NF7-S: workaround to use 160GB HDD?

[SR-71A]

OK:

Got the NF7-S v2.0 to boot... so far so good.
Went and bought a new WD 160GB drive.

Didn't realize it wasn't compatible with the mobo (shoulda checked, I know).

Is there a hacked BIOS or any way (other than controller card) to get this to work on the mobo?

Current BIOS Award v6.00PG (08/19/2004)

Trying to install XP Home on it. Have limited the size to 127GB, tried formatting with the WD disk, tried formatting it with the XP setup tool, tried creating a 30GB NTFS partition... etc.

System Specs
XP 2600+: [Tbred B 333FSB]
AXDA2600DKV3D F368203920258
JIUHB 0337MPM
256MB Corsair Value Select PC3200
Asus V8200 T2/Deluxe (GeForce3 64MB DDR)
SB Live! 5.1

~~~
Old drives that are corrupted (just trying to get XP running on the new drive to dump mp3's and .iso's)
30GB 75GXP ATA-100
80GB Barracuda 7200/2MB ATA-100
~~~

Any and all help appreciated.

Thanks
SR

 

[Alchemy1]

Okay...I may be wrong, but let me give it a crack. You are saying that your drive is only showing up as 127gb, correct? If so what I have heard is you have to have SP1 or above for your drive to recognize all of the space.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong or if SR-71 A is not even asking the question I have attemped to answer...

 

[bchur83]

Yep, you need an install disc with atleast SP1 slipstreamed into it. Do a search to find out how to slipstream if you need to go that route.

 

[SR-71A]

Sorry if I confused anyone

What I am trying to do is install a new 160GB WD drive (WD1600JB) into an UN-modded NF7-S v2.0

The software that came with the HDD said the OS (XP Home without SP1) would only recognize up to 127GB.

I tried formatting that way to see if it would work; it hasn't. So, I checked the Abit site and it said that an NF7-S would *not* support this HDD.

Just looking for options and figured you guys are the best resource at hand

Will try the slipstream option... just need an empty small drive to load XP on. Ya think I would have one... grrrrrr.

Thanks everyone.

 

[aaaaaaaaaa]

I have a 2500+ mobile and NF7-S w/ 250GB partition, 160gb and 120gb.
works fine, but then again I have had SP1A disks.

 

[Alchemy1]

If you D/L the SP from the MS webpage...will it still not recognize the extra space on your drive? Seems obdvious and too simple, but I figured it was worth asking. Sometimes the best answer is the simplest one.

 

[maxima88]

I just installed a WD 160GB 7200RPM 8MB Buffer HD last week and used only 1 160GB partition and was able to install WinXP onto it. NO problems whatsoever.

 

[Sjaak]

Install windows XP on a separate partition (10GB or something), then when its up and running install SP1 and it will see the full capacity (minus 10GB), which you can then divide into other partitions as you like.

Using a separate partition for the OS will help in this way, and its also much easier if you need to do a format or reinstall for the OS.

 

[okra]

it's not a mobo/drive compatibility error, as others have pointed out: it's b/c WinXP only recognizes up to 130gb w/o SP1 installed.

So just partition however much you need, install XP, install SP1, and use something like partition magic to add the rest of your space, format it, etc. As someone else said, I'd use about 10-20gb for Windows and whatnot, then once you have sp1 on there, partition the rest of it.

 

[SR-71A]

Again, thanks for the help everyone.

I have been working all week and haven't had much time to work on this until the weekend.

OK... gave up on the immediate install of the 160GB drive. I did a low-level format of the 30GB 75GXP (using the XP setup proggie) and tried to install XP. Stop errors after stop errors, all having to do with either bad addressing or boot volume not available, etc.

