LBA48 Question for Rod (anyone else who might know)

alfredeneuman · Aug 12, 2009

I have a very old computer running 98se. It's bios cannot do LBA48 and I
don't want to take the risk of updating the bios.

I tried partitioning the first 100gb of the 250gb drive into 2 50 gb
segments using some version of fdisk and I got one partition working ok
and the other inaccessible-system cannot see it.

The stuff on the working 50gb partition I need. The data on the other I
can format over if necessary.

My question is this: According to the tutorial I read on LBA48
addressing, I have to go through alot of hassle to get this box to
recognize the entire 250gb drive. But I don't need to do that. I just
want to parcel out the first 2 50gb partitions.

If I try to reformat and repartition the 50gb partition that is now
unrecognized on a newer computer, will my older computer be able to
recognize both 50gb partitions? Which partition utility is best for
doing this?

Thanks for any helpful in put.

Franc Zabkar · Aug 13, 2009

I have a very old computer running 98se. It's bios cannot do LBA48 and I
don't want to take the risk of updating the bios.

I tried partitioning the first 100gb of the 250gb drive into 2 50 gb
segments using some version of fdisk and I got one partition working ok
and the other inaccessible-system cannot see it.

Fdisk Does Not Recognize Full Size of Hard Disks Larger than 64 GB:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263044

- Franc Zabkar

Rod Speed · Aug 13, 2009

alfredeneuman said:
I have a very old computer running 98se. It's bios cannot do
LBA48 and I don't want to take the risk of updating the bios.

That last is mad.

I tried partitioning the first 100gb of the 250gb drive into 2 50 gb
segments using some version of fdisk and I got one partition
working ok and the other inaccessible-system cannot see it.

Partitioning doesnt fix the lack of LBA48. The most you can
do as a workaround is to use only the area below 137GB.

The stuff on the working 50gb partition I need.
The data on the other I can format over if necessary.

My question is this: According to the tutorial I read on LBA48
addressing, I have to go through alot of hassle to get this box
to recognize the entire 250gb drive.

It isnt really that much hassle.

But I don't need to do that. I just want to parcel out the first 2 50gb partitions.

What do you mean by 'parcel out' ? Maybe you mean you
just want to have two 50GB partitions. Thats trivial to do.

If I try to reformat and repartition the 50gb partition that
is now unrecognized on a newer computer, will my older
computer be able to recognize both 50gb partitions?

No, it should still see both fine, as long as both are on the front of the drive, so
no partition extends past the 137GB limit thats the result of a lack of LBA48.

Which partition utility is best for doing this?

Anything will do it, even dos and win. And you can do that in that dinosaur too.

Acronis True Image or Disk Director do have a better user interface.

alfredeneuman · Aug 13, 2009

That last is mad.

Thanks for your reply;
maybe, but if it blows my system, I have no other computer. This does
happen, although never has to me yet.

Partitioning doesnt fix the lack of LBA48. The most you can
do as a workaround is to use only the area below 137GB.

It isnt really that much hassle.

What do you mean by 'parcel out' ? Maybe you mean you
just want to have two 50GB partitions. Thats trivial to do.

Would be trivial, except I forgot to mention I want to do this from the
usb 1.1 port using a usb 2 ide adapter. For several good reasons I don't
want to install the drive in the system. As far as I have been able to
tell thus far, I cannot find a utility that will partition when this
drive is connected to a usb port. Do you know of any that might work.
Someone before said bootitng, but don't have the later versions of that
program which supports usb.

No, it should still see both fine, as long as both are on the front of
the drive, so no partition extends past the 137GB limit thats the
result of a lack of LBA48.

Anything will do it, even dos and win. And you can do that in that
dinosaur too.

Acronis True Image or Disk Director do have a better user interface.

Would much prefer something simpler, smaller and not Acronis. Last
program I used by them, their backup software, was not very good imo.

Rod Speed · Aug 13, 2009

alfredeneuman wrote

Thanks for your reply;
maybe, but if it blows my system, I have no other computer.
This does happen, although never has to me yet.

With a dinosaur like that, you should be able to get another for free if it does happen.

Would be trivial, except I forgot to mention I want to do this
from the usb 1.1 port using a usb 2 ide adapter. For several
good reasons I don't want to install the drive in the system.
As far as I have been able to tell thus far, I cannot find a
utility that will partition when this drive is connected to a
usb port. Do you know of any that might work.

The acronis products I listed will. They aint free tho so that is likely a problem for you.

You can partition the drive by connecting it internally temporarily,
or connecting it to another system internally temporarily.

Someone before said bootitng, but don't have the
later versions of that program which supports usb.

Would much prefer something simpler, smaller and not Acronis. Last
program I used by them, their backup software, was not very good imo.

You're just plain wrong.

Franc Zabkar · Aug 13, 2009

... I forgot to mention I want to do this from the
usb 1.1 port using a usb 2 ide adapter. For several good reasons I don't
want to install the drive in the system. As far as I have been able to
tell thus far, I cannot find a utility that will partition when this
drive is connected to a usb port. Do you know of any that might work.
Someone before said bootitng, but don't have the later versions of that
program which supports usb.

I'm still using Win98SE. I have prepared a 320GB PATA drive in a USB
enclosure using just FDISK and FORMAT in a Windows DOS box. When
connected via USB, the drive is not controlled by Windows' native
28-bit LBA IDE driver, or by the BIOS. Instead I have installed the
Maximus Decim NUSB driver set (see below) which I believe incorporates
Win ME components. Be aware that Scandisk, Defrag and other Win98
utilities will have problems with large partition sizes (> 128GB), so
I would replace them with their Win ME counterparts. In my case the
full 320GB is accessible. Do not be tempted to attach the drive to a
motherboard IDE interface. AIUI, writing to any LBA beyond 128GB will
wrap to the beginning of the drive and corrupt your data.

