Hi, I just bought a Western Digital 40GB hard drive. When I tried to install it, BIOS wouldn't even recognize that a drive was connected. I went to the Western Digital website and they said that you could use the alternate jumper method if your BIOS won't see the hard drive. After I did that it would recognize that the hard drive was connected but it showed up as a 32GB drive within BIOS. After that I tried to create a partition so I could install Windows but then the problem was that it would only allow me to create one 8GB partition. I tried to change the size but it would default back to 8GB. Now I'm guessing that it is the BIOS but I can't find a BIOS upgrade. Could someone help me out? Here is all of my computer info: Motherboard ID: 04/14/1999-SiS-620-2A6IN009C-00 Motherboard Name: Lucky Star Andromeda 6MS620T/Leo 6S620 Motherboard chipset: SiS 620 Chipset Bus Properties Bus Type: SiS MuTIOL BIOS Type: Award Modular Award BIOS Type: Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG Award BIOS Message: IN90-S-2 for 6MS620T Ver:1.0 04/14/99 System BIOS Date: 04/14/99 BIOS Manufacturer Company Name: Phoenix Technologies Ltd. Thanks, JMAC

You need to use at least a Win98 or higher bootdisk, and when you start FDISK, answer YES to hard disk support. THis will allow you to create bigger partitions. If that doesn't work, download the disk utility from Western Digital, which will setup and configure the HDD for you. Krystyna

Yes, Krystyna. JMAC, your BIOS may not auto detect it correctly. But can you set a 'user defined' type? If so, keep in mind that you can define a total capacity EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN the actual size. M2

That particular, singular, BIOS has a 32GB limit and I have not found a workaround for it either. I have not tried installing a larger than 32GB hard drive but I am suspecting you are getting the difference between the limit and the size of the drive only. 40-32=8. I did purchase a 40GB Maxtor for the machine once and the Maxtor documentation specified that their overlay would not work on that particular BIOS (the same one I have) and Award never produced an upgrade for that BIOS. Award did produce a newer BIOS in June of 99 that addressed that issue but not as an upgrade to the one you and I have. I recently purchased a 30GB hard drive at CompUSA for the same price as an 80GB drive. So, they can still be found for purchase. I got two, just in case. Sorry, Bryan

If all other avenues suggested don't work... install a Promise (or similar) hardrive controller card. It will give you a current bios and thus will run any current drives etc... Will/should resolve it all for you (and can easily be used in any other system in the future...) Cost around $35/£30 or so? They come in PCI format and ISA versions are still probably around too. Very easy to install etc. Avoids the need for any add-in software.

Bryan & trvlr, Yeah, Promise makes some pretty spiffy controllers. Better way out than paying 80GB price for a 30GB drive. M2