Maximum HD Size for 700XL?

I have a circa-2002 GW 700XL, with an almost full 120gb NTFS primary hard
drive (primarily digital photographs and related files). I will need to
replace it in the near future, and want to know if there are any motherboard
or BIOS limitations in the size of the hard drive I can install. Here are
the specs (as seen by Belarc Advisor):

Gateway E-6000
Board: Intel Corporation D850MV AAA57887-302
Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
BIOS: Intel Corp. MV85010A.15A.0075.P13.0209191141 09/19/2002
2233 megahertz Intel Pentium 4
8 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache
Intel(r) 82801BA Bus Master IDE Controller
Primary IDE Channel [Controller]
Secondary IDE Channel [Controller]
1024 Megabytes Installed Memory

I'm looking at 300gb drives most likely, which are surprisingly inexpensive,
but want to make sure my computer will be able to 'see' and utillize the
drive's full capacity.

Any information/experience here appreciated.

--
Don
Photo Website at:
http://www.dlcphotography.net

[Remove the "lens cap" for email]

You might want to get an external hard disk that connects via a USB port.
These are also fairly cheap. You can off load some of you current hard drive
files. You van also use it as a back up.
Tom
"Don Cohen" wrote in message
...
I have a circa-2002 GW 700XL, with an almost full 120gb NTFS primary hard
drive (primarily digital photographs and related files). I will need to
replace it in the near future, and want to know if there are any
motherboard or BIOS limitations in the size of the hard drive I can
install. Here are the specs (as seen by Belarc Advisor):

Gateway E-6000
Board: Intel Corporation D850MV AAA57887-302
Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
BIOS: Intel Corp. MV85010A.15A.0075.P13.0209191141 09/19/2002
2233 megahertz Intel Pentium 4
8 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache
Intel(r) 82801BA Bus Master IDE Controller
Primary IDE Channel [Controller]
Secondary IDE Channel [Controller]
1024 Megabytes Installed Memory

I'm looking at 300gb drives most likely, which are surprisingly
inexpensive, but want to make sure my computer will be able to 'see' and
utillize the drive's full capacity.

Any information/experience here appreciated.

--
Don
Photo Website at:
http://www.dlcphotography.net

[Remove the "lens cap" for email]

Don Cohen presented the following explanation :
I have a circa-2002 GW 700XL, with an almost full 120gb NTFS primary hard
drive (primarily digital photographs and related files). I will need to
replace it in the near future, and want to know if there are any motherboard
or BIOS limitations in the size of the hard drive I can install. Here are
the specs (as seen by Belarc Advisor):

Gateway E-6000
Board: Intel Corporation D850MV AAA57887-302
Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
BIOS: Intel Corp. MV85010A.15A.0075.P13.0209191141 09/19/2002
2233 megahertz Intel Pentium 4
8 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache
Intel(r) 82801BA Bus Master IDE Controller
Primary IDE Channel [Controller]
Secondary IDE Channel [Controller]
1024 Megabytes Installed Memory

I'm looking at 300gb drives most likely, which are surprisingly inexpensive,
but want to make sure my computer will be able to 'see' and utillize the
drive's full capacity.

Any information/experience here appreciated.

Most hard drives (retail package) come with software on a CD that will
overcome Windows 95 and up hard drive size limitations...

XP and win2k, win2003 with the MS upgrades will recognize large hard
drives. Sometimes the motherboard if it is older, will need a bios
update if you do not want to use the hard drive manufactures overlay.

The software to eliminate drive size limitation should be downloadable
from the manufactures website, or should be on the CD included with the
retail version...

JR

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the reply.

You might want to get an external hard disk that connects via a USB port.
These are also fairly cheap. You can off load some of you current hard
drive files. You van also use it as a back up.

I already use 2 120GB External HD's (Firewire in my case) for back-up - one
I keep at home, the other at a different physical location. So this
unfortunately won't solve my problem.

Best,

--
Don
Nature, Wildlife & Landscape Photography
http://www.dlcphoto.com

Hello Postman,

Thanks for the reply.

Most hard drives (retail package) come with software on a CD that will
overcome Windows 95 and up hard drive size limitations...

XP and win2k, win2003 with the MS upgrades will recognize large hard
drives. Sometimes the motherboard if it is older, will need a bios update
if you do not want to use the hard drive manufactures overlay.

