Hi.
I have 3 questions regarding hard disk detection.
1)
When I enter BIOS/Standard Cmos Setup I get the table where I can setup the detection mode for my hard disks.
Can someone tell me what does the following mean:
SIZE, CYLS, HEAD, PRECOMP, LANDZ, SECTOR, MODE ( NORMAL, LBA, LARGE )
I would also like to know what does the value for each of theese items represent, and how is it connected with another values and the disk they represent?
I noticed I can't directly change the SIZE value, so what is the formula to calculate the size.
2) What does the info on my hard disk's label represent: Bytes Per Sector/Block = 510
Logical CHS = 16383/16/63 ( Is this a shortcut for Cylinders, Head, Sector ?)
LBA = 80293248 Sectors ( How is this connected with LBA mode in BIOS?)
3) And now the main reason I ask this Q.
I have bought a new disk today, hoping to replace my old one which died yesterday, but BIOS won't recognize it.
It's capacity is 40 GB, and old one's was 20 GB.
I think the problem is that my BIOS is not capable to detect disks larger than 32 GB.
I suspect this becouse I tried messing around with values in BIOS/Standard Cmos Setup trying to get the size to 40 GB (just to se if it can go so high), and it seems it can't.
It drops back to 0 when CYLS value reaches 65536 (when value is 65535, SIZE is somewhere around 32000).
This is when MODE value is set to NORMAL. When it is set to LBA or LARGE, size remains somewhere near where it was, but other values change, and are no longer changable.
My question is. Is there a way I can make my disk work with my computer? Can I fool my BIOS somehow to think it has 32 GB disk?
If it's somehow usefull, I have PII - 400, 256 MB RAM.
Thanks
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Don't mean to tread on anyone's toes here...since the answers were pretty much given already... I will take his question and respond point by point....
SIZE: Size of the drive
CYLS: Cylinder, the hard drive disk consists of multiple platters.
The platter is round and spins around a spindle.
If you pick any point on the platter and let it go around complete, you will have a circle.
These circles are called tracks.
If you take enough circles of the same size and stack them up you will have a cylinder.
Think about stacking up your car tires....
On the platter at the edge you will have a large cylinder
as you move in toward the center you have smaller cylinder... so there are many of them.
HEAD: Your data sit on the tracks (see above) of these platters, the system has to read them.
Your hard drive has read/write heads moving back and forth across the platter to read data
from the tracks on the cylinders. If you know the old vinyl record - it would be the needle....
today they use a laser to read/write a CD R/W.... the laser is the read/write head.
There are many read/write heads on the drive, one for each read/writeable platter surface.
PRECOMP: This is precomp(ensate) for the large and smaller circle - all circle hold the same amount of
data regardless of size....because data is record in pie wedges...
LANDZ: Landing zone is the place where the read/write head will rest when the drive is powered off or
the read/write is not in use. You don't want the read/write head sitting on the platter when it's
spinning 10,000 rpm. It would scratch the heck out of the platter surface and ruin the drive.
Your windshield wiper has a landing zone when it is not in use.
SECTOR: The pie wedge, remember the circles large or small holds the same amount of data.
This is because the area is pie wedge arc. The pie wedge arc is define as drawing a line across
the circles and through the center (the spindle).
MODE: Drive geometry mode
NORMAL: Using Cylinder Head Sector as drive definition. When they coded the BIOS way back,
they used only 2 bytes. 11 bits for cylinders so you can only have up to 1024 cylinders, 5 bits for
heads so you can only have up to 16 heads. 2 bytes for sectors so you can have up to 65535
sectors. With each sector holding 512 bytes of data or one half K. One byte for sectors so you
As you can imaging the drive
limit is restricted to 64K * .5K or 32G.
LBA: We know now we have drive larger than 32G... so how are we going to handle it...Well,
logical block addressing.. first, drive size is determined by CYL x HEAD x Sectors. Since CYL,
HD are fix, we can play around with the number of sectors. So let say if we have a drive of a zillion
sectors.... if we take that zillion and divide it by 1024, and then divide it by 16, we have the number
of sector left... another word CYL x HEAD x #sector will always be our drive size. LBA uses a starting
point of zero and calculate displacement to determine CYL x HD. Think of it this way....
if you have a small box that you can stack 10 things per layer, which layer is item 23 (your data)
answer: layer (cyl) 2 (start with 0 remember), item 3.
if you have a larger box that you can stack 12 things per layer, which layer is item 23 (your data)
answer: layer (cyl) 1 (start with 0 remember), item 11.
You notice your item number (sector) had not changed... but your cylinder and read/write head
changed because of the hard drive size and so is the read/write head.
LARGE: Just tell our BIOS that we have a large drive size and use similar method, as sirbounty said, rarely
used.
>>I noticed I can't directly change the SIZE value, so what is the formula to calculate the size.
cyl x head x sectors
>> Bytes Per Sector/Block = 510 (actually it's 512, some manufacturer just like to confuse things, it's like
is 1K = 1024 (correct) or 1000 (as some claim).
