I have just installed a large IDE hard drive, but after jumpering it the BIOS detects it as having only 2.1GB of capacity. Do I need a BIOS update to use the full capacity of the drive?
Computer Doctor: It may be necessary, but first you should make sure that you have used the correct information for setting the jumpers. Many drive makers supply two sets of instructions: one set of jumper settings is used for systems whose BIOSes can use the drive’s full capacity, and a second set of settings that may be referred to as “spare” or “alternate” or “reduced capacity”. These settings reduce the reported size of the drive to 2.1GB to allow older systems to use the drive, but you must use a program like EZ-BIOS or Disk Manager to access the full capacity of the drive in these cases; I recommend a BIOS upgrade or BIOS helper card instead. Make sure you are using the normal jumper settings, and if you are unable to use them successfully (the computer still won’t recognize the full capacity or locks up when it tries to access the drive), get a BIOS upgrade or a BIOS helper card instead.
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