The software to eliminate drive size limitation should be downloadable
from the manufactures website, or should be on the CD included with the
retail version...

I understand this, and in fact is the reason I'm posting. I'm trying to
find out what the specific limitations of my current motherboard and BIOS
might be, to determine if I need to pursue either of these options. If my
current system will have no problem with 300GB or higher HD's, then I am
free to buy somewhat less expensive OEM HD's, not have to worry about BIOS
upgrades, etc.

Do you (or anybody) have specific information on any possible limitations on
my current MB/BIOS?

Thanks.

--
Don
Nature, Wildlife & Landscape Photography
http://www.dlcphoto.com

Unfortunately, even the very good Intel specs for this motherboard do not
explain BIOS limitations on hard drive capacity.

***AVOID*** any manufatcurer's hard drive overlay software. Why? Complicates
upgrades and data recovery in the even of any partial hard drive failure.

Windows XP SP2 eliminates any software barriers to hard drive capacity.

.... Ben Myers

On Tue, 03 Oct 2006 11:54:04 GMT, "Don Cohen"
wrote:

Hello Postman,

Thanks for the reply.

Most hard drives (retail package) come with software on a CD that will
overcome Windows 95 and up hard drive size limitations...

XP and win2k, win2003 with the MS upgrades will recognize large hard
drives. Sometimes the motherboard if it is older, will need a bios update
if you do not want to use the hard drive manufactures overlay.

The software to eliminate drive size limitation should be downloadable
from the manufactures website, or should be on the CD included with the
retail version...

I understand this, and in fact is the reason I'm posting. I'm trying to
find out what the specific limitations of my current motherboard and BIOS
might be, to determine if I need to pursue either of these options. If my
current system will have no problem with 300GB or higher HD's, then I am
free to buy somewhat less expensive OEM HD's, not have to worry about BIOS
upgrades, etc.

Do you (or anybody) have specific information on any possible limitations on
my current MB/BIOS?

Thanks.

Ben Myers wrote:
Unfortunately, even the very good Intel specs for this motherboard do
not explain BIOS limitations on hard drive capacity.

***AVOID*** any manufatcurer's hard drive overlay software. Why?
Complicates upgrades and data recovery in the even of any partial
hard drive failure.

Windows XP SP2 eliminates any software barriers to hard drive
capacity.

... Ben Myers

Windows SP3 (current SP for Windows 2000 is SP4) also eliminates any
software barriers to hard drive capacity.

I too dislike using hard drive overlay software as well. But if I had a
choice of living with a small HD without an overlay or a large hard
drive with an overlay, I'd still take the latter.

--
Bill

Hi Ben,

Unfortunately, even the very good Intel specs for this motherboard do not
explain BIOS limitations on hard drive capacity.

So bottom line is that I'll just have to gamble and hope that I'll be able
to see/use the full 300GB?

***AVOID*** any manufatcurer's hard drive overlay software. Why?
Complicates
upgrades and data recovery in the even of any partial hard drive failure.

Agreed.

Windows XP SP2 eliminates any software barriers to hard drive capacity.

Leaving only the potential MB/BIOS limitations, which as you suggest above,
can't be accurately predicted?

Thanks.

--
Don
Nature, Wildlife & Landscape Photography
http://www.dlcphoto.com

"Don Cohen" wrote in message

Windows XP SP2 eliminates any software barriers to hard drive
capacity.

Leaving only the potential MB/BIOS limitations, which as you suggest
above, can't be accurately predicted?

I'm not positive Don, but I do believe XP SP2 and Windows 2000 SP3/4
doesn't care what the BIOS limitation is.

--
Bill

Windows XP SP2 eliminates any software barriers to hard drive
capacity.

Leaving only the potential MB/BIOS limitations, which as you suggest
above, can't be accurately predicted?

I'm not positive Don, but I do believe XP SP2 and Windows 2000 SP3/4
doesn't care what the BIOS limitation is.

Thanks, Bill. I hope you're right - it would make things a lot simpler.
I'll probably test it out in the next month or two.

Appreciate the help and replies from all.

--
Don
Nature, Wildlife & Landscape Photography
http://www.dlcphoto.com