Knoppix doesn't recognize 120GB hard drive.

**dragon** · 04-25-2003, 05:59 AM

Checked the bios. It doesn't seem to be forced. It was set up for auto detection by the bios. It configured auto to be a set value under the bios and it showed the full storage size.

**ktheking** · 05-03-2003, 03:42 PM

Simplicity is the key...

always check one step at a time and start from the bottom..

1)How was this FAT32 created ? (from linux,partition manager,dos,...)
2)Is there a compression utlity or safety soft active on these partitions ?
3)In BIOS , is LBA active ?
4)FAT32 is only working till 64Gb . After it some tricks have to be done to get it working.
5)use 'parted' (just type at command line from root box) to check info about disk.
6)If everything fails create a dos floppy bootdisk and launch xfdisk after boot. (check out http://www.mecronome.de/xfdisk/index.html
) with this tool you can easely manage partitions.

greetzzzz...

**Henk Poley** · 05-06-2003, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by dragon

I'll go back and check the bios settings. I installed it using the Maxtor installation software.

So could it be that the Maxtor setup software installed an INT13 program in your bootsector (MBR)? You need such a program if your BIOS doesn support (that) large disks. If you boot from HD this little program will translate the read/write commands, but if you boot from CD it won't be loaded.

Could this be it?

btw, if you installed LILO in your MBR and windows still detects the disk correctly, then you don't have an INT13 extension installed (there can only be one thing in MBR).

**Stephen** · 05-06-2003, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by Henk Poley

So could it be that the Maxtor setup software installed an INT13 program in your bootsector (MBR)? You need such a program if your BIOS doesn support (that) large disks. If you boot from HD this little program will translate the read/write commands, but if you boot from CD it won't be loaded.

Could this be it?

That would only be a problem with the doz linux would recognize the true size of the drive with information from the drive itself.

**dragon** · 05-06-2003, 07:00 PM

I think that is the case. I installed the hard drive with the Max Balst due to the fact that Windows fdisk doesn't work with bigger hard drives. It's not needed because the bios does support the drive, but I think Max Blast installed the INT 13 commands anyway. I have since found a poweruser version of windows fdisk that allows partitioning of up to 250GB without the INT 13 commands.
Thanks for the help.

**DOOManiac** · 06-16-2003, 01:42 AM

First off, sorry to bump an old post. But so far its been the most relevant to my problem, as I have a very very similar problem, but need a different solution.

I don't know that much about Linux, but I've been wanting to use Knoppix as a Rescue Disc/Spare Time Plaything. I ran into a similar problem of it not mounting my 74GB FAT32 partition. Its the second partition on my drive (other is NTFS), which is on the Primary IDE as Master.

It was mentioned in this thread that I must jump through hoops to get Knoppix to read the drive. Are these hoops that I can jump through with just the standard knoppix distro, w/o needing other things?

Also dragon (I hope you see this) what is the advanced fdisk that you found? Cause I could use something like that too, as WinXP is fixed not to let you format bigger than 40gb or so in fat32 even though it recognizes the drive size.

I've Google'd everything I can think of trying to find an answer, but so far this thread is the closest thing I've seen to my problem. Thanks for any help you guys can give me, I appreciate it.

[edit]
Here is a fdisk -l /dev/hda
Disk /dev/hda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 9768 78461428+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 9769 19457 77826892+ f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 9769 19457 77826861 b Win95 FAT32
[/edit]

**Stephen** · 06-16-2003, 02:30 AM

Originally Posted by DOOManiac

I don't know that much about Linux, but I've been wanting to use Knoppix as a Rescue Disc/Spare Time Plaything. I ran into a similar problem of it not mounting my 74GB FAT32 partition. Its the second partition on my drive (other is NTFS), which is on the Primary IDE as Master.

It was mentioned in this thread that I must jump through hoops to get Knoppix to read the drive. Are these hoops that I can jump through with just the standard knoppix distro, w/o needing other things?

What error is it giving you when it tries to mount the partition and what command did you use to mount it? post the output of any errors.

**dragon** · 06-16-2003, 03:37 AM

The advanced fdisk I found will format up to 120 GB and is based on the standard DOS fdisk. I honestly don't know where I found it. I cruise so many freeware sites. I think I found it on one of those Windows XP Tips and Tricks sites, I'm sure that's where I found it. It was a link to a Microsoft back page that most people don't usually see. But, that was months ago and my memory of where I found it has faded. I will have to find the download again, might be on one of about 100 cd's, but I will attempt to locate it and post it. :P

**dragon** · 06-16-2003, 03:42 AM

By the way, we think we figured out my mounting problems. The 120 GB I was trying to get Knoppix to see was configured with the Maxtor Max Blast software. We figure the Max Blast put some proprietary software in the boot sector of the hard disk to make it compatible with all bios versions, even though my bios supports it.