Dimension 8200 and 137 GB HD barrier

Using WinXP SP3, can HDs larger than 137 GB be used in this computer? I've
seen Yes and No answers in Google.

 

Thanks Dan,

On your 160 GB HD, do you have a partition larger than 128 GiB?

 

What about the 4550?

 

Hi!

There will be two ways this breaks down:

1. How much the computer's BIOS can recognize when it starts up

and

2. What happens when Windows and its drivers take over.

If there is a BIOS limit, a disk larger than the size limit could be
installed, and you could use it--up to 137GB worth. When (a sufficiently new
release of) Windows took over from the BIOS, you would see the rest of the
disk. This would be Windows XP SP1 (or later) and Windows 2000 SP3 (or
later).

The Dim8200 with the latest BIOS stands a chance. With Dell it is a toss-up.
I have a Precision Workstation 220 (2001) that supports 48-bit LBA in the
latest BIOS and a Latitude D800 that doesn't (March 2005).

William

 

William,

The computer I'm referring to has a 40 GB HD. A forum member has cloned the
HD to a 400 GB HD several times. After each clone, WinXP (SP2) boots, but
only once. On the second and subsequent boot attempts he sees, "Disk read
error, press Ctrl, Alt, Delete to restart". After a single successful boot,
"something happens".

 

Hi!

I checked the Dell BIOS release notes for A01-A09 (curiously, there
was never an A06 released for download). None of them ever say
anything about 48-bit LBA support, which would be needed to boot from
a drive larger than 137GB. (Neither do any of the BIOS releases for
the Precision 220, which I just used as a convenient cross-reference.
I'm sure the Dim8200 and Precision WS220 have little in common besides
RDRAM.)

It would be a good idea to make sure that the EnableBigLBA value is
enabled in the registry (with the 40GB drive, it might not have been)
as this will cause data corruption. For the best result, boot from the
40GB drive, change the value and then clone the drive.

I believe that stands a very good chance of solving the problem, as
Microsoft says that without the value enabled, data corruption can be
the result. And that would mess up an installed operating system.

William

 

Nice to know.

 

I meant to say it appears there is no 137 GB barrier.