only seeing 130gb

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robina_80

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im running windows 2000 sp4 and ive got a 500gb pata (IDE) HDD and windows is only seeing 130gb is there a patch that allows windows to see the full HDD?
 
If it's old enough to have win2k I think it might not support more than 130GB. I have heard that there is a limit on the old motherboards made before 2001
 
no when i try to install windows xp sp3 it reads the full HD amout of 500gb but i dont want to run XP coz it will slow my pc down
 
i think i got round it ive gone on the dell website to download the updated bios and also the ide eide controller drivers, but when i choose ms-dos as my O/S and i then download the bios update it saves it as a executable windows file not as a ms dos executable file, do you get me?
 
We are giving away those at my school, but I'm pretty sure that was when you could only have like 130GB or something.
 
BIOS files are not OS dependent, meaning just choose any OS and download the latest BIOS revision (A10) and then follow the instructions to making your floppy disk. These older dell update packages dont include a flash updating utility. They use an older method of creating a bootable floppy and then restarting your computer with the floppy inserted.
If you don't have a bootable floppy, then you will have to either make one in windows
or
use the UPPER file on this page

I would just be safe and use a windows 98SE boot disk. It's fast and easy. Then you should be able to proceed to the next step

98 Boot Disk

an MS-DOS boot disk would be the easiest, but it's up to you
98 Boot disks are smaller, that is why I like them rather than the latest DOS boot disks (6.22)

See other bootable floppy downloads here

You don't need a special boot disk. Just something that you can copy a file to and then from from a dos prompt.

After you have created the floppy, copy the LOWER file from this page to it... just like it says

After upgrading the BIOS to A10, reboot and one of two things should happen:

1) Your drive should read the entire amount or
2) You may have to go into Computer management and allocate the rest of the drive and format the remaining portion.

Either way though, as long as your bios reads it as the proper size, and you are running SP3 for Win2k or higher, you should be able to use drives larger than 130GB and have the entire thing read by windows.
 
While you are flashing your BIOS or, driving to work or just sitting on the john... read this if you wish. It explains what problem you are having.

48-bit LBA limitations were overcome in dell's release of the optiplex BIOS revision A08 or A09... one of the 2
 
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