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Win2k SP2 and BigDriveEnabler


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#1
trodas

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This is just about how to use above 137G drives on SP2 machine.
For various reasons I would like to downgrade to SP2 from SP3. I made complete new fresh install, however the BigDrive Enabler from Maxtor ( http://maxtor.com/po...s&downloadID=11 ) did not support SP2.
If the link did not work, then go to the software downloads, ATA drivers and drive utility - and the last one is the BigDrive Enabler.

Therefore I can't access (write) to area above 137G on my big NTFS partion that eat the rest after 2G FAT32 system partion.

Now I know, that the BigDrive Enabler is just a registry chnge thing: " This utility takes the guess work out of editing the Windows registry. The Big Drive Enabler fixes an operating system limitation. This utility is needed anytime a Hard Disk Drive larger than 137 GB is connected to the motherboard's ATA bus, regardless of any system BIOS that supports 48-bit LBA."

If this is just about registry editing, then it might work (depends of the ATA M$ driver, tough) on SP2, right?

And if it did not work, then a update from the SP3 install - the driver - should be possible to add to Win2k SP2, right? :tazz:

Please advice and solution for the da.mn problem... thanks!


PS. okay, I should mention that I have use the nForce2 Ultra 400 chipset and the Microsoft drivers (no way to use the nVidia ones!) for IDE devices...

Edited by trodas, 20 August 2005 - 08:03 AM.

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#2
Les1451

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Why don't you just split the drive into partitions less than 137GB ?
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#3
trodas

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Because it will just add to the chaos I have on the drive already :tazz: :)
I want only ONE D partion.
Besides my drivers (w/o the Deamon Tools mounted ones) still ending even now at J already... :)
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#4
trodas

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http://support.micro...kb;EN-US;305098

The question was, however, if it is possible to push the 48bit addressing support together with the IDE driver to SP2... :tazz:

I think tha the answer is no, but Im no expert, so I asking experts :)
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#5
trodas

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It says this:

"If you install hotfixes that enable 48-bit LBA before you install Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3), the appropriate registry key will be automatically created during the installation of SP3 to preserve the data integrity of the hard disk."

Therefore is possible to find a hotfix that add the 48bit LBA addressing to Win2k SP2. That's good news. Yet I have no sucess on such hotfix finding, BUT I started to firmly believe that the mentioned registry trick - easy to do:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Parameters]

"EnableBigLba"=dword:00000001


Together with replacing the atapi.sys file by the one, taken from SP3 - might be all what it is need. IMHO the update.inf is just a install file, mostly containing only infos about witch controllers are 48bit LBA capable and witch not. Unnecessary if you are going to mod your system this way :tazz: Im very much inclined to test this in reality :)
What do you guys think about it? Any chance it will work?
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#6
yardguard

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There's also a SP4 for Win2K...Think that would help your Large drive problem?

just a thought
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#7
gerryf

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why do you not want to use sp3?
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#8
trodas

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yardguard - it worked pretty well for me in SP3 already :) SP4? God forbid it! To put it technicaly short - I used Win2k SP3 and downgraded to less resources hungry Sp2 one. For better BF2 performance, SP2 is recommended by my friend SAE, a world-class O/C recordman for AMD-XP CPU's, all his records are on Win2k SP2 = Win2k SP2 is the fastest Win OS ever!
SP4 is a big "no-no" thing, since even 3DMark1999 or Vulpine GLMark stop working on SP4, while they run pretty well on SP3 and earlier systems, so... Something M$ fu.ked up there... (same for XP - SP1 kill the same apps + some more...)


gerryf - SP2 give more speeeed and eat less resources :)


AND I SOLVED IT! Using and defragmenting 250G drive IS possible with Win2k SP2 with installed the atapi.sys file (ERD commanded need, win did not allow to replace this file on the fly, always come up with the old copy...) and the mentioned register thing.
Fully 100% working solution. Hoooray for that!
:tazz: :)
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#9
gerryf

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thank for the update, I will file that away for future reference...
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#10
trodas

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You bet :tazz: When I solve problem, I gladly share it with others and also gladly I have to report that no problemo so far, running W2k SP2 on 250G drive :)
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