" bios boot screen text to LRG from previous "LBA". IF the file system and directories are flawless and always in LBA. When you have a 48 bit capable bios on Intel Southbridge or Mobo bios, a 48 bit aware HDD controller chip and a 48 bit functional O/S, it has to work. I actually think its Vista/Win 7 working the way its supposed to in SATA IDE mode, not detecting LBA translation (Auto) at the mobo bios level for certain configs. due to some HDD change the user made and created problems he is not aware of. Even your JMicron IDE chip will have its own bios and translations at boot, totally independent.

As an aside:
Format multilayering and unrecoverable data corruption can be avoided by not comingling 28 bit HDD with 48 bit HDD, Always start a multi HDD system with a HDD >137GB, then you can add a 60 or 80 or 120GB HDD, since 48 bit is backward compatible to 28 bit, but not vice versa. As a matter of fact, NEVER use a HDD less than 137GB to avoid any data destroying format conflicts, especially on older mobo/HDD

Next up: Actual testing of dif scenarios

 

[Bozo Galora]

This is my IDE HDD on IDE bios section
I thought this would be an easy run thru, simplest case situation, but it didnt turn out that way.
Two rather surprising findings.
1.) LBA Large and CHS no longer means what you think it does. Any mode can generate enough sectors for even a 1TB drive for the O/S to slap logical block addresses onto. (Total Micro makes a 1TB IDE drive)

2.) Using an aftermarket sw to change or resize partitions does strange things

Using the partition recovery module in the Killdisk DOS booting "suite", in addition to killdisk itself, has been of great help indeed

So there are basically 3 mainstream options today in HDD installs:

a.) IDE HDD with its IDE controller and firmware on mobo IDE third party controller using MS legacy IDE drivers (2001) or Jmicron 2006 drivers.
HDD >128GB (base 2) 137GB (base 10) needs XP SP1 or greater for all size to be seen

b.) SATA HDD with its SATA controller and firmware virtualized as IDE by mobo bios "IDE" setting (emulation mode) with MS legacy IDE drivers (2001). For all intents, the 4-6-8 SATA ports are just plugin data flow receptacles. SATA HDD communication with Intel SATA chipset shut off by bios setting "IDE".

c.) SATA HDD and its SATA controller and firmware, set as SATA/Native/RAID/AHCI in bios options, totally run by Intel Southbridge in TRUE SATA, but only functioning after F6 Install AHCI driver install

From this, 3 different declining ACCESS MODE options become avail in BIOS

In "a" you may have Auto/Large/LBA/CHS/manual
In "b" you WILL have Auto or Large
In "c" you will have NO access modes in bios - the HDD wont even show in "Standard CMOS Features", IT IS NO LONGER mobo bios relevant, tho it will be DETECTED AFTER AHCI bios is loaded

Now heres where it gets interesting
For my first IDE test, I scrounged up an old Seagate 160 GB IDE 7200.7
I am using 3 PC here for dif things, DFI P965 DK, DFI P35 T2rs DK, and a GIG P45 U3DP
I plugged the Seatgate into the P965 mobo into the JMicron 368 single IDE port (one prim-sec)
Note well that the drive is 160GB base 10, 149.1GB base 2, so any way you look at it it violates the 28 bit limits. <Its a 48 bit drive>
We are always told that CHS and E-CHS (Large) are for "old" drives and everyone should use "LBA" these days. Any internet search says that CHS is 504MB limited, and Extended-CHS (LRG) has the 7.88/8.4 limit.
Thusly, under NO condition should a 149.1 GB drive be mobo bios translated into useable CHS numbers for the O/S except in LBA. Why are these options even still around? Someone going to put in a 512MB Quantum Bigfoot drive?
Well, the DFI manual says for the other options "certain O/S require that you select CHS or Large" - which I assume to be Linux and freeBSD, and now possibly Win 7? This would explain keeping the old options around right up to 2009.

So, after booting up the Seagate 160, going into bios, I highlighted the drive, hit enter and were given the (full IDE) 4 access options.....
Auto-Large-CHS-LBA
As you click through access mode options, see how CHS numbers change
http://i43.tinypic.com/2m31n4m.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2cwrhiq.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/e66cdw.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/29vcgo7.jpg
Auto - 65535, 16, 255
CHS - SAME AS AUTO!!!
Large - 4095, 240, 255
LBA - 16643, 255, 63
All three dif and it would appear if you set to "Auto" you will get CHS
Hmmmmm. And remember that LBA should be the only translation that works for a big (IDE) drive. Right?

Moving along, I wiped the entire drive with killdisk, loaded XP SP3 install disk , and created a 30GB prim active O/S partition, slow formatted it in NTFS, finished install 3 times (after zero write) with each bios setting - CHS/LBA/Large.
And they all worked fine!
WHAT???
But there were differences in how it was accomplished - heh

Also lets look for a minute at SATA HDD - IDE mode
http://i42.tinypic.com/90t1qr.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/20z4568.jpg
Auto numbers are once again CHS, large numbers are same as IDE large
Makes sense - SATA HDD cannot do LBA type geometry on the hardware side (HDD controller chip)
Recall that ALL big HDD file addressing is LBA on the O/S side - one block after another

Now lets get down to the nitty gritty
As I said, everyone should download and install the free Lsoft Killdisk suite and burn the 8MB dos vers to a bootable CD as an ISO
You then also get access to a very powerful module - partition recovery
Heres screenshot
http://i39.tinypic.com/16a9s1s.jpg
Killdisk is a two step process - first you highlight whole drive, then highlight first partition (O/S)
Then part recovery gives more translation info

