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I've forgotten...big drives and BIOS lim

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10 replies

by marquis May 31, 2003 last reply Jul 1, 2003

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I'm rehabbing an old IBM ValuPoint for a neighbor, and it has a 5MB (OOPS! 500MB) limit on the hard drive.
I know there are ways around that, but I've forgotten how...it's been sooo long ago, and a land far away.
Can someone help refresh my memory, please?

10 replies

by jrodri1636 May 31, 2003

Try to use Drive overlay software.

by marquis Jul 1, 2003

Done that before, but don't like it. Something else happens, and POOF! no data available! Thanks, tho.

by fred07 May 31, 2003

Hi,
Either; Western Digitals "Lifeguard" or Maxtors "Maxblaster" from their respective web sites. Both have EZ-bios instalations that use an on Hard Drive bios to circumvent that problem. Either are what I use. Hope this helps.

by marquis Jul 1, 2003

Could be, but sounds like another overlay. Not exactly what I want.

by csmith May 31, 2003

The problem with EZ-drive and all of the other drive overly software is that if something goes wrong you are almost always permanently locked out of the hard drive.
Can you find an IDE card with a BIOS?
We used to install a lot of them to break the DOS limit.
We still install them now, when the BIOS does not support UDMA100
Regards, Chris

by marquis Jul 1, 2003

This might work. Hadn't even entered my mind to try it, even tho I've got about 30 of them in an old box somewhere. That's what happens when technologies get old and left behind. Too many bits in the old "bit bucket", and some get buried under all the new stuff.
Thanks.

by p_korman Jun 1, 2003

promise technology makes good cards for systems with ancient bios. you just have to make sure that you get one that supports the bus speed of the system that you are putting it into.