Tech Support > Microsoft Windows > Hardware > 32gb Limit
32gb Limit
Posted by Dave on November 6th, 2005


Hi,
I just installed an 80GB HDD in a older computer but the Award BIOS will
only detect 32GB. The system is now running windows XP, which is working
fine. Is there a way around this 32GB limit?
Dave


Posted by Jerry on November 6th, 2005


You can either see if the motherboard manufacturer has updated the BIOS to
support larger hard drives or you can buy a PCI controller card that
supports larger drives.

"Dave" <me@home> wrote in message
news:eytAzUp4FHA.3000@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> I just installed an 80GB HDD in a older computer but the Award BIOS will
> only detect 32GB. The system is now running windows XP, which is working
> fine. Is there a way around this 32GB limit?
> Dave
>



Posted by NoNoBadDog! on November 6th, 2005



"Dave" <me@home> wrote in message
news:eytAzUp4FHA.3000@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> I just installed an 80GB HDD in a older computer but the Award BIOS will
> only detect 32GB. The system is now running windows XP, which is working
> fine. Is there a way around this 32GB limit?
> Dave
>


You need to format the drive as NTFS, not FAT. FAT volumes are limited to
32GB.

Bobby



Posted by Brian Gaff on November 6th, 2005


Hang on, that's not right, coos I have an 80gig fat 32 drive on this machine
I'm typing on, and its still got 75 gig free!

I do know there are limitations to file sizes though.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email: briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"NoNoBadDog!" <no_@spam_verizon.net> wrote in message
news:uMBqYup4FHA.2532@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>
> "Dave" <me@home> wrote in message
> news:eytAzUp4FHA.3000@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> Hi,
>> I just installed an 80GB HDD in a older computer but the Award BIOS will
>> only detect 32GB. The system is now running windows XP, which is working
>> fine. Is there a way around this 32GB limit?
>> Dave
>>

>
> You need to format the drive as NTFS, not FAT. FAT volumes are limited
> to 32GB.
>
> Bobby
>
>
>



Posted by Jim Macklin on November 6th, 2005


There are also software work-arounds, such as Maxtors
Max-Blast.



--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm



"Jerry" <NoSpamChiefZeke@MSN.com> wrote in message
news:OOzC3cp4FHA.1148@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
| You can either see if the motherboard manufacturer has
updated the BIOS to
| support larger hard drives or you can buy a PCI controller
card that
| supports larger drives.
|
| "Dave" <me@home> wrote in message
| news:eytAzUp4FHA.3000@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
| > Hi,
| > I just installed an 80GB HDD in a older computer but the
Award BIOS will
| > only detect 32GB. The system is now running windows XP,
which is working
| > fine. Is there a way around this 32GB limit?
| > Dave
| >
|
|


Posted by Bob Willard on November 6th, 2005


Brian Gaff wrote:

>Hang on, that's not right, coos I have an 80gig fat 32 drive on this machine
>I'm typing on, and its still got 75 gig free!
>
>I do know there are limitations to file sizes though.
>
>Brian
>
>
>

XP will only format a HD as FAT32 up to 32GB. But if a HD was formatted
with FAT32 using some other formatting utility (e.g., FDISK) which can
handle >32GB, then XP will use that pre-formatted FAT32 HD.

--
Cheers, Bob

Posted by Yves Leclerc on November 6th, 2005


FDISK is not a format utility! It creates a partition, that's all!

This would indicate that the drive was set up with a version of Windows,
other than XP. Microsoft has purposely place FAT32 limitions into XP.


"Bob Willard" <BobwBSGS@TrashThis.comcast.net> wrote in message
news:ehKZr0s4FHA.696@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Brian Gaff wrote:
>
>>Hang on, that's not right, coos I have an 80gig fat 32 drive on this
>>machine I'm typing on, and its still got 75 gig free!
>>
>>I do know there are limitations to file sizes though.
>>
>>Brian
>>
>>

> XP will only format a HD as FAT32 up to 32GB. But if a HD was formatted
> with FAT32 using some other formatting utility (e.g., FDISK) which can
> handle >32GB, then XP will use that pre-formatted FAT32 HD.
>
> --
> Cheers, Bob



Posted by Mistoffolees on November 6th, 2005



Jerry wrote:
> You can either see if the motherboard manufacturer has updated the BIOS to
> support larger hard drives or you can buy a PCI controller card that
> supports larger drives.
>
>


....or the other alternative of using multiple partitions
on the hard drive. One might not need nor possibly desire
to have large, single partitions. YMMV.

Posted by Bob Willard on November 7th, 2005


Yves Leclerc wrote:

>FDISK is not a format utility! It creates a partition, that's all!
>
>This would indicate that the drive was set up with a version of Windows,
>other than XP. Microsoft has purposely place FAT32 limitions into XP.
>
>
>"Bob Willard" <BobwBSGS@TrashThis.comcast.net> wrote in message
>news:ehKZr0s4FHA.696@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>
>
>>Brian Gaff wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Hang on, that's not right, coos I have an 80gig fat 32 drive on this
>>>machine I'm typing on, and its still got 75 gig free!
>>>
>>>I do know there are limitations to file sizes though.
>>>
>>>Brian
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>

>>XP will only format a HD as FAT32 up to 32GB. But if a HD was formatted
>>with FAT32 using some other formatting utility (e.g., FDISK) which can
>>handle >32GB, then XP will use that pre-formatted FAT32 HD.
>>
>>--
>>Cheers, Bob
>>
>>

>
>
>
>

Right. I should have said FORMAT.

--
Cheers, Bob


Similar Posts