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Just a word of caution on very large hard disks, and a chance for any return comment.
In regard to an internal disk, during a recent 160 GB install with 98 SE, the install flagged not to try using more than 137 GB of it (in one partition) as I would lose data. A 41 bit something or other was needed to handle more than 137.
This limit almost certainly does not apply to XP.
But what about 98 SE when using a USB? I assume the same? --- mine has USB2, either inherent via the MB or because of software update.
In regard to hard disk types, SOME Seagate ones have a stated MTBF of 600,000 hours (incredible reliability) and so do some Samsung ones. But DO look at the technical 'specification' for this, before you buy.
A larger type number (later date?) may not be a better disk -- I have just returned a faulty one that had no stated MTBF --- I wish I had looked. Perhaps the 'same' disk as the large MTBF one, (same size etc.) but being made elsewhere?
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>>have a stated MTBF of 600,000 hours (incredible reliability)
I'm much more interested how wide the distribution of failures is around the mean, as well as where the mean of the distribution is.
Number_Cruncher
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98SE uses the FAT32 file system which has a max of 32GB per partition however XP uses, by default, NTFS which does not have the same limits.
You can use a large h/d on 98SE though it will have to be partitioned in 32GB max units, i.e. a 160GB drive will need 5 partitions.
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"how wide the distribution of failures is around the mean"
Interesting point, Number Cruncher. With some that are many times the mean, you can have more that are well below the mean, and still have a nice figure to put in the result. Of course they don't tell you the spread.
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For the project I'm currently working on, we are only building one item that will see service, and one spare. Raw MTBF figures aren't particularly relevant to us! We have some rules to follow in using parts with established reliability, then performing parts stress and derating to give further margin, then a qualification test regime that sees the unit operating slightly beyond its specified environmental conditions and loadings to make sure we aren't susceptible to any cliff edge type effects.
That MTBF is meaningless is, more or less, true for most people buying computer bits for home use.
Number _Cruncher
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Hard disk MTBF's are meaningless.
600,000 hrs MTBF means that a disk drive started up ONCE will run for 600,000 hours, Turn it on and off a few times a day and you cut that figure by 590,000 hours
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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"how wide the distribution of failures is around the mean" Interesting point, Number Cruncher. With some that are many times the mean, you can have more that are well below the mean, and still have a nice figure to put in the result. Of course they don't tell you the spread.
Indeed, or the methodology used to derive the MTBF figure. Mind you, as a potential user of only one or two HDDs I'd be much more interetsed in MTTF than MTBF.
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"In regard to an internal disk, during a recent 160 GB install with 98 SE, the install flagged not to try using more than 137 GB of it (in one partition) as I would lose data. A 41 bit something or other was needed to handle more than 137.
This limit almost certainly does not apply to XP."
Oh yes it does! I put a new 200GB disk into my XP server recently and had to go through a few hoops to get it to recognise anything above 137GB. I can't remember what I did exactly but I'm sure I got my answer from Google.
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Sorry, XP does not use NTFS by default if you are installing an additional drive to an XP installation that is set to FAT32, perhaps a PC with a h/d of less than 40GB, therefore you need to change your file system to NTFS before installing the new large h/d, perhaps Google "changing file system" or similar.
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I think you may find that the partitioning rules which apply to an internal hard drive differ to those which apply to an external USB/Firewire connected drive. Our 300GB drive was recognised as an external drive with ,I think, 298GB available.
What I'd really like to do is to be able to boot up from the external drive-any suggestions?
Wonder why car manufacturers don't issue MTBF figures??????
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Out of interest I have looked into this