fdisk reporting wrong hd size

tr,

Please provide some more details regarding
your system and where the size is listed...
Also the DOS version you're running...

Does the drive currently contain data
and does it have multiple partitions?

Do you see that specific size listed in the
Fdisk menu option to "Display Partition Information"...?
If partitioned, delete any logical drives and extended partitions first...

Has this drive previously been operating correctly in that system?
Or is it a drive you're just now installing in it?

The system BIOS must support Logical Block Addressing
to see all of a drive over 504 MB and the LBA translation
may need to be manually enabled in the CMOS Setup.

If the BIOS doesn't support this CHS translation,
the drive may've had a "dynamic disk overlay"
allowing a larger drive to be accessed...

So please post back with whatever other details you can provide about it
such as previous status of that drive and how you want it partitioned
and include the operating system and version you're booting with
and bios and mainboard manufacturer and model if possible...
 

rin1010

You wrote:
Please provide some more details regarding
your system and where the size is listed...
Also the DOS version you're running...
Ans:
Not sure abt dos version but its a packard bell i bought in 95 P75MHz running windows 95

You wrote:
Does the drive currently contain data
and does it have multiple partitions?
Ans:
No data ....... single partition

You wrote:
Do you see that specific size listed in the
Fdisk menu option to "Display Partition Information"...?
If partitioned, delete any logical drives and extended partitions first...
Ans:
The size was listed after I tried to create primary partition and whether I want to partition the whole thing as my primary partition ..... no chance yet to create any other partitions

You wrote:
Has this drive previously been operating correctly in that system? Or is it a drive you're just now installing in it?

Ans:
Harddisk is an old hd ..... quantum fireball 1.2 gb ....... worked fine when I ran it on my fujitsu PIII booting it with start up disk for windows 98 ...... was able to install w98 ... but it does not work on my old PB

You wrote:
The system BIOS must support Logical Block Addressing
to see all of a drive over 504 MB and the LBA translation
may need to be manually enabled in the CMOS Setup.

If the BIOS doesn't support this CHS translation,
the drive may've had a "dynamic disk overlay"
allowing a larger drive to be accessed...

Ans:
Unable to enter CMOS ..... my kids messed with it and set some crazy password and I'm unable to access it ..... another probelm I'm trying to solve ....

Thanks for your response and looking forward to your response.

rin1010

You wrote:
Please provide some more details regarding
your system and where the size is listed...
Also the DOS version you're running...
Ans:
Not sure abt dos version but its a packard bell i bought in 95 P75MHz running windows 95

You wrote:
Does the drive currently contain data
and does it have multiple partitions?
Ans:
No data ....... single partition

You wrote:
Do you see that specific size listed in the
Fdisk menu option to "Display Partition Information"...?
If partitioned, delete any logical drives and extended partitions first...
Ans:
The size was listed after I tried to create primary partition and whether I want to partition the whole thing as my primary partition ..... no chance yet to create any other partitions

You wrote:
Has this drive previously been operating correctly in that system? Or is it a drive you're just now installing in it?

Ans:
Harddisk is an old hd ..... quantum fireball 1.2 gb ....... worked fine when I ran it on my fujitsu PIII booting it with start up disk for windows 98 ...... was able to install w98 ... but it does not work on my old PB

You wrote:
The system BIOS must support Logical Block Addressing
to see all of a drive over 504 MB and the LBA translation
may need to be manually enabled in the CMOS Setup.

If the BIOS doesn't support this CHS translation,
the drive may've had a "dynamic disk overlay"
allowing a larger drive to be accessed...

Ans:
Unable to enter CMOS ..... my kids messed with it and set some crazy password and I'm unable to access it ..... another probelm I'm trying to solve ....

Thanks for your response and looking forward to your response.

Thanks for the detailed info... Considering the age of the system,
there's a good chance the BIOS doesn't support LBA
and supports only Normal or Large mode...

You need to get in the CMOS Setup, perhaps by
removing and then replacing the motherboard battery
or shorting a particular jumper (usually located close to it)
which should restore the CMOS defaults and delete the password...

If it's determined that the BIOS doesn't support hard drives that large,
there's a chance that a BIOS flash is available from Packard Bell
to upgrade it and provide the necessary LBA capabilities...
An alternative is using an "overlay" as i mentioned...

Definite information about all this is available,
including bypassing the CMOS Setup password,
and can easily be obtained using the model number
of the PackardBell and/or the BIOS' identification string...

Some of this info should display on the screen during POST...
Use your Pause key to stop the boot process while it's displayed
and make note of whatever numbers and other details you can get on it
and post it all here and we'll help you solve the problem of getting in the BIOS...

So please provide whatever you can about the BIOS date and manufacture,
(Phoenix, Award, etc...) and especially the PB model number,
which by itself could lead to a definite solution...
 

rin1010,

It's phoenix bios ver 4.04

not sure PB model no. .... will try to find it ..... get it to you later .....

How do I do the "overlay"

Thanks again.

rin1010,

Below are more details:

PB Model LG 2440
System type PB 600

Think you are right on with the size of the previous drive. It was a 428.m mb seagate Medalist ST3491A.

Now if I can only get into the bios .........