I have been on the M$ TechNet more than I have talked to my husband in the last week

At this point... gave up and went to see if 98SE would setup on the IBM drive. fdisk, then format (FAT32) and a single partition drive. Loaded, worked very well... loaded the drivers for 98SE from the Abit disk (for the chipset) as the PCI input controller and the Bus Master were listed as 'other devices' (even on reboot after message stating drivers were successfully loaded). Then, on next reboot, well.. it just gave a FAT(0) VXD error, then on subsquent reboot.. hanged in "registry recovery console" when it got to repairing the registry. Scrap 98SE idea (with the intention of upgrading to XP and SP2 and then formatting the 160GB WD via the floppy utility disk).

From what I have observed, it seems that the consistent stop error issue (trying all 3 of the HDDs) is that the some Abit driver(s) need to load with the setup program. Can I do that during XP Setup when it asks to install 3rd party SCSI/RAID drivers? If so, which drivers should I include?

Another approach I have considered is using a boot disk for XP "DOS" (*is* there such a thing?) so that I can do the integrate command and have a bootable SP2 partition on the 90GB Seagate from which I could install directly to the 160GB drive.

For the record, I did try all suggestions above about partitioning, formatting etc. None of these worked, including creating a 10 and then 20GB partition on the 160GB drive. Still wouldn't load XP. Got the Ox7E error every time.

I have disabled in the BIOS all but the most necessary items. Minimal hardware, too. Vid card, CD-ROM, drives.

I however, did get the download of SP2 and have got the files to do the slipstream idea (and got the how-to from http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp) but I don't have a burner. Thought I could make a bootable .iso on the drive and use that to install from, but I would not think that possible without a working version of XP to run an .iso mount proggie.

I am at my wit's end here. Do I use the partitioning and formatting option in XP Setup? Or should I use the WD Data Lifeguard disk? I lean toward the XP Setup idea.

I have also checked the Abit BIOS upgrades page to see what problems the upgrades fixed. I cannot find any such info. Running Award v6.00PG (08/19/2004) atm.

Again, thanks in advance.

SR

 

[Lvcoyote]

I'm not totally convinced that simply installing SP2 is going to make the rest of the hard drive appear if you loaded a non SP version of XP from the beginning, maybe some of you have done this and know it works.

Updating the BIOS will not help the limitations of XP without at least SP1, as far as recognizing a larger drive. Surely you know someone with a CD burner so you can slipstream SP1 or SP2 into your copy of XP.

As far as the errors your getting goes. I would run Memtest86 on the memory and see how it checks out. You might also try raising the voltage to the CPU and memory a notch and see if that helps stability. I have found in the past that XP will not load where Win98 will because of memory issues.

GL and post back results.

Lvcoyote

 

[SR-71A]

Lvcoyote:

OK, went and got memtest86, created the floppy and on boot... it says
loading.......

then, flash of blue on screen and spontaneous reboot.

RAM is toast? How much to bump up the CPU (now at stock 1.65V)?
RAM timings are set to "optimal" defaults: 7-3-2-2.5

Thanks for your time.

 

[yo4444]

The ABIT NF-7s WILL support a 160 gig drive, as everyone has said. It is not a problem with the mobo.
Is this a whole new setup? Are the components new? what did you have running before?
If it was mem errors, it would more than likely run memtest and show the errors. Especially if you could load all of 98 without it rebooting. It is acting the way mine did when my L12 wire mod came out of the socket and was affecting my cpu. Have you done the L12 mod? Also, maybe try reseating the HS on the cpu, because believe it or not, I've seen that cause some pretty funky issues.(in my own experience as well as others)
Any more info on the system would help.

 

[yo4444]

Lvcoyote:

OK, went and got memtest86, created the floppy and on boot... it says
loading.......

then, flash of blue on screen and spontaneous reboot.

RAM is toast? How much to bump up the CPU (now at stock 1.65V)?
RAM timings are set to "optimal" defaults: 7-3-2-2.5

Thanks for your time.

