Inspiron 6000 harddrive EIDE or SATA?

Question

Hi my hddrive crashed. Need a new one. Went to bestbuy and was thoroughly confused as to which one I need EIDE or SATA? Also, I saw some posts regarding that Dell bios only sees 137gb and nothing more, how can I overcome it with a new install?

ejn63 · Answer

The 6000 uses the older EIDE (Parallel ATA) interface, not the newer SATA interface.  There is no BIOS for the system that will see more than 137 G of the drive.

punjabiduke · Answer

Thanks for the replly enj63. Does that mean I should not buy a 250gb EIDE that I had in mind? I should't buy anything more than 137 Gb EIDE?

ejn63 · Answer

I would not exceed the BIOS capacity of the hard drive, no.  Doing so may work, or may produce unpredictable (unreliable) results.

007dabomb · Answer

1. hmm.. considering small size harddrive are hard to find, if I buy the 160gb drive, what are the steps to make it work on my system with BIOS limiting to 137gb?

2. can I use ATA drive or Ultra ATA, or only EIDE?

3. is it possible to use and external drive like my WDHarddrive as the main laptop drive?

Thanks

speedstep · Answer

There are no issues with 48 bit LBA on the Inspiron 6000.

The only issue is the Registry setting and the Service Pack Requirement for WIN2000, XP

Windows XP service Pack3 does not need the registry change for 48 bit LBA.

You can use

The following are Windows based partition utilities:

Seagate DiscWizard 2003/2002 and later.
Power Quest Partition Magic
Acronis Partition Expert

To enable EnableBigLba in the Windows registry, perform the following steps:

Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe). In Windows, click on Start->Run, enter "regedit".
Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Parameters registry subkey.
From the Edit menu, select New, DWORD Value.
Enter the name EnableBigLba, then press Enter.
Double-click the new value, set it to 1, then click OK.
Close the registry editor.
Restart the machine for the change to take effect.

Use EnableBigLba tool to test and set EnableBigLba in the Windows registry without
having to do it manually with the regedit tool.

http://www.48bitlba.com/enablebiglbatool.htm

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0307366

WD3200BEVERTL

Interface PATA (IDE)
Capacity 320GB
RPM 5,400 RPM
Manufacturer Warranty 3 Year Limited Warranty

160 GB 5400 RPM Easy-Plug Easy-Go Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive for
Dell Inspiron 6000/ 9200/ 9300 / XPS M170 / XPS Gen2 Series Laptops

Overview
The 160 GB 5400 RPM Easy-Plug Easy-Go Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive from CMS Products
is an ideal storage solution for your Dell™ laptop. It offers a storage capacity
of up to 160 GB to store files, music, photos and data. Additionally, a spindle speed
of 5400 RPM with a buffer of 8 MB ensures fast disk access. It delivers data transfer
rates of up to 100 MBps using Ultra DMA Mode 5. Featuring an average seek time of 11 ms,
it offers excellent performance. This laptop hard drive is designed for
the Dell™ Inspiron™ 6000/9200/9300 laptops.

Manufacturer Part# : D9200-160
Dell Part# : A0939958

ejn63 · Answer

1. It is still VERY easy to find 120G and smaller EIDE drives:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148130

If you do use a larger drive, KEEP BACKUPS because recovering data from a failed drive without BIOS support will be very difficult.

2. EIDE/ATA/UltraATA/PATA/ATA-6 and lower are synonymous. What you cannot use is SATA/ATA-7/Ultra ATA-7/SATA150/SATA3G.

3. No.

ejn63 · Answer

I make the claim based on having used or supported users who tried drives over 120G in size. NONE of the BIOS revisons for the Inspiron 6000 support larger drives - if you install a 160 or 250 G drive in one, the BIOS WILL READ 137 G.

I don't care what specs you quote - they're not real-world - the real world says: this system DOES NOT have BIOS level LBA48 support.

speedstep · Answer

Sorry, but this is false- there IS an issue -- the 6000 DOES NOT support LBA 48-bit. Have you ever used one?

1. Not sure what basis you make that claim. WIN2000 and XP Service Pack2 Does require A registry change already noted.

The following conditions are necessary for the correct functioning of 48-bit LBA ATAPI support:

A computer with a 48-bit LBA-compatible Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) installed. (Inspiron 6000 has this)
A computer with a hard disk that has a capacity of greater than 137 gigabytes (GB).
You must enable the support in the Windows registry by adding or changing the EnableBigLba registry value to 1 in the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\atapi\Parameters

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303013

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305098

2. Yes I have one and it works fine.

3. Note the 160 Gig Drive FROM DELL that specifically designed to work with Inspiron 6000.

Systems: Dell Inspiron 6000 Series
Version: A09
Build Date: 09/28/2005

Intel 915GM Graphics Video BIOS version 1219
ATI Mobility Radeon X300 Video BIOS version 8.17M.192.068

Enhancements:
=============

1. Added support for Absolute Computrace Security Solution Feature.
2. Added support for Battery Health Meter(BHM) in System Setup.
3. Optimize the battery charging algorithm.
4. Added a field in System Setup for HDD Acoustic Mode.

