p5a with large HD

On Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:05:22 -0700 (PDT), "SheldonhIsaac@gmail.com"
<SheldonhIsaac.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:

> have an ASUS P5A motherboard, I think rev 1.06. I guess from about
>1999 or so.
>
>How would I go about using it with a largish hard drive?

If you use it just as data drive, and you're using Windows XP, all you
need is SP2. In other words, Windows XP SP2 supports 48-bit LBA and
fully accesses large drives.

>
>I understand there is something called a 137GB barrier.
>
>What would happen if I connected, say, a 160Gb Seagate ST3160815A ?

The bios would probably see only 137GB. If you want to boot from the
drive, as long as the bios does not have to access past 137GB on the
drive, it would boot fine.

>
>I do have a Promise (Maxtor) Ultra100 card - would that be any help?

It would see the entire drive.

>
>Thanks much.
 >> Stay informed about: p5a with large HD 

On Mar 16, 11:05 am, "SheldonhIs...@gmail.com"
<SheldonhIs... RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:
>  have an ASUS P5A motherboard, I think rev 1.06. I guess from about
> 1999 or so.

Thanks much for the replies - I'll be back with more questions, if
that's OK.
Have ordered a 160Gb Seagate ST3160815A.

May I ask another question about my ASUA P5A.

Just got a new power supply, and found that it does not provide a
-5V to the motherboard.
So there's an error message while booting.

What can/should be done?

I do have an ISA sound card, a SoundBlaster 16 pnp from about 1996.

Thanks again,
Sheldon
 >> Stay informed about: p5a with large HD 

On Sun, 23 Mar 2008 04:53:02 -0700 (PDT), "SheldonhIsaac@gmail.com"
<SheldonhIsaac RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:

>On Mar 16, 11:05 am, "SheldonhIs...@gmail.com"
><SheldonhIs... RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:
>>  have an ASUS P5A motherboard, I think rev 1.06. I guess from about
>> 1999 or so.
>
>Thanks much for the replies - I'll be back with more questions, if
>that's OK.
>Have ordered a 160Gb Seagate ST3160815A.
>
>May I ask another question about my ASUA P5A.
>
>Just got a new power supply, and found that it does not provide a
>-5V to the motherboard.
>So there's an error message while booting.
>
>What can/should be done?

The white wire at the ATX power connector provides -5 volts. If the
motherboard requires that voltage, then you have to use a power supply
that provides it. An older power supply with a 20-pin power connector
is more likely to have the white wire.

>
>I do have an ISA sound card, a SoundBlaster 16 pnp from about 1996.
>
>Thanks again,
>Sheldon
 >> Stay informed about: p5a with large HD 

> I have an ASUS P5A motherboard, I think rev 1.06. I guess from about 1999 or so.

----------------------------

I got the 160Gb Seagate ST3160815A.

As I recall, only able to access up to 137Gb.

Put in the Promise (Maxtor) Ultra100 PDC20267 PCI IDE controller.
Dunno whether it has the correct BIOS flashed?

Then DOS and Damn Small Linux were able to access a 3Gb Windows-type
partition at the "end" of the drive (see at bottom)

But Windows 98SE (gosh-knows-what patches and updates in it) fails
to boot. I booted in safe mode, removed the PCI controller in
Device Manager, rebooted. When Windows asks where to find thes (which
ones should I use?), I cancel. Only then will
Windows boot to a desktop.

There's a yellow exclamation point by the controller in Device
Manager.

How can this be made to work normally?

Thanks again,
Sheldon

========

Ranish Partition Manager Version 2.40.00 February
08, 2001 ¦
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hard Disk 2 152,627Mbytes [19,457 cylinders x 255 heads x 63
sectors
Using
LBA
¦
File Starting Ending
Partition ¦
# Type Row System Type Cyl Head Sect Cyl Head Sect
Size [KB] ¦

¦
0 MBR Master Boot Record 0 0 1 0 0
1 0 ¦
1 Pri Unused 0 0 2 0 0
63 31 ¦
2 Pri 1 Windows FAT-32 LBA 0 1 1 986 254 63
7,928,046 ¦
3 Pri 2 VFAT Extended LBA 987 0 1 19,456 254 63
148,360,275 ¦
4 + Log VFAT FAT-16 LBA 987 1 1 1,060 254 63
594,373 ¦
5 ¦ Ext Extended 1,061 0 1 2,000 254 63
7,550,550 ¦
6 + Log Windows FAT-32 LBA 1,061 1 1 2,000 254 63
7,550,518 ¦
7 ¦ Ext Extended 2,001 0 1 2,940 254 63
7,550,550 ¦
8 + Log Windows FAT-32 LBA 2,001 1 1 2,940 254 63
7,550,518
9 ¦ Ext Extended 2,941 0 1 3,880 254 63
7,550,550
10 + Log Windows FAT-32 LBA 2,941 1 1 3,880 254 63
7,550,518
11 + Log Unused 3,881 0 1 18,999 254 63
121,443,367
12 ¦ Ext Extended 19,000 0 1 19,456 254 63
3,670,852
13 + Log Windows FAT-32 LBA 19,000 1 1 19,456 254 63
3,670,821
14 Pri Unused 19,457 0 1 19,457 80
63
2,551
 >> Stay informed about: p5a with large HD 

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 >> Stay informed about: p5a with large HD 

> If I recall, the promise driver must be installed before
> putting the board in the system.
>
> Also, once it is working, there is a w98SE problem with drives
> that large. You need to search the internet for an
> esdi_506.pdr replacement. There is a package for drives over
> 137GB made by someone.
>
> The drive will have data corruption without the new driver and
> no amount of partitioning can help. It is total data size
> dependent.

The Ultra-100, either Promise or the Maxtor branded board, is a severely
buggy board. I recommend it be discarded. The Promise Ultra-133 is fairly
reliable, as are newer boards. But the old U100 is a corrupted hard drive
looking for a place to happen.
 >> Stay informed about: p5a with large HD