So, starting up with the 160GB IDE:
Zero write whole drive with killdisk - then this shows - no format/partitions or translations
http://i44.tinypic.com/3498br8.jpg
XP SP3 X86 install (bios set to large) slow format a 30GB (30,000) partition NTFS
http://i40.tinypic.com/5447c.jpg
Then part recov gives us added info on translation factor
http://i41.tinypic.com/15wfn15.jpg
Install XP
No LBA LRG CHS showing on boot - its IDE
Same info on killdisk in windows cmd mode
http://i39.tinypic.com/zwf7t3.jpg
Look very closely at total sectors on the 160 IDE - 312581808 (same as label)
Even tho I formatted and partitioned a 30 GB "C", all the total drive sectors are known (312581808 X 512 = 160 GB base 10) The physical geometry translation is how you get to reach that number, whether you use it for data or not.
Change large to CHS in bios, get this:
http://i40.tinypic.com/2wfjp60.jpg
Changed bios access to LBA, get this:
http://i42.tinypic.com/14si4hg.jpg
Back to large, everything O.K.
Left 160 IDE installed, put power back into 320GB Seagate SATA in IDE, made it boot first. Then as I highlighted each drive in bios, had the dif access possibilities (2 and 4) for each, proving mobo bios just hands off to Jmicron for IT'S drives.
http://i44.tinypic.com/v5b8mf.jpg
Heres the 160 GB IDE translations - 240 heads gives it away (large)
http://i41.tinypic.com/11c60cn.jpg
Heres the 320GB SATA in IDE translations - 255 heads give it away (LBA)
http://i44.tinypic.com/34hhv2h.jpg

So even tho the bios reports detecting CHS type geometry in "Auto", it is in fact finagled into the LBA geometry mode. Maybe thats a trick workaround of no LBA at the SATA hardware level. 255 heads and 63 sectors is not "CHS" access. Its the CHS geometry for LBA or at least the PATA LBA. Any way you look at it, if you see 240 heads in Windows Killdisk, O/S LBA was created from Large geometry, and 255 heads in Windows Killdisk means LBA from "LBA" geometry (or virtual LBA)
http://i44.tinypic.com/10ynwk2.jpg

Then I unhooked the IDE drive and added a second SATA 640GB WD in IDE mode. Both set in bios as "auto"
Here they are in bios screen
http://i44.tinypic.com/28vtzls.jpg

Heres a shot of each in killdisk and Partition revovery, both with hidden sectors and 255 heads
http://i44.tinypic.com/16895ko.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/kak8lw.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/20fdwtx.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/9a3kba.jpg


By noting heads and sectors you can tell if a HDD was formatted CHS LARGE LBA or auto (CHS). They are all dif, so any one or two identifiers gives it away.
255 heads 63 sector = LBA
16 heads 255 sectors = CHS
240 heads 255 sectors = Large
For SATA in IDE, CHS (Auto) and Large access, you need to know the heads (enter part recovery module)
What a great free utility!

The question then arises if the different access modes actually use the specified CHS shown in the bios are actually used as basis for translation?
The answer is yes for IDE, but possibly hacked in SATA IDE in "auto".

 

[Bozo Galora]

FWIW, this is my last section on this subject (applause!)
I know most people wont read all (or any) of this, however by putting it down in public, it helps me to sort out my thoughts.
As you can see, I become obsessive about computer related problems.

Anyways, without thinking, I hooked up another WD 640 SATA with my Seagate 320 SATA already in.
I forgot my other 640 WD was formatted in "auto" and THIS WD 640 was formatted in Large - something I never really paid any attention to.
Booted up and things seemed O.K. Ran windows killdisk and it gave me errors on the 640 - disconnected sector addresses, because BACKUP MBR did not agree with primary current MBR. I guess this means MBR is constantly updated/geometry checked at boot.
Interestingly, nothing showed in disk management as wrong - everything healthy.
I then ran a chkdsk C:\ 5 step and every thing passed.
Only windows killdisk showed the error.
http://i40.tinypic.com/2mmbak3.jpg
Heres the error shown by itself (ea partition had its own error message)
http://i44.tinypic.com/fom7nr.jpg
Rebooted, Seagate always said LBA, but WD previously always showed Large.
http://i41.tinypic.com/qzf8nm.jpg
Now seagate still said LBA as booting drive, AND SO DID WD!!.
http://i43.tinypic.com/540o8.jpg

So I put WD in by itself and now when booting it said LBA. Arrrgh!
http://i41.tinypic.com/63r5ut.jpg
Looks like bios doesnt like to set different geometries for dif HDD, so it made everything the same, or at least tried to. Meh.

But this was not the case.
As usual, it was user error!

THE DEFAULT SETTING IN BIOS FOR HDD ACCESS IN SATA/IDE mode IS AUTO - LBA!!!
When I put the HDD from P-35 mobo into this P965, it naturally set newly installed drive to "Auto". Does this imply you can set EACH drive for its access. Yes indeedy people - lol. Just highlight each and hit enter.

I simply went back into bios, left 320GB Seagate at Auto, but changed WD formatted in large originally back to large.
Then I set first boot device back to Seagate.
VIOLA!
http://i41.tinypic.com/sfgchw.jpg
Now how about that. Heh.

And everything is back okey dokey in Killdisk (zero'd drive to make sure no data corruption later)
http://i43.tinypic.com/29pdauv.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/qwzwoh.jpg

Thinking back, I really should have tried a "FIXMBR" on the WD 640 to see if that would have fixed things to new geometry.

Heres what logical block addresses look like:
32 lines that go from 0-9 A-F twice per sector, 16 accross
16 + 16 X 16 = 512
http://i41.tinypic.com/33kybu8.jpg

(Please dont quote this post as it may change)