>> Logical CHS = 16383/16/63 ( Is this a shortcut for Cylinders, Head, Sector ?)
Absolutely...
>> LBA = 80293248 Sectors ( How is this connected with LBA mode in BIOS?)
It doesn't connect well, because of drive density, meaning how much data can they squeeze on the track. Think about it this way. You have two drives both have 1000 cyl, 16 head, 63 sector. One holds twice as much data as the other. How come? density.... so the data block size depends on the drive density. However, the block number doesn't change....
>> It's capacity is 40 GB, and old one's was 20 GB.
It's density...
>> I think the problem is that my BIOS is not capable to detect disks larger than 32 GB.
>> I suspect this becouse I tried messing around with values in BIOS/Standard Cmos Setup trying to get
>> the size to 40 GB (just to se if it can go so high), and it seems it can't.
>> It drops back to 0 when CYLS value reaches 65536 (when value is 65535, SIZE is somewhere
>> around 32000).
You hit the nail in the head - have you tried LBA instead of CHS....
>> This is when MODE value is set to NORMAL. When it is set to LBA or LARGE, size remains somewhere
>> near where it was, but other values change, and are no longer changable.
In LBA mode the drive electronic takes over to translate to CHS... it knows its density....
>> My question is. Is there a way I can make my disk work with my computer? Can I fool my BIOS
>> somehow to think it has 32 GB disk?
Try your BIOS at LBA first... if that doesn't work flash a new BIOS by looking at the BIOS manufacturer & version # at boot up.... most likely Award, AMI or may be Phoenix... unless one of the proprietary one....
You will also need MB manufacturer and model number... open the case and look it up....
Arm with the information search the web for the manufacturer's webside, go there track down the MB and the latest BIOS... download the BIOS and instruction to flash the BIOS....
cheers
If it's somehow usefull, I have PII - 400, 256 MB RAM.
Thanks
Thank you all for responding.
My BIOS manufacturer and type is: Award Modular BIOS v 4.51PG
This is what I get in Windows/System Information, and this is the first line When I start my Comp.
After this line I have some other regarding BIOS. Here they are:
ASUS P2B-LS ACPI BIOS Revision 1007
Award Plug and Play Bios Extension v1.0A
Araptec AIC-7890 SCSI BIOS v2.01
I'm not sure what model is my motherboard.I have found three large labels on It and here they are:
ASUS - probalby the manufacturer ( it is painted onto the board )
next to it is a paper label: 00E018982E40 ( glued onto the board )
P2B-LS - ( also painted but not next to ASUS )
I'll try to follow some of your links, and find newer BIOS.
I have installed Bios Agent from http://www.esupport.com/bi
It reported the following:
Program: eSupport.com BIOS Agent Version 3.23
BIOS Date: 12/23/98
BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
BIOS ID: 12/23/98-i440BX-P2B
OEM Sign-On: ASUS P2B-LS ACPI BIOS Revision 1007
Chipset: Intel 440BX/ZX rev 3
Superio: Winbond 977TF rev 0 found at port 3F0h
OS: Win2000
CPU: Pentium® II (0.25 µm) 400 MHz
BIOS ROM In Socket: Unknown
BIOS ROM Size: Unknown
Memory Installed: 255 MB
Memory Maximum: Unknown
Can my current BIOS support 40 GB disk, or do I have to upgrade it?
If it does, how do I make it work, and if it doesn't what do I have to do to upgrade it?
I have found at http://www.bios-drivers.co
Can this mess up my computer if I choose the wrong one?
You're in luck!
Check it out->
P2B-LS BIOS Ver. 1011. 10/21/99 Support IDE hard disk larger than 32G bytes.
Get it here:http://www.asus.com.t
Scroll down to P2B-LS - download the latest 5/3/2000 -it'll include the same support...
I have found the instructions on http://www.asus.com.tw/ins
It says I have to change some jumpers in order to enable BIOS flashing.
Unfortunately. I have lost documentation for my motherboard. Is there a WEB site or something that has Motherboar layouts and description?
What is my motherboard model? Can you figure that out from the information above?
This is it.
I hope this will be my last question:
Where can I download a Flash.exe of Pflash.exe program. I have found dozens of different articles on www.asus.com which explain how to flash the bios but I was unable to find a link to theese ulilyties.
Here's the only list I was able to find, but I'n not sure if this is what I need.
http://www.asus.com.tw/dow
Flash.exe is a click away. . .
(Isn't this exciting?!)
1. Make sure you save the old BIOS just in case..... the BIOS upgrade documentation will tell you how...
2. Make sure that you don't loose commercial power during the BIOS upgrade - use a UPS if you have it.... If you don't
avoid windy and bad weather condition..... You may have an anchor weight on your hand if you loose commercial power during flash.
cheers
Hi
Ive got a similar problem to sirbounty
I recently bought an 80 gig hd to put in my PII 350 MMX. It also will not detect 80 and only alow me to use 36 gig.