Bump it up about .1v or .25v at a time.The issues DO sound like low vcore, or vdimm, but if the bios is at default, voltage shouldnt be an issue.
Maybe try loading optomized defaults.
I really do not think the ram is toast. The test dropping out without running also sounds like inadequate voltage, but once again, if bios is at default, I doubt it.

 

[SR-71A]

System Specs (current hardware being used)

NF7-S v2.0
XP 2600+: [Tbred B 333FSB]
AXDA2600DKV3D F368203920258
JIUHB 0337MPM
256MB Corsair Value Select PC3200
Asus V8200 T2/Deluxe (GeForce3 64MB DDR)
30GB IBM 75GXP 7200/2MB ATA-100

~~~~~~~
Only devices from old rig are the vid card and the HDD.
Hard drive low level formatted using only Win setup.
I have reformatted the drive several times, only to get 0x7E errors during XP setup, and with 98SE, it would install and then I would get the "FAT(0) VXD" BSOD.

For right now, I have given up totally on the 160GB drive as I said in my long post. Sorry if I confused anyone (again.... or still ). For right now, I just want to use the 30GB 75GXP to get an OS period.

Things I have noticed lately:
~ The ancient 52X ATA-33 CDROM sometimes is reported as gibberish during the "detecting IDE drives". Only on occasion, but still... might this CDROM be too old to use? I have a non-ATA100 cable on it, using it as secondary master (no slave). I tried to copy the 98SE dir onto the HD after fdisk and formatting... and tried to run setup from the drive. Seemed to cause registry errors, as it would hang on Registry Checker on reboot.

In consideration of the ATA-33 CDROM, I have also tried the BIOS option "Delay IDE initial" to 5 seconds to see if that would help the discrepency in drive speeds.

Thanks, and hope this gives a clearer picture of what is actually going on, etc.

 

[SR-71A]

If it was mem errors, it would more than likely run memtest and show the errors. Especially if you could load all of 98 without it rebooting. It is acting the way mine did when my L12 wire mod came out of the socket and was affecting my cpu. Have you done the L12 mod? Also, maybe try reseating the HS on the cpu, because believe it or not, I've seen that cause some pretty funky issues.(in my own experience as well as others)

No, I have not modded the board in any way. I have optimized defaults loaded .

Will try the heatsink reseat as this has been a progressively worsening issue and that approach seems logical.

Will be back with results. Thanks for word.

 

[yo4444]

Let me know what you find after re-seating and checking all connections. Do you have another mobo to check the components out on? It could be any # of things, so lets try to eliminate them 1 by 1.
Pop the mem in another comp and run memtest. I'm pretty sure thats not the issue.
Voltages are at default, correct? Try bumping them up a litte if re-seat doesn't work. Pop in another cpu and test. Perhaps a bad cpu, or a bent pin?
I really get the feeling it has to do with either a bad mobo, bad seat of cpu/HS or bad cpu.

EDIT: Also be sure the memtest version you got is the latest. Earlier ones have some probs with newer components, and higher capacity mem modules.

 

[SR-71A]

OK:

Reseated the heatsink and CPU. No bent pins, was a little more liberal with the thermal grease. Ran memtest86 on boot after this... same loading/crash to reboot issue.

Then went into BIOS and up the Vcore only .025 (now at 1.675) and....

rebooted, forgot to pop in memtest86 floppy and it booted from the XP setup and thus far it has gone farther in installation than it ever has before... so I couldn't shut it off (too close to my dream of an OS) and thus far... it has progressed to Finalizing installation.

Thanks again. And remember, keep your fingers crossed for me.

 

[SR-71A]

I got an ugly but oh-so-sweet default XP desktop in front of me as I type this on the Mac

Hopefully I won't need more help with this.... but just know how much I truly appreciate your help.

With gratitude,
SR

 

[Lvcoyote]

Not uncommon at all to have to raise the voltage to the CPU on these boards, they tend to undervolt the CPU, its a known issue with them. Provided you have adequate cooling, throwing 1.7 to the CPU would be fine.

Lvcoyote