The BIOS release has been validated on the following operating system:
1. Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
2. Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition Service Pack 2

Dell Inc.
Copyright (C) 2005, All Rights reserved.
www.dell.com


BIOS Release Notes

===================================================================
===================================================================

Systems:      Dell Inspiron 6000 Series
Version:      A07
Build Date:   06/27/2005


Intel 915GM Graphics Video BIOS version 1219
ATI Mobility Radeon X300 Video BIOS version 8.17M.192.067


Fixes:
======

1.  Fixed issue seen on systems with the Intel 915GM Graphics in which
    the TV display mode may switch from PAL-B to NTSC after resuming
    from Standby or Hibernate.

2.  Fixed issue in which some CD-ROM/DVD/CD-RW drives may fail to be
    recognized by the system.

Enhancements:
=============

1.  Updated the ATI video BIOS to version 8.017M.192.067.


===================================================================
===================================================================

Systems:      Dell Inspiron 6000 Series
Version:      A06
Build Date:   05/03/2005


Intel 915GM Graphics Video BIOS version 1219
ATI Mobility Radeon X300 Video BIOS version 8.017.192.060


Fixes:
======

1.  Fixed intermittent problem where, after the user creates a hard disk
    password with an Admin password already installed, the Admin password
    will not unlock the hard disk on subsequent boots. The Admin password
    should unlock the hard disk password in this situation.

2.  Fixed issue in which Windows intermittently reports an "unexpected error"
    when the BIOS flash program is launched, which prevents the BIOS
    update from occurring.

3.  Fixed issue in which the system hangs if a program invokes INT 19h
    after the system has booted.

4.  Update help text for the USB Wake from Standby field in System Setup
    to explain that USB wake feature is only supported under Windows XP
    Media Center Edition.

5.  Fixed problem where a USB device, such as a storage drive, may stop
    responding if the system is booted to DOS and the USB device is
    repeatedly removed and reinserted.

6.  Fixed issue in which the Operating System may intermittently configure
    the optical disk drive (such as a CD-ROM drive) to operate in PIO mode
    rather than UDMA mode.


Enhancements:
=============

1.  Updated the ATI video BIOS to version 8.017M.192.060.

2.  Updated the Intel video BIOS to version 1219.

3.  Updated SMBIOS table type 11h to include the memory module(s)
    manufacturer, serial number and speed.


The BIOS release has been validated on the following operating system:
1.  Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
2.  Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition Service Pack 2

===================================================================
===================================================================

Systems:      Dell Inspiron 6000 Series
Version:      A05
Build Date:   02/23/2005


Intel 915GM Graphics Video BIOS version 3412
ATI Mobility Radeon X300 Video BIOS version 8.017.192.058


Fixes:
======

1.  Fixed issue in which some USB devices may stop working after
    resuming from Standby if the device is configured to wake the
    system from Standby.

Enhancements:
=============

1.  Updated the ATI MOBILITY Radeon X300 video BIOS to
    version 8.17M.192.058.


The BIOS release has been validated on the following operating system:
1.  Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
2.  Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition Service Pack 2

===================================================================
===================================================================

Systems:      Dell Inspiron 6000 Series
Version:      A04
Build Date:   02/02/2005


Intel 915GM Graphics Video BIOS version 3412
ATI Mobility Radeon X300 Video BIOS version 8.017.192.052


Fixes:
======

1.  Fixed issue in which the system may automatically wake immediately
    after entering Standby if a USB device is attached and configured to
    wake the system and the AC power adapter is not attached.

2.  Fixed issue in which only one USB keyboard is functional while in
    System Setup if two USB keyboards are attached to the system.


Enhancements:
=============

1.  Added support for waking system the system from hibernate mode to
    run a scheduled task (i.e. wake from RTC alarm). This functionality
    only exists if the AC power adapter is attached to the system.


The BIOS release has been validated on the following operating system:
1.  Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

===================================================================
===================================================================

Systems:      Dell Inspiron 6000 Series
Version:      A03
Build Date:   01/12/2005


Intel 915GM Graphics Video BIOS version 3412
ATI Mobility Radeon X300 Video BIOS version 8.017.192.052

Enhancements:
=============
1.  Optimized video playback for the Intel 915GM Graphics controller.


The BIOS release has been validated on the following operating system:
1.  Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

===================================================================
===================================================================

Systems:      Dell Inspiron 6000 Series
Version:      A02
Build Date:   01/10/2005


Intel 915GM Graphics Video BIOS version 3412
ATI Mobility Radeon X300 Video BIOS version 8.017.192.052

Issues Fixed:
=============

1)  Fix intermittent issue in which no video is displayed after resuming
    from Standby.

