Set Drive Size is a utility that is intended to be used as the first step of a
solution to a BIOS limitation found on some computers. A BIOS that exhibits
this limitation will lock up during POST when a drive with a capacity over a
certain size (e.g., 33GB) is connected to the system. To get through POST
without locking up, use this utility to instruct the drive to report a Total
Sectors value that is smaller than the limitation of the BIOS.
The second step of this solution is to run Disk Manager to install the drive.
Disk Manager will recognize that the drive's true capacity is bigger than the
drive is reporting and will install a Dynamic Drive Overlay on the drive. The
Dynamic Drive Overlay will support the drive to it's true size.
Because the system locks up when booting with the large drive connected to the
computer, using the Set Drive Size utility on the drive is somewhat paradoxical.
In order to get your system to a state that allows you to utilize Set Drive
Size, there are a few possible approaches:
The best approach is to temporarily connect the drive that causes the BIOS lock
up to a computer that does not exhibit this limitation. Then run Disk Manager,
select this Utility option, and use the suggested Total Sectors Setting. Once
Set Drive Size is successfully used, power down the system, remove the drive,
and return it to the computer with the BIOS limitation. Boot the computer to the
Disk Manager diskette and install the drive. You should not have to use the
second computer again.
Another approach that may work involves 4 steps:
1. Enter CMOS on the machine with the limitation. Select "None" for the
drive in question. This setting will prevent the computer from hanging
during POST at the expense of the BIOS not supporting the drive.
2. Reboot and run Disk Manager. Disk Manager may take a minute or two to
initialize with CMOS set this way (please be patient). Select the
"Set Drive Size" utility for the drive in question and use the suggested
setting.
3. Reboot and enter CMOS again. Select "Auto" for the drive that was set
to "None" in step one.
4. Reboot again and run Disk Manager to install the drive. You should not
have to repeat these steps again.
If your CMOS does not allow you to use the suggested settings, then you will
need to either use the first approach or experiment with different
User-definable CMOS settings until you are able to boot the computer without
locking up.
If your computer continues to lock up during POST, you may have a machine with
a BIOS limitation at a capacity less than 33GB. The smallest BIOS limitation
that will cause your machine to lock up due to drive size is at 2.1GB, which
corresponds to 4128768 Total Sectors. Try using this value when you use the
Set Drive Size utility.
Note: If your hard drive has a jumper to limit the size of the drive,
do NOT use the jumper when utilizing this solution. Using Set Drive Size
with the jumper installed will have no effect on the drive when the jumper
is removed.