V
Vsevolod
Hello, All!
I run Windows 2000 SP4 on a computer with Supermicro
P4SGA motherboard (Intel 845G chipset) with ATA-100
compatable IDE interface.
I have receinly bought a large HDD HITACHI (IBM) Deskstar
of 185.2 GB capasity. Though Windows does recognize the
drive and can create primary partition on it, it fails with
formatting with both NTFS and FAT32.
I DID FOLLOW the advice given in Knowlege Base article
305098 and properly adjusted EnableBigLba key in the
registry.
After I created a primary partition totaling the whole of the
HDD, and tried formatting it, the Disk Management format
utility returns error: "The format failed to complete
sucessfully". Command prompt format also fails and
returns: "The second NTFS boot sector is unwriteable.
Format failed".
However, if only single primary partition of 137GB minus
certain space reserved by NTFS, i.e. approximately 128GB
is created, it is formatted without errors. But any logical
drves defined in exteded partition fail to be formatted.
Disk Management also fails to create more than one primary
partition on this HDD, though as far as I know four is the
limit for W2K.
And it does not matter whether I try to format with NTFS or
FAT32.
However, Windows 98 Fdisk does see the large drive and all
the partitions on it. (Though it is wrong with displaying the
drive size - appearantely because of DOS, and Windows 98
limitations). Moreover, it can define the primary partition for
the whole drive, which later can be formated with FAT32
under Windows 98 DOS environment. Still moreover, this
partition is correctly recognized by Windows 2000 and is
operational, and no errors are reported by the system.
Still moreover, the disk can be formated under Windows XP
SP1.
The disk is healthy and is totaly under control of Ontrack
Smart Defender oeprating from Windows 2000 environment
(SMART monitoring, reporting and testing utility), and the
disk passes all the tests with IBM/HITACHI Drive Fitness
test (low level disk utility). Everything taking place on the
same IDE controller on the same motherboard, thus leading
me to the conclusion that BIOS problems are the least
probable clue. Or am I wrong assuming ATA-100 IDE
interface to be 48-bit addressing capable?
I have tested the situation on 3 different computers, but the
problem persists.
Again the problem is ONLY with FORMTTING under
Windows 2000 of a partition larger than 137 GB, as well as
any partition created or extending above this limit.
Knowlege Base article 305098 DOES NOT SOLVE it.
Any help on this matter will be mostly appreciated.
Vsevolod.
I run Windows 2000 SP4 on a computer with Supermicro
P4SGA motherboard (Intel 845G chipset) with ATA-100
compatable IDE interface.
I have receinly bought a large HDD HITACHI (IBM) Deskstar
of 185.2 GB capasity. Though Windows does recognize the
drive and can create primary partition on it, it fails with
formatting with both NTFS and FAT32.
I DID FOLLOW the advice given in Knowlege Base article
305098 and properly adjusted EnableBigLba key in the
registry.
After I created a primary partition totaling the whole of the
HDD, and tried formatting it, the Disk Management format
utility returns error: "The format failed to complete
sucessfully". Command prompt format also fails and
returns: "The second NTFS boot sector is unwriteable.
Format failed".
However, if only single primary partition of 137GB minus
certain space reserved by NTFS, i.e. approximately 128GB
is created, it is formatted without errors. But any logical
drves defined in exteded partition fail to be formatted.
Disk Management also fails to create more than one primary
partition on this HDD, though as far as I know four is the
limit for W2K.
And it does not matter whether I try to format with NTFS or
FAT32.
However, Windows 98 Fdisk does see the large drive and all
the partitions on it. (Though it is wrong with displaying the
drive size - appearantely because of DOS, and Windows 98
limitations). Moreover, it can define the primary partition for
the whole drive, which later can be formated with FAT32
under Windows 98 DOS environment. Still moreover, this
partition is correctly recognized by Windows 2000 and is
operational, and no errors are reported by the system.
Still moreover, the disk can be formated under Windows XP
SP1.
The disk is healthy and is totaly under control of Ontrack
Smart Defender oeprating from Windows 2000 environment
(SMART monitoring, reporting and testing utility), and the
disk passes all the tests with IBM/HITACHI Drive Fitness
test (low level disk utility). Everything taking place on the
same IDE controller on the same motherboard, thus leading
me to the conclusion that BIOS problems are the least
probable clue. Or am I wrong assuming ATA-100 IDE
interface to be 48-bit addressing capable?
I have tested the situation on 3 different computers, but the
problem persists.
Again the problem is ONLY with FORMTTING under
Windows 2000 of a partition larger than 137 GB, as well as
any partition created or extending above this limit.
Knowlege Base article 305098 DOES NOT SOLVE it.
Any help on this matter will be mostly appreciated.
Vsevolod.