Yes, this is a known problem with old BIOS. These BIOS cannot properly
handle drives over 504MB.

You have three options.

1) Upgrade your motherboard BIOS so it understands hard drives >504MB.
This is generally only do-able if you can find your motherboard
manufacturer on
the internet, and if they have an updated BIOS.

2) Use a software work-around, called "disk overlay" software, that fools
the
computer into thinking it has a smaller hard drive than it does.  This
software
acts as a translator between the hard drive's actual specifications and
what the
computer BIOS knows how to deal with.

3) Purchase an I/O card with its own BIOS on it.

The hard drive manufacturers would like you to use their disk overlay
software
to solve this problem.  I have a sincere dislike, based on a great deal of
experience, for disk overlay software.  While it tends to work well while
the
computer is working well, the disk overlay software can make it difficult,
if
not impossible, to retrieve data from a sick hard drive.  And, if you use
your
hard drive long enough, it *will* fail.  That is the nature of hard drives.
In
addition, use of this software frequently results in a noticeable slowdown
of
disk access time.

My solution for clients with this situation is #3 above.  I install a
hardware
I/O card with its own BIOS that *is* capable of fully recognizing larger
hard
drives. The cost is not high (certainly less than $50), and you gain the
proper
support for your hard drive.  My personal preference for such cards is
those
made by Promise Technology.  You can see their offerings at:

http://www.promise.com

Roxanne Pierce
R2 Systems, San Diego
mailto:[log in to unmask]

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Howard Papke
> >
> > On the subject HD I have been able to get only 504 MB. I do
> > not know the history of the drive, having pulled it out of a donated
> > machine (I help recycle/rework PC's to be distributed to Disabled).
> > I have tried FDISK and FORMAT, both find only 504MB. Same results on
> > 486sx and 486dx.

                                  -----
       **Need help with PCBUILD mailing list? Send an Email to:**
        Bob Wright<[log in to unmask]> or Drew Dunn<[log in to unmask]>