On 17 Sep 99, at 17:33, R.W. O'Dowd wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: QJ <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 1999 2:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] HD -> 10.2 or 14.4??
>
> > I'm sorry, but this way doesn't work. Once the harddisk has been using as
> > 8G, it will stay at 8G (even fdisk couldn't get rid of it!!!), unless you
> > use some kind of software to Destroy old partition then rebuild partition
> > based on new BIOS. I had been through this few times, unless I do a "wipe
> > disk", the wrong partition size will never be gone.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Jun Qian
>
>
> This is not correct.  Using a boot disk with 16 bit versions of
> format and fdisk (Dos) you will be able to create 4 2 GB partitions
> that can be converted at any time to one 8 GB FAT 32 partition
> using the 32 bit versions of format and fdisk (Win 98).  If and
> when you upgrade to a mobo that can recognise larger HD's, you can
> create one FAT 32 partition using all of the space on your HD.
> Sami's original assertion IS correct.
>
> Utilities such as PQMagic are an excellent way of adjusting your
> partitions without losing data (usually!).  Partitions are far from
> permanent, as I have learnt to my cost on occasion!
>
> Regards
>
> Roger

  These are at two different "levels".  If you switch the
partitioning between 4x2GB partitions and 1x8GB partition, (a) you're
not changing the overall drive size, which is still 8GB, and (b)
you're not changing the drive "geometry", the heads/cylinders/sectors
specification which the partition information is expressed in terms
of.
  If you install an 8GB drive in a system has the "2GB drive size"
limitation, you cannot create four 2GB partitions on a drive -- you
can only create ONE.  And the mapping of interface
heads/cylinders/sectors to the underlying hardware is not necessarily
the same as if the drive were configured as an 8GB drive -- when you
move it to a new system that CAN see all 8GBs, it may only be with a
configuration of cylinders and/or sectors that is different from the
2GB mapping.  [So Partition Magic cannot help you -- recognizing the
old 2GB partition requires a different BIOS setting than the 8GB
configuration.]

  This *may* have been more common in breaking the 504MB barrier than
the 2GB or 8GB barriers, but odds are good that Jun is correct, and
Roger's "correction" isn't.

David G

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