40GB HD will not format over 29.7GB

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#1 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:59 pm

I've got a 2.5" Toshiba HD, model MK4019GAX (HDD2171)
It also has IBM P/N 08K9788

This is supposed to be a 40GB/5400rpm/16MB cache hard disk.

But, no matter with which program I wipe/partition/format it, it won't go over 29.7GB.

Can I change anything in the MBR (or elsewhere) so it will recognize the full 40GB?
I have the WinHex program.

aaa · #2 Post by **aaa** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:05 pm

I'm guessing you are formatting as FAT32? There is sometimes a 32gb limit, depending on what you use to format.

#3 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:38 pm

Have you tried to erase the drive using a low level format utility? I think the PC Doctor for DOS bootable CD - ThinkPad might have this feature, but I am not sure.

I found the following with Google. Use at your own discretion.
http://www.my-install.com/prog/System-U ... -Tool.html

#4 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:53 pm

I tried both FAT32 and NTFS, using a.o. FDISK, FORMAT.EXE, Partition Magic 8, Disk Management console in XP etc.

I'm currently using this LLF from HDDGuru to see if it makes any difference. I've used it before and it does work great.
When I started the program, it recognized the above HD as 32GB.
I have it in a USB enclosure for this test.

Update: after the LLF it needed to be initialized (by XP Diskmgmt) and it is still only 29.8GB! Sugar...

#5 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 5:41 pm

PC Doctor tells me a really weird story!

After being Low-Level Formatted, this HD has 4 partitions

WTF

The overall size: 31,253,040 kB

1) Type: 64 Venix 286,
size 822,439,204.0 kB

2) Type: 82 CP/M / Microport V/386,
size 3,541,582,824.0 kB

3) Type: 119,
size 3,398,048,269.5 kB

4) Type: 155,
size 3,666,863,755.0 kB

That is one MIGHTY disk!

Currently it is being fully erased by PC Doctor, see what happens...

#6 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 5:56 pm

I just remembered something. This might apply to your drive. Your drive may have a PARTIES area on it. See the following thread.
Format HDD with IBM Hidden Partition

I did not think the Hitachi Feature Tool would work on a Toshiba drive, but the thread above says it does.
Hitachi Feature Tool

#7 Post by **Harryc** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:12 pm

This always works for me, doesn't matter what's on the drive.
http://www.killdisk.com/

#8 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:45 pm

Harryc wrote:This always works for me, doesn't matter what's on the drive.
http://www.killdisk.com/

I don't think that will work to open up the entire drive under the following situation. The following is quoted from a post in the thread I linked to above. Admiittedly, this technology was only in use for a couple of years - roughly around the time of the introduction of the T40 series (AFAIK).

dg1261 wrote:The HPA (Hidden Protected Area) is part of the regular HDD space that's been shielded by the controller on the HDD itself. Basically, the controller hides some of the disk cylinders from the outside world.

When any computer boots, the bios queries the HDD controller to get the size and parameters of the HDD. But the bios is going to believe whatever the disk controller tells it, so what if the controller returns fake numbers? If we can manipulate some registers in the controller, we can make the controller pretend that it has fewer cylinders than it really has, and the outside world won't know the difference.

There is a utility called the "Feature Tool" available from Hitachi
(www.hgst.com) that does just that. Set the controller to report fewer than the maximum actual cylinders, and the extra cylinders are untouchable by fdisk, diskpart, BootIt-NG, Partition Magic, et al -- they won't even know the HPA is there. I believe the Feature Tool writes to flash memory on the HDD's onboard disk controller, changing the number of max cylinders the controller reports to the computer's bios during bootup. IBM has wrapped these same controller calls into the bios of recent notebooks to automate setting aside those extra cylinders for its own Predesktop Area.

It's worth noting that the hidden part of the disk can be whatever size you decide to make it, depending on how many cylinders you decide to hide. The Feature Tool allows you to set the maximum capacity of the HDD to be any user-designated amount (up to the real maximum of the hardware, of course). If you set a 40GB HDD to be 35GB, then your computer, and every other utility that looks at that HDD, will believe that HDD is really a 35GB disk. There is no hidden part of the HDD to be recovered or revealed by fdisk, PartitionMagic, or similar third-party utilities because they simply do not believe the rest of the disk exists.

