Toshiba M30 and 130 GB HDD limit

I bought WD2500BEVE hdd for my Toshiba M30 (PSM30C-0RUU9) as suggested in the thread : http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=217672

However my BIOS sees it as 130 GB HDD. I already have the latest version of BIOS and therefore the update is not an option.
Could someone reply if there is some workaround this problem, maybe with some application from western digital.Please, I need the solution urgently.
Thanks
prlecanada

 

Have you tried to install Windows? Does Windows recognize it as 130GB or simply it's true capacity

 

Yes. I tried. It is currently installed: windows XP SP 2 Professional.
I called Western Digital and got response that once Win XPSp2 is installed, I would see in Disk Management an unalloted space of 120 GB. However, I can only see 130 GB of drive C and nothing else.
Please advise if any WD program or any other appz is able to solve this problem.
Please posr replies urgently,
Thanks.
prlecanada

 

I can't claim to be an expert on this but if your BIOS only sees 130GB's then that is going to restrict what Windows sees and no amount of work arounds are going to have an affect. You need to get BIOS to recognize. I know you said you have the latest. You should contact Toshiba. I have never heard of this with this kind of problem but, bad Bios flash? Anyway I am just guessing call Toshiba.

 

Have you tried going into Control Panel>Administrative Tools> Storage>DiskManagement ?


Personally I don't think it's the BIOS, it's recognizing the drive properly and it works.
Which version of Windows are you running? Because older than SP1, your going to have volume size problems due to the 48 bit LBA being unsupported in those older Operating systems.

 

i am running windows xp sp2 professional.
my bios sees it as 130 gb hdd,although with proper name wd2500beve...
i don't know if this is the maximum for this version/laptop. bios version is 1.7.
anyone has any clue how to overcome this problem?
i tried WD data life guard tools without any result.
please help

 

There shouldn't be any unallocated space on the drive if you've already formated and installed. Create a partition/format the unallocated space and see if you can see that in Windows? I suspect that just 130GB got formated as a partition and leaving 120GB unallocated. 130GB + 120GB = 250GB..
Take a screenshot of your Disk Management screen (ALT-Printscreen then paste into Paint) then post the screenshot here using Imageshack.us.

 

I know on older computers, their bios restricts one to 137Gb. On larger hard drives you have to make multiple partitions. Therefor local disk C = 125GB, and local disk D = 125Gb.

You do not have much of an option, other than to partition the drive.

K-TRON

 

D3X: I have uploaded the image here: http://img248.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dskmgmntyu8.jpg

I think you misunderstood me:
1. I said that WDC staff told me that I would see unallocated space
BUT in fact I did not.

If I had seen it, I would have formatted it.

As for the K-TRON suggestion: does that mean that I need to reformat C artition to 120 GB and hope to see other 130 GB in Windows. The BIOS sees only 130 GB of this drive.
Suggestions, please.

Anyone with same laptop and similar issues?

 

If all else fails, try reading up on this site.

http://www.48bitlba.com/

Particularly, use the " EnableBigLba Tool"

 

I've also read something about the Intel Application Accelerator enabling 48bit LBA on 8XX chipsets. I believe the M30 is the 855PM/GM chipset?

 

I might be wrong but if BIOS does not recognize how do you think Windows will? Or have we moved beyond?

 

Not sure. Just trying the process of elimination, looks like it is a BIOS issue though. As plecanada isn't the only one with this problem.

http://msmvps.com/blogs/netman66/archive/2006/11.aspx

 

EnableBiqLba test:
Passed !
Microsoft Windows XP Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2

Any advices now? Can anything be done through Intel website of not?
If yes, how do I determine the chipset that is inside my M30.
The model of M30 is: PSM30C-0RUU9
The support page with drivers is:
http://support.toshiba.ca/support/d...book&model=Satellite M30&partnum=PSM30C-0RUU9

PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

Anyone with any solution?
pleaseeee

 

If you install the older harddrive, you can run a diagnostic test. Download a copy of CPU-Z from CPUID's website. Run the program, and in the motherbaord tab it will tell you what chipset your system uses.

K-TRON

 

I manage to have D partition as 119 GB now. It was with help of Data Life Guard for DOS.
However, that partition cannot be formatted, no matter what I try.
As for the chipset, my schipset is Intel i855PM Rev. B1
Southbridge Intel 82801 DB (ICH4-M)

Any clues what to try and fool that D partition to be able to properly format it?

 

What have you tried? Have you used the Windows Disk Management to try and format?

You should also try third party apps like Paragon Partition Manager/Disk Manager

 

Yes, I tried both options. And both programs could not format it: neither from disk management nor with partition magic. The formatting starts and then stops at about halfway and issues "there is an error...the drive could not be formatted.
Image from disk management: http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=diskmanagementmr2.jpg

image from partition magic:
http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pm8wa8.jpg

If this thing does not succeed, would it harm the HDD if I just reformat it and use the visible 137GB and not the rest?

Please advise on possible solutions
Thanks.
prlecanada

 

Your getting pretty close!! I can't see why this won't work. Try deleting the partition with Partition Magic and creating it with the software rather than using DOS. Perhaps there was something wrong with the partition table. Rather than using Extended Partition, try just creating a Primary Partition instead.

 

I would not be that optimistic. Simply because WD DLG Tools created a "XYZ type format" so that no other software can work with that partition and every single of them failed to properly format it.
I think I am going back to the start: fresh format so that 137 GB will be visible.... This is obviously limitation that Toshiba is not willing to admit or they pretend that it is not known to them,which I doubt.
As for creating primary: do you mean to have the entire 250 GB as a single partition? I doubt that would function.
Please, could you guys confirm if the HDD won't be damaged/harmed by just leaving out the invisible part and working with what's visible, in this case approx. 137 GB . All efforts and future info will be greatly appreciated.
prlecanada.

 

Make the visible 137GB the primary partition. The invisible, unused space will cause no problems.

Have a look through the list of WD FAQs relating to 137GB.

It would also be interesting to know if you could see and configure the extra space if you put the HDD into a USB enclosure (you might need to connect to a newer computer) and then see if the M30 will recognise the new partition.

John

 

Did this problem ever get solved. I have EXACTLY the same hardware and EXACTLY the same problem.