Buying new hard disk. Can I use the ‘limit disk size jumper’

[LondonMX]

The 40gb hard disk I have had a s.m.a.r.t warning a couple of days ago and when the computer comes out of hibernation it sometimes has read-sector error messages.

I am going to buy a brand new hard disk on ebay smallest I could find was 120gig this is way more than I need.

I notice the drive I want to get has a jumper option to limit the disk size to 32GB (I know this is meant for ancient computers or something? BUT this would be perfect and enough space for me)

My questions are –

Is doing this safe with Windows XP pro?

Will it just boot up like normal into windows or will it keep throwing up a message saying ‘detect full drive capacity available blah blah edit settings? Yes or No?’ or something like that?

If I wanted to format/erase/ run DBAN on the drive with the 32GB only jumper set would it just format/erase the 32gb or 120gb?

At first I thought ‘cool I can just slap a jumper onto it and the computer will see 32gb excellent. But the more I read it the more it sounds like the system will try all it can to then detect the extra! (Which 99% of people WANT it to do! But I want the opposite lol)

NB If I really had to and the above wont work or is not possible to do I would have to admit defeat and use a free software disk partitioner to make the partition smaller and leave the rest of the disk as unused space…..

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3.2.3 Alternate capacity jumper
Some older computers may “hang” at startup if their BIOS detects a disc drive
with a capacity greater than 32 Gbytes. This limits the drive’s capacity to 32
Gbytes when the alternate capacity jumper is used. To access the full capacity
of the drive, you can:
• Update the BIOS
• Use third-party software such as DiscWizard™ or Disk Manager
• Use a third-party host adapter
For drives with capacities greater than 32 Gbytes, the alternate capacity jumper
changes the total available LBA sectors to 32 Gbytes to solve issues with some
BIOS during power on. The ATA Set Features subcommand “F1H Report Full
Capacity Available” causes Identify Data words 60 and 61 to report the full
capacity. See Section 4.1.3 on page 33 for more details on the Set Features
command.
Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows 98 or newer versions are needed to
support drives with capacities greater than 32 Gbytes.
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Thanks for your help

[1234dist]

It is better to have more than limit what you have.

It doesn't effect usage its just spare space not being used.

[Null_Byte]

Why would you want to limit the size of space you have available? Far better to have it and not need it then not to have it. Hard drives increase in size on a regular basis and you will find the most cost effective price point for a hard drive is now around the 1000GB range, and smaller and you will actually pay more per GB.

I would not limit the disc size using any jumper setting. If you truly only want a 32GB partition, just create a 32GB partition in Disk manager and leave the rest of the drive unpartitioned.

Unless you have a pressing need to limit your disc size I really wouldn't advise it. For example. Windows 7 fully installed eats over 6GB of space by default - and it will only ever get bigger.

[1234dist]

TBH once you have installed most of the updates for windows it comes to approx 36gb on its own, without my docs or any other programs you install.

[*ASHY*]

I'm at a loss as to why anybody would want to limit hard drive space? Please explain?

[LondonMX]

Im running a really old skool computer (windows XP pro) and only ever need/use about 20GB if that so was hoping I could just shove a jumper into the 32gb thing and use it as normal (without it detecting it had more space and altering settings or throwing up error messages/disk detect settings onscreen) but yeah its a bit weird doing it that way ?

My reasoning was less/quicker (de)fragmentation/quicker formatting etc. but probably with modern drives it makes no difference.

So i guess rather than doing the above I could just partition it (or leave it as it is with full 120GB)

Thanks for your help.

[LondonMX]

the computer is about 8 years old.

I was thinking as well as replacing the hard disk I would replace the CPU fan.

Also its rather expensive to buy a new power supply for it (does the fan need oiling on the existing one would it prolong its life?)


Basically what im asking is what usually kills off a computer for good. im guessing motherboard/cpu failure?

[evolotion]

just leave it the full size it makes no odds, even if you stick to FAT32 filesystem, the same cluster size is used for any drive over 32gb so it simply doesnt matter. if you absolutely must have a small drive, WD raptors are still avaliable in 36gb, but chances are the rest of your computer cant handle one as there Sata150 and i assume your machine is running the usual Paralell IDE cables to the drives.

dont oil fans, there dry lubed and older pc's will die from heat cycling, failing capacitors, dust collecting etc, usually taking out the motherboard. i usually run my pc's till they die, average live cycle seems to be 4-6 years for me so your doing well lol

[1234dist]

If its an old school pc a standard atx power supply should be no more than £15. I can sell you one for £15+postage.

[LondonMX]

its a Dell Optiplex GX270 (prob not the best computer in the world and in terms of replacing parts is a bit annoying)

The power supply is a 'Dell T0259' there are plenty used on ebay but NEW ones on ebay are only in USA and like £50 im hoping there is a more generic brand one that also fits is there? e.g. from maplin or on ebay or something? But to be honest the power supply and fan is working fine at the moment so prob dont need replacing.

The cpu fan was making a metallic whirring/scraping sound really loud but some sewing machine oil sorted it out (IM gonna get a new cpu fan they are cheap and easily available on ebay. (NMB BG0903-B047-VTL)

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Im guessing even someone that owns a high quality full size computer case with bespoke components still has to bin the case once in a while as a new motherboard/components dont fit it/enough slots and start fresh.

It gets to be like 'trigger in only fools and horses' broom in the end doesnt it?

[1234dist]

is it the small form version or the full size desktop

i have about 50 of the small form.

[1234dist]

ps dell only have dell products. they suck like that.

