From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Apr 27 20:51:54 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9DFAD37B401 for ; Sun, 27 Apr 2003 20:51:54 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mail.clubplus.net (mail.clubplus.net [216.191.22.200]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4B97943F85 for ; Sun, 27 Apr 2003 20:51:53 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from ripper@eskimo.com) Received: from skytrackercanada.com (cust29.209.188.66.dsl.accessv.com [209.188.66.29]) by mail.clubplus.net (8.12.7/8.12.7) with ESMTP id h3S3sqFt026015 for ; Sun, 27 Apr 2003 23:54:55 -0400 Received: (from root@localhost) by skytrackercanada.com (8.12.6/8.12.6) id h3S3pj6e069126 for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Sun, 27 Apr 2003 23:51:45 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from ripper@eskimo.com) Received: from skytrackercanada.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by skytrackercanada.com (8.12.6/8.12.6) with ESMTP id h3S3piSf069096; Sun, 27 Apr 2003 23:51:44 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from david@skytrackercanada.com) Received: (from david@localhost) by skytrackercanada.com (8.12.6/8.12.6/Submit) id h3S3piUN069095; Sun, 27 Apr 2003 23:51:44 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from david) Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2003 23:51:44 -0400 From: David Banning To: Ross Lippert Message-ID: <20030427235144.A69058@skytrackercanada.com> References: <20030427145221.A15019@eskimo.eskimo.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i In-Reply-To: <20030427145221.A15019@eskimo.eskimo.com>; from ripper@eskimo.com on Sun, Apr 27, 2003 at 02:52:21PM -0700 X-scanner: scanned by Inflex 0.1.5c - (http://www.inflex.co.za/) X-RAVMilter-Version: 8.4.2(snapshot 20021217) (mail) cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: new hard drive, new problems, possibly related to 16383 cylinder spec X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2003 03:51:54 -0000 On Sun, Apr 27, 2003 at 02:52:21PM -0700, Ross Lippert wrote: > Hi, > > We installed a new harddrive over here. The first sign something was screwy > was when the FBSD (4.8) installed said "this drive has 74123 [some number > about there] cylinders and that is impossible! Please specify the geometry > manually" (well I didn't write the message down, so that's more of a > paraphrase ofit). > > After reading up on the fact that larger than 8GB drives (the new one is > 40GB) will report 16383x16x63 as the geometry, it seemed to me like this drive > was slightly violating this spec and reporting its true cylinder count. So > we manually set the geom to 16383x16x63 and proceeded merrily along. I don't know anything about your machine, but I know I've had some older pentium 100's and pentium 300's which have the 8 meg barrier. The only way, as far as I know to overcome it, is to replace the bios. In my case, considering the cost of the bios, I just bought a new machine.