My BIOS manufacturer and type is: Award Modular BIOS v 4.51PG
I do not know my motherboard manufacturer as there is nothing on the board at all that hints to this, and the startup is pretty much as useful as this.
The only other info I have is:
Award PCI/PNP686 ?
6ABX2V version 1.2 ?
I think it may be a Asus motherboard. I bought it in 1998 hence no idea.
As I could understand from all of this:
Award Modular BIOS v 4.51PG is only a skeleton which has to be adopted to a specific motherboard.
So motherboard manufacturer does the required modifications and then adds additional sign specifiing the exact version of modified BIOS. I think "6ABX2V version 1.2" is yours, but I'm just guessing.
In my case this was: ASUS P2B-LS ACPI BIOS Revision 1007
I could read this information when computer starts up (just below original BIOS version) or using BIOS agent: http://www.esupport.com/bi
Try doing a search in google or ASUS pages. Also, if you have documentation for your motherboard, try finding anything concerning BIOS upgrade.
The documentation for my MB had step-by-step tutorial on how to flash my BIOS, and which tools to shoud use.
Basicaly, I think you should search for the same thing, but just with a higher version number.
In my case: ASUS P2B-LS ACPI BIOS Revision 1007 -> ASUS P2B-LS ACPI BIOS Revision 1012
Good Luck!
P.S. It all seems so simple now that I've done it :)
Does any one know where I can find the latest Lucky star 6ABX2V bios update
I downloaded and tried to flash my bios with the following:
Filename --- 9ka7-2.bin
THIS UPDATES BIOS TO 27 MARCH 2000
Allows hard Drives in excess of 33.8gb
**************************
(Note : This update is compatible with
Socket 370 & Slot 1 motherboards
**************************
Usage:
Copy both files to DOS boot disk &
Run with the syntax
" awdFlash 9ka7-2.bin " (without quotes)
It also helps that Lucky Star are no more........which isnt lucky for me
I would like to add for your edification...
Check your drive manufactures web site for your new HD spec's. Some bios, even newer ones, will not automatically configure your bios for your HD. I have noticed many MB bios automatically defer to PIO rather than DMA mode 4.
Example with an Western Digital WD WD307AA model drive wich transfers data at 66MBS in Mode 4 Ultra ATA, 33MBS in Mode 2 Ultra ATA, & 16 MBS Mode 4 PIO. Obviously you might prefer a higher transfer rate, but most bios of the generation you have will automatically configure for PIO Mode 4. I believe in your bios those settings are configured in the Integrated Peripherals page of bios.
JMFOX
just adding another solution for others that may come across this thread and the provided fixes do not work.
Western Digital (and probably other hard drive manufacturers) provide alternative jumper settings (slave, Master) on back of hard drive to force detection by older motherboards. This can be used when you have an old motherboard that does not have a bios update to enable detection by the normal process
link for western digital alternative jumpers:
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cg
link may need to be copied and pasted in address bar.
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Answer for Membership
by: sirbountyPosted on 2004-01-16 at 17:45:55ID: 10134392
What is your system board model?
Most BIOS now has an AUTO setting (and Detect Hard Disk) that will set this up for you. Perhaps an upgrade will do, but we need to know the make/model of your PC, or better - your system board/BIOS type.
Here's some info:
Normal or CHS: This mode is sometimes called "CHS" mode, for "cylinder, head, sector", the three geometry specifications for a hard disk. This is the "standard" mode with no special translation or addressing. It is used for regular IDE/ATA hard disks that are smaller than 504 MB; more precisely, it should be used for any hard disk that has 1,024 or fewer cylinders and 16 or fewer heads.
LBA: This stands for "logical block addressing". Instead of referring to locations by passing to the disk a cylinder, head and sector number (CHS addressing), the sectors are serialized so that each just has an integer number; 0, 1, 2, etc. up to the total number of sectors on the disk. LBA is now pretty much the standard for addressing large hard disks, and is recommended for hard disks that are not small enough to be used under "Normal" mode. When LBA mode is used, the autodetect program will still translate the drive parameters so that the number of cylinders is less than 1,024, the BIOS limit. However, accesses to the disk will be based on the integer sector number.
Large: This mode is also sometimes called "ECHS" mode, standing for "Extended CHS". This mode uses translation to ensure that the number of cylinders is less than 1,024. However, unlike LBA, it does not then number the sectors linearly, it refers to the disk using the translated cylinder, head and sector values. This is a valid way to deal with larger hard disks, however it is very rarely used and is now considered non-standard. Using this mode is therefore not generally recommended.
Auto: Some BIOSes will automatically detect and set the hard disk mode at boot time. Some BIOSes have the ability to dynamically autodetect all drive settings at boot time. However, even if you aren't using this overall boot-time autodetection, you can use this specific mode autodetection if your BIOS supports it, in most cases.
You may be able to get an update here:
http://www.driverguide.com
http://www.bios-drivers.co
http://www.video-drivers.c
More Info:
http://www.md4pc.com/quest
http://www.pcguide.com/ref
http://www.pccomputernotes
http://www.storagereview.c