When you use the Feature Tool to reduce the max capacity of the HDD, it "hides from the back". For example, if the HDD really has 2100 cylinders and you reduce it to report itself as having 1800 cylinders, the hidden cylinders are numbers 1801-2100. You can use the Feature Tool to hide and unhide those 300 cylinders, and the data stored in those sectors is untouched. There is a white paper available from IBM that describes the HPA, but IMHO it obfuscates the issue by making it look like the HPA is at the *beginning* of the disk, when in fact it is not. The HPA expands forward from the back of the disk, so the normal partitions you create and use in the visible area are unaffected by manipulations with the HPA.

#9 Post by **Harryc** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:50 pm

It would be interesting to try. Active Kill disk claims they erase the drive at the BIOS level.

#10 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:19 pm

The Hitachi Feature Tool did not work. It's still 32GB.
I put it in a T23 (which has no BIOS limitations), but to no avail.

I'm trying this Killdisk now. It too recognizes the HD as 32GB (before wiping).

UPDATE:
No dice with that either. Still 32GB.
Started Knoppix (Linux), but QT Parted does not work.
Gparted-bin requires an administrator password (no idea).

So I seem to be stuck with a 32GB (instead of 40GB) hard disk, which otherwise functions well.

virge · #11 Post by **virge** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 4:21 am

How about trying the MHDD tool from:

http://hddguru.com/content/en/software/

I've used the program to erase some bad sectors and to cut some non-essential drives that wouldn't format properly. e.g. I cut a "bad" 20GB drive down to 5GB and am using it in a laptop/print server. I wonder if your drive has been cut.

#12 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:19 am

PC Doctor checks for SMART errors if I'm not mistaken. You can get a better, more thorough check of SMART info in Linux. Perhaps checking the SMART information will turn something up.

As the following weblink indicates, there is a BIOS limitation on some older computers for reading hard drives over ~32 GB. If you have the hard drive in an external USB enclosure, perhaps the controller in the enclosure is the problem.
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/bios/size.htm

Perhaps the hard drive is mislabeled. Check Device Manager for a part number and Google the number to see what turns up.

#13 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:47 am

MHDD did nothing either, this stubborn bast*rd remains at 32GB.
It gets recognized as a Toshiba MK4019GAX by every program I've thrown at it.
It recognizes HPA but does not show it anywhere.

Does anyone have the same disk?

If nothing else comes up, I'll just use it as a 32GB HD.

leoblob · #14 Post by **leoblob** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 12:39 pm

I'm just taking some semi-educated guesses here...

Are there any jumpers on the back of the drive? I've seen sometimes where jumpers are used to limit the size of the drive that is seen by the computer...

Maybe try Western Digital's Data Life Guard Tools. They are free and I do believe they work on any brand of drive. You would want to have it check and see what kinds of partitions ("offsets" or "HPA"?) there are and then remove them. Maxtor's Maxblast software (again free) does the same thing.

... or, I don't know if this would take care of the problem... format c: /u /q

#15 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 4:56 pm

No jumpers, format still gives me 32GB.
Guess I'll have to live with it.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

andyP · #16 Post by **andyP** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:21 pm

RBS, what about trying my favourite tool, IBM SDD?

#17 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 5:03 pm

Thanks for the suggestion, Andy.
Been there, done that.
Unfortunately wiping does not include any hidden/limited/HPA/weird sectors, only the directly recognized area.

I'm currently looking for my 3.5"-to-2.5" adapter.
When I find it, I'll stick that HD in my PC on an IDE channel, and try this program:
http://hddguru.com/content/en/software/ ... tore-Tool/

#18 Post by **gator** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 5:14 pm

Does linux fdisk show the same info? Are there any ext2/ext3 partitions on it? Windows will not see any of those ...

#19 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:14 pm

As mentioned, I tried booting from a Knoppix CD.
But I don't know anything about Linux.
QT Parted would not work and Gparted requires an (unknown to me) password.
Could not find any other Linux FDISK lookalikes.

40GB HD will not format over 29.7GB

40GB HD will not format over 29.7GB

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