Will a BIOS upgrade from A06 to A07 enable Large Drive Support?

Question

I also posted this as a reply to a thread asking about the advantages of upgrading the BIOS. I thought I'd post it as a new thread as well to broaden the possibility of more response.

Thanks for your help.

I'm not sure if this should be a new post or not. I did a search but did not find an answer to my BIOS question. I have a Dimension 4100 running Windows ME with the A06 BIOS. My question is: Will upgrading my BIOS from version A06 to a higher version (A07 or A08) provide me with Large Drive Support?

I read that enhancement number 9 to BIOS version A07 is " Added 48-bit LBA support
Desc: Added 48-bit LBA support for large IDE drives". I belive that this enhancement is what I need. However I do not see a Flash BIOS upgrade on the downloads page specific to a Dimension 4100 running WinME with BIOS A06. I'd like to know if I can do a flash BIOS upgrade to BIOS version A07 on my machine to get large drive support without encountering problems.

Can you help? - Also if a BIOS upgrade to version A07 WILL do the trick, can you provide me a link to the specific FlashBIOS download I need to run?

Majestic · Answer

None of the BIOS upgrades for the 4100 model offer large hard drive support for drives in excess of 137 gigs. I don't know which BIOS which you saw that in, but I suspect it wasn't for the 4100 model. Listed below is the BIOS history for the 4100 model starting with version A07 to the latest which is A11.

One way around the problem is to install a ATA Controller card. With a controller card, the card will manage the large hard drive so any system BIOS limitation is not a problem. Another way is to use the Intel Application Accelerator which is available for your model. According to other postings in the forums here, that program will offer "software" support of large hard drives even though the system BIOS has a limitation with the larger drive. That program can be downloaded at this link here.

DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
BIOS RELEASE NOTES
Copyright 1997 - 2001 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.

System:        Dimension 4100
Version:       A11
Release Date: 06/19/2002

1. Addressed Audigy sound card "High pitched squealing" problem.

DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
BIOS RELEASE NOTES
Copyright 1997 - 2001 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.

System:        Dimension 4100
Version:       A10
Release Date: 09/19/2001

1. It now only takes one key press or mouse click to resume from standby.
   Previous versions took two key presses or mouse clicks.

2. Windows XP SLP support added.

DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
BIOS RELEASE NOTES
Copyright 1997 - 2001 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.

System: Dimension 4100
Version: A08
Release Date: 03/30/2001

1. BIOS update code for Pentium III B stepping processors

DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
BIOS RELEASE NOTES
Copyright 1997 - 2001 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.

System: Dimension 4100
Version: A07
Release Date: 02/22/2001

1. Added support for Pentium III D0 stepping processors

Message Edited by Majestic on 04-15-2005 03:00 PM

ChippN · Answer

Hello Majestic! Your speed of response is amazing!!

I got the IAA download for my chipset - thanks again and now I of course have a few more questions before I proceed to install. First, I'll need to update my BIOS from A06 to A11 but:

1) When I did a search on the A11 FlashBIOS updates I came to the following page:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?releaseid=R45081&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19

On this page there are two downloads to choose from: 4100_A11.exe and B4100_11.exe. I assume that the firs one (4100_A11.exe) is the BIOS file I should download and use, is this correct?

2) On the Controller Card idea - can you recommend a good, inexpensive controller card?

3) Regardless if I choose to use either the Intel App Accelerator or a controller card, updating my BIOS is good to do, correct?

4) I like the fact that I can do both the BIOS upgrade and use the App Accelerator without the need to do a clean install of the hard drive. To your question about the BIOS recognizing my 160 Gb drive for it's full capacity it doesn't recognize the full capacity currently but I'm not sure how to completely answer this one because my new drive is a SeaGate and I used their Disk Wizard HDD installation utility to install it. When I did, the utility prompted me to restrict the drive size to 137Gb [I think because of the OS I was running (Win ME)], anyway I don't really know if my current BIOS would recognize the full capacity of the drive or not at this point. Based on what I've read about a machine of my vintage (Dim 4100), my BIOS version (A6) and my OS (WinME) should I assume that even if I hadn't run the Disk Wizard Install utility, that my machine would not have recognized the full capacity of my new drive, or is this a bad assumption?

Thanks again for your help

Majestic · Answer

Here are your answers in the order written....   1.  According the specs on your system the 4100 has the Intel 815E chipset which is supported by the Intel Application Accelerator.   Click here for the IAA download for your chipset.   2. None of the BIOS versions offered for the 4100 model have 48 bit LBA support.  The Intel Application Accelerator will reportedly work with the 4100 BIOS anyways.   I've never done it so the best I can say is give it a try.   Personally I am partial to using a controller card to correct BIOS limitations.   3.  If I were to use IAA then I would also make sure I was using the latest BIOS version.    4.  Both can be done without the need to do a clean install of the hard drive.  When you mentioned a 160 gig drive is that presently installed in the 4100 and does the BIOS recognize it for it's full capacity?

ChippN · Answer

Hello Majestic, Thanks for the fast response! This brings up a few more questions:

1 ) In reading through the info on the Intel Application Accelerator, the requirements state that this can only be used on PCs with specific Intel Chipsets and Controllers. How can I tell what Chipsets and Controllers my Dimension 4100 is currently using?

2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
************************************************************

1. The system must contain the following Intel products:

* Intel(R) Pentium(R) III or Pentium(R) 4 processor
* Intel(R) 82801AA, 82801AB, 82801BA or 82801DB
controllers

2. The kit software should be installed on systems with at
least the minimum system memory required by the
operating system.

3. Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition(SE),
Windows Millennium Edition(Me), Windows NT 4.0,
Windows 2000, or Windows XP.

4. Installation of the Intel(R) Chipset Software
Installation Utility prior to loading the Intel(R)
Application Accelerator.

I have the items in blue in my system.

2) On the Intel site it says:

Windows Me, Windows 98SE, and Windows 98 Users
If your BIOS does not currently support 48-bit LBA, you will need to try to obtain an updated BIOS from your motherboard or system manufacturer. An MS-DOS-based 48-bit LBA test program is available that can tell you if your BIOS is currently 48-bit LBA capable or if it needs to be updated.

I am using Win ME. I downloaded and ran the LBA test program and it returned a message saying that it determined that my current BIOS version (A06) was not 48-bit LBA capable.

Does this mean I must first do a flashBIOS upgrade to the latest BIOS version (A11) and will this BIOS upgrade address the 48 bit LBA support issue required by Intel to sucessfully install and run their App Accelerator?

3) If I upgrade my BIOS to version A11, will this upgrade adversely affect anything?

4) If I must do both the Flash BIOS upgrade and install the Intel App Accelerator, can I do both without wiping my 160 Gb HDD clean and reinstalling the OS and all my apps?

Thanks for all your help.

Majestic · Answer

My answers in the same order....   1.  Use the BIOS version that starts with the letter B.  This version is the easiest to use as it will create it's own bootable BIOS upgrade floppy disk.  Once the floppy is created just leave it in the drive and reboot the machine.  The BIOS upgrade program will automatically load and prompt you into updating the BIOS. The other version will require you to have a DOS boot disk and then manually run the BIOS upgrade program from the command prompt.  Stick with the B version it's easier.   2.  Promise cards are probably the most reliable and least trouble-some for a Dell system.  The card will cost around $30.  Although you won't see any performance benefit in using a card versus your motherboard IDE controller, the card does offer the advantage of giving you the possibility of installing an additional 4 more IDE drives.  In my XPS T system I use a card to connect 3 hard drives and along with 2 CD drives on the motherboard controller.   3.  Unless you're planning to upgrade the processor or eventually upgrade to Windows XP a BIOS upgrade really isn't necessary if you're not using IAA.  There is nothing in those later BIOS versions that has anything to offer your present system and if your current BIOS version is working good then why upgrade since there is always a slight element of risk in doing so.  If you plan on using IAA then I would upgrade the BIOS just to be sure the Accelerator program is working with the latest BIOS.   4.  It's sounds like the Wizard detected a BIOS limitation or a limitation of the operating system.  I'm not a Windows ME user so I don't know if that OS supports partitions over a 137 gigs in size.  I suspect though that the Wizard left about 23 gigs of unallocated space on the drive which you should be able to partition and format for use.

Majestic · Answer

'Since our last e-mail exchange I have sucessfully updated my BIOS and found that even the newest BIOS version does not support 48LBA.............'   I had mentioned this fact several times.  I only suggested upgrading the BIOS to insure IAA was working with the latest version even though the BIOS didn't offer 48 LBA support.   'Unfortunately, per a tech at 'ACARD technology' I was also told that since my BIOS won't support 48LBA, the use of ANY PCI ATA adapter card to achieve large drive support would not be possible.  I was told that if I tried to use such a card, upon installation, my PC would cease to boot.'   This is the first I ever heard of this.  If you want a second opinion then try posting in the  Dimension - Hard Drive forum.      'If this is a risk, is there any problem with me simply leaving the system as is and using just the 137 Gb of the 160 Gb I can see?'   None that I see.  You will just have some unused space left on the drive.   'Will the Scandisk or Defrag utilities cause me problems if I run them on my new drive as it exists now in my PC?'   Those two utilities will work the same as they did before.  As far as they are concerned they are just looking at a 137 gig partition.

ChippN · Answer

Hello again Majestic,

Since our last e-mail exchange I have sucessfully updated my BIOS and found that even the newest BIOS version does not support 48LBA. I verified this by using an Intel test program (48lbachk.exe) to be run before trying to install the Intel Chipset Software Utility and ultimately the Intel Application Accelerator Utility, supposedly able to provide large drive support.

The short story is that due to the fact that my system did not contain the appropriate removable PCI device driver under 'PCI Bus' in my system device manager and the most updated BIOS version won't support 48LBA, I was told I cannot sucessfully install & use the Intel software solution.

Unfortunately, per a tech at "ACARD technology" I was also told that since my BIOS won't support 48LBA, the use of ANY PCI ATA adapter card to achieve large drive support would not be possible. I was told that if I tried to use such a card, upon installation, my PC would cease to boot.

I thought that with the use of an adapter card, the BIOS limitation would not be an issue, but now I'm confused. The cards I looked at were the "ACARD Technology model AEC-6280" and the "Promise Technology Ultra133 TX2". Per your suggestion that a card would enable me to gain the use of all 160 Gb of my new HDD, can you address the possible non-boot issue? I don't want to buy a card and find that with it installed I can't use my PC.

Should I simply buy and try a card or, do I risk the possibility of having to wipe my HDD and reinstall my OS and all my applications If I find I really can't boot my system with the card installed?

If this is a risk, is there any problem with me simply leaving the system as is and using just the 137 Gb of the 160 Gb I can see? Will the Scandisk or Defrag utilities cause me problems if I run them on my new drive as it exists now in my PC?

Thanks again for all of your help.

ChippN

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Will a BIOS upgrade from A06 to A07 enable Large Drive Support?

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