[LondonMX]

SMALL FORM FACTOR COMPUTER

SMALL DESKTOP COMPUTER < Mines that one

SMALL MINI TOWER COMPUTER

[1234dist]

will have to check the warehouse but i think i still have one or two. Will check tomorrow

[*ASHY*]

there are crap loads of used hard drives on ebay. also i would download spinrite and see if it can repair your drive. i've used it to fix numerous bad drives.

[radddogg]

there are crap loads of used hard drives on ebay. also i would download spinrite and see if it can repair your drive. i've used it to fix numerous bad drives.

I've got a 1TB hitachi drive that stopped working when I kicked my tower. I just get a clicking noise from it. Would spinrite be able to do anything with it? Or is there any way to recover this disk?

[1234dist]

Sound like your read arm has got stuck.

Freeze it for about 6hrs when you come out shake it side on, sometimes works long enough to get your data off but will never be a stable drive again.

[*ASHY*]

there are crap loads of used hard drives on ebay. also i would download spinrite and see if it can repair your drive. i've used it to fix numerous bad drives.

I've got a 1TB hitachi drive that stopped working when I kicked my tower. I just get a clicking noise from it. Would spinrite be able to do anything with it? Or is there any way to recover this disk?

That might be the click of death not bad sectors. There are certain things I've seen that are possible to retrieve the data, but success can be limited. Worth a try with spinrite though to see what it can do as it doesn't need windows to access the drive.

This may help also: http://geekyprojects.com/storage/how-to ... ard-drive/

[Beaker]

its a Dell Optiplex GX270 (prob not the best computer in the world and in terms of replacing parts is a bit annoying)

The power supply is a 'Dell T0259' there are plenty used on ebay but NEW ones on ebay are only in USA and like £50 im hoping there is a more generic brand one that also fits is there? e.g. from maplin or on ebay or something? But to be honest the power supply and fan is working fine at the moment so prob dont need replacing.

The cpu fan was making a metallic whirring/scraping sound really loud but some sewing machine oil sorted it out (IM gonna get a new cpu fan they are cheap and easily available on ebay. (NMB BG0903-B047-VTL)

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Im guessing even someone that owns a high quality full size computer case with bespoke components still has to bin the case once in a while as a new motherboard/components dont fit it/enough slots and start fresh.

It gets to be like 'trigger in only fools and horses' broom in the end doesnt it?

Mate bin it! For the cost of sourcing Dell parts which fit it to repair, or upgrade it is going to be far cheaper for you to just purchase a budget desktop.

http://www.ebuyer.com/282531-zoostorm-v ... -7873-0280

[LondonMX]

Yeah im starting to see sense. Ive just got a soft spot for this computer. Its running okay at the moment. When the drive goes bust ill buy a new one for a tenner on ebay to replace it. I wont bother with replacing the power supply after all (it is working okay) and if the cpu fan gets noisy again its cheap enough to replace it. Its chucking good money for bad but Im doggedly/annoyingly determined to keep this one going as long as poss.

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Ironically i was surfing for the cheapest comp i could find last night for when this one does properly die and ended up on ebuyer. the one i thought about was something like (Cos ive had bad experiences with Celerons) -

http://www.ebuyer.com/251310-zoostorm-desktop-7873-1036

I could keep using my XP on it (or ubunti/linux mint) but upgrade to windows 7 at some point.


Does ebuyer give a good warranty? Is it for a year? If something is wrong on a arrival/within a year do they collect it for free or do you have to pay for collection etc. Anyone dealt with them?

I will ask everyones advice again when I need to buy this/a budget computer

Thanks for all your help.

[Beaker]

I have purchased items from Ebuyer over the years, there RMA system normally works. I sent a faulty graphics card back and got a replacement with no problems.

If XP came with the Dell desktop you won't be able to transfer it onto the desktop, nothing wrong with a Linux Distribution though. If you are thinking of installing Windows7 it is better to purchase a PC with the OS as it is cheaper than buying it seperately.

[LondonMX]

Oh yeah thats a thought my XP is OEM license!

If i do need to buy a new hard drive for this Dell computer ive got at the moment (and install fresh with the windows xp CD) will it ask for product key or anything on installation? (there is a sticker on the top of the computer)


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When the time comes ill buy the computer that you linked to above from ebuyer as the celeron one comes with Windows 7 for £230 and as im after maximum value for money it will be ideal really (the pentium sadly doesnt come with windows 7 I would have to buy it seperately)

Does MS Office 2000 run fine on windows 7?

I feel like ive asked my fill of advice for a while now *doffs cap*

Thanks.

[*ASHY*]

Oh yeah thats a thought my XP is OEM license!

If i do need to buy a new hard drive for this Dell computer ive got at the moment (and install fresh with the windows xp CD) will it ask for product key or anything on installation? (there is a sticker on the top of the computer)

I'd get myself another drive now and do a drive to drive image copy (plenty of software about for that) before you lose all your data. It'll save a crap load of messing later on and you can continue to use the other drive for storage and things you are prepared to lose if it kicks the bucket.

[big_g]

As someone mentioned dell psu i will say this just in case anybody else is reading

The wiring of s dell atx psu is non standard.. if you stick a standard atx psu in there its not going to work.. could even damage the motherboard!

[1234dist]

thanks for the reminder i have the power supply and its yours for £25 delivered taken from a gx270

[LondonMX]

Hi there. Im very grateful you locating a PSU for me, but im gonna be mega annoying and say thanks, but ive decided to not replace it. Im just gonna bung a new hard drive in.

When it finally dies ill get a cheap budget PC from ebuyer like the poster above advised.

Thanks for all your help...






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Seagate 'seatools' free drive management software (aside from the 32GB Limiting jumper option) actually has an option to limit the size of the hard disk to whatever size is required (hmm interesting), and also 'easeus partition master home edition' looks pretty good to.