2)  Fixed intermittent issue in which the system may hang during POST
    when attempting to enter System Setup with a Bluetooth module
    installed and Wireless Devices configured to 'Off' in System Setup.

3)  Reduce the amount of time required to complete a 'Thorough' POST.

4)  Fixed issue where PCMCIA cards may not be recognized by Windows if
    the system attempts to boot to the internal network controller
    before booting to the hard disk drive.

5)  Modified the System Setup password help text to inform the user
    that passwords must be at least 4 characters in length.


Enhancements:
-------------

1)  Add support for newer versions of the Intel Pentium M processor.

2)  Add 'USB Wake Support' field to System Setup under the Power
    Management heading to allow enabling of wake from Standby using
    a USB device. Windows XP must be configured to allow USB devices
    to bring the system out of Standby for this feature to work properly.

3)  Updated the ATI video BIOS to version 008.017.192.052.


The BIOS release has been validated on the following operating system:
1.  Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

===================================================================
===================================================================

Systems:      Dell Inspiron 6000 Series
Version:      A01
Build Date:   12/16/2004


Intel 915GM Graphics Video BIOS version 3412
ATI Mobility Radeon X300 Video BIOS version 8.017.192.031

Issues Fixed:
=============

1)  Fixed issue in which the system may hang if the lid is opened
    then quickly closed again while the system is in Standby mode.


The BIOS release has been validated on the following operating system:
1.  Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

===================================================================
===================================================================
Systems:      Dell Inspiron 6000 Series
Version:      A00
Build Date:   11/12/2004


Intel 915GM Graphics Video BIOS version 3412
ATI Mobility Radeon X300 Video BIOS version 8.017.192.031


Initial release of the BIOS


The BIOS release has been validated on the following operating systems:
1.  Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

ejn63 · Answer

Sorry, but this is false- there IS an issue -- the 6000 DOES NOT support LBA 48-bit.  Have you ever used one?

ejn63 · Answer

I am saying that yes, the BIOS was the latest one, A09. And no, I am NOT saying that it's not possible to use a drive over 120G. What I AM saying, is that the SYSTEM BIOS will NOT read more than 137 G. The OS,if it's SP1+ with large drive support enabled, WILL. But the system BIOS - the capacity of the drive IN BIOS, will remain 137 G. The Inspiron 6000 DOES NOT SUPPORT LBA48 at the BIOS level.

speedstep · Answer

So you are saying.

1. You have Bios A09.

2. You have Windows XP service pack 2 or Higher and used one of the previously noted utility's to partition and format the drive.

3. You were not able to get the drive installed as a partition larger than 137gigs.

I believe one of the above conditions wasn't met.

If you are using the original XP or XP Service Pack2 then you need to use a utiility to install.

Either the noted utiliitys above OR the microsoft Sysprep utility.

punjabiduke · Answer

I had not. I just downloaded the Dell Diagnotics Utility 32 Bit Diagnostics (Graphical User Interface version). When I unzipped it into a folder, I see a icon for DellDiag, but when I double click, a msdos screen flashes and goes away. No program opens. I am guessing it won't work. Any other thoughts?

ejn63 · Answer

Have you run the Dell diagnostics on the drive?

punjabiduke · Answer

Let me explain the whole story: I had vista for a long time. But recently, I started getting multiple Black Blue Screens and errors as below.

Problem signature: Problem Event Name: BlueScreen OS Version: 6.0.6000.2.0.0.256.1 Locale ID: 1033 Additional information about the problem: BCCode: a BCP1: B08E1008 BCP2: 00000002 BCP3: 00000001 BCP4: 818770DA OS Version: 6_0_6000 Service Pack: 0_0 Product: 256_1 Files that help describe the problem: C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini052909-01.dmp C:\Windows\Temp\WER-145421-0.sysdata.xml C:\Windows\Temp\WER354A.tmp.version.txt

I formatted drive reinstalled vista 2 times over and re-installed all drivers. It worked for a day then again on starting computer black dos screen said "Read failure on internal hard drive, no bootable devices found. Strike F1 to continue" It wouldn't boot at all and I again I had to reformat again.

Now I put XP w/sp2 & 3 back on so far stable x1 day. Do you guys think this is a true hard-drive failure? Should I just buy a new drive now or wait till it acts up again? I do keep backing up on my WD External drive.

Thankyou guys.

ejn63 · Answer

In order to use it you must prepare a bootable CD - use BartPE. Alternatively, all the hard drive makers except Toshiba produce utilities you can use to test your drive - determine the model and download the CD creator from its manufacturer.

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Inspiron 6000 harddrive EIDE or SATA?

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