BTW, this topic is often discussed in the
microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion newsgroup.

Windows 98 USB Mass Storage Device Drivers:
http://www.technical-assistance.co.uk/kb/usbmsd98.php

- Franc Zabkar

alfredeneuman · Aug 14, 2009

alfredeneuman wrote

With a dinosaur like that, you should be able to get another for free
if it does happen.

that would be an even bigger hassle. mfg. recommends if machine is
working ok, do not take chance of flashing with bios. But I guess I have to
if I want to use that bigger drive to full capacity.

The acronis products I listed will. They aint free tho so that is
likely a problem for you.

Partition Magic 8.0 says it will even on usb 1.1. Got it for free, maybe
give it a try. Sorry don't like Acronis products, too bloated and too
buggy. Lots of utilities are coming out for usb partitioning, but most
do not work on 98se os.

alfredeneuman · Aug 14, 2009

Thanks very much for the helpful reply. Guess I still have to flash my
bios since it is only good for drives to 137gb? I will try your solution
though, sounds interesting. However not sure if that Maximus Decim
driver will work since I am using an IDE2USB adapter with it's own
driver? Nice to hear that there is someone else who does not thing that
98se is crap, any more than ANY windoze is crap. But since the usb is
not subject to the 28bit LBA IDE driver, maybe I can just use FDISK with
the driver that came with my USB2IDE adapter? Thanks Franc.

Rod Speed · Aug 14, 2009

alfredeneuman wrote

that would be an even bigger hassle.
Nope.

mfg. recommends if machine is working ok, do not take chance of flashing with bios.

And when yours doesnt have LBA48 support, it isnt working ok.

All you really have to do is make sure you arent going to get a
power failure while flashing and do it from a booted dos floppy etc.

But I guess I have to if I want to use that bigger drive to full capacity.

Its certainly the best way to do that. It isnt the only way to do that.

Partition Magic 8.0 says it will even on usb 1.1. Got it for free, maybe give it a try.

You can lose the data in that partition you want to keep.

Sorry don't like Acronis products, too bloated and too buggy.

PM is a lot more buggy than Acronis products are.

Lots of utilities are coming out for usb partitioning, but most do not work on 98se os.

True Image has a bootable 'rescue' CD that doesnt use the OS at all.

alfredeneuman · Aug 17, 2009

Rod Speed <[email protected]> wrote

All you really have to do is make sure you arent going to get a
power failure while flashing and do it from a booted dos floppy etc.

Yeah, flashed it; it went fine.

Its certainly the best way to do that. It isnt the only way to do
that.

You can lose the data in that partition you want to keep.

PM is a lot more buggy than Acronis products are.

Haha, you're right, just got done reading a bunch of posts about all the
bugs in Partition Magic. I now have hitachi diagnostic tools, but they
won't help me partition the drive or correct the one partition that I
believe has one bad FAT.

True Image has a bootable 'rescue' CD that doesnt use the OS at all.

I might be able to get it p2p ;-), but my one experience, long time ago,
I concluded they make buggy stuff, I could be wrong. Actually I'd like
to get the bootitng with usb support, but haven't been able to find that
gratis.

Now that the bios is flashed, should be able to partition the drive via
usb, but having trouble identifying a good free partitioner for dummies
(like me) haha. I want something simple and lightweight. Took a look at
Ranish 2.40 but no mention of usb support in their docs. I have some old
HD fixer tools from long ago, but not sure I know enuf to use them
properly.

fdisk is what originally screwed up the drive, but that was before I had
latest bios flashed for hd over 137gb, which may have been the reason
one partition is not longer accessible. The OS sees it, but on newer
systems says format needed (non-critical data is on that partiton and
the other partition has critical data). My 98OS just says its not
accessible from memory.

Rod Speed · Aug 17, 2009

alfredeneuman wrote

<snip 4 brevity>

Yeah, flashed it; it went fine.

Thanks for that change in the detail.

Haha, you're right, just got done reading a bunch of posts about all
the bugs in Partition Magic. I now have hitachi diagnostic tools, but
they won't help me partition the drive or correct the one partition
that I believe has one bad FAT.

Yeah, you need something like True Image, PM etc to do that.

Seagate does have an older version of True Image available for free download.

I might be able to get it p2p ;-), but my one experience, long time
ago, I concluded they make buggy stuff, I could be wrong.

They do have a bit of a tendency to release stuff early, but the
worst you have to do is get a later build if some wart shows up.

Actually I'd like to get the bootitng with usb
support, but haven't been able to find that gratis.

Yeah, its a bit too obscure for that. TI is very readily available that way.

Now that the bios is flashed, should be able to partition
the drive via usb, but having trouble identifying a good
free partitioner for dummies (like me) haha.
True.

I want something simple and lightweight.

I like TI myself. Dont care for the UI with the rest.

Took a look at Ranish 2.40 but no mention of usb support
in their docs. I have some old HD fixer tools from long ago,
but not sure I know enuf to use them properly.

Yeah, dangerous business too without a full image of the drive.

fdisk is what originally screwed up the drive, but that was
before I had latest bios flashed for hd over 137gb, which may
have been the reason one partition is not longer accessible.

Or you didnt use the latest version of fdisk. Thats certainly free.

It wont allow you to keep the contents of the partition tho.

The OS sees it, but on newer systems says format needed
(non-critical data is on that partiton and the other partition has
critical data). My 98OS just says its not accessible from memory.

That OS has its own problems with drives over 137GB

www.48bitlba.com

WATCH OUT FOR THAT SITE, GOOGLE CLAIMS ITS MALICIOUS.