200gb hard drive problem

drgaraux · 10-17-2002, 02:37 PM

I have a western digital 200gb hard drive that I'm trying to install mandrake 8.1 on and it only recognizes the drive as 127 gb.

Anyone have an answer to this????

Smitty-rh · 10-17-2002, 02:50 PM

most likely a bios issue. Try updating your bios to one that supports large hard drives or put in a controller card that can handle it.

from the WD Boards:
Western Digital recommends the Promise Ultra 100 TX2 for breaking the 137 GB barrier

drgaraux · 10-18-2002, 05:38 AM

Thanks Smitty.

I'd upgraded the bios and it saw the drive as 200gb but linux still only recognized 127gb. I guess the next step is going to be trying a new controller card.

Thanks again

acid_kewpie · 10-18-2002, 07:37 AM

is it the physical drives size that is misreported, or the partition?

drgaraux · 10-18-2002, 08:43 AM

It is the physical drive size that is coming back wrong. The bios sees it as a 200gb drive, but mandrake 8.1 install sees it as 127gb and the sectors are not reported properly either. It is a brand new computer that I'm setting up.

bnadwidth_pig · 02-01-2003, 10:00 PM

I also am having a very similar problem with Debian. I too bought a Western Digital 200 gig drive, but in my case, Debian is seeing 137 Gigabytes. And as pointed out, this is a BIOS limitation, but that is why they include the Promise controller card with the drive. Has anybody else had this problem and been able to beat it? I haven't flashed my BIOS yet, as I suspect this really won't help. But I am getting desperate

Electro · 02-02-2003, 12:10 AM

Try doing it the hard way. Use raw write to put the linux boot image on a floppy in DOS. Then reboot the computer with the linux boot disk. Next try running some disk utilties. Then try to make some partitons. Next reboot the computer and run Mandrake's installer.

I haven't tried the above yet.

If it doesn't work. Download the new version of fdisk and make some partitions and rebot. Then go into Mandrake installer and try to put some mount points on those partitions.

bnadwidth_pig · 02-02-2003, 03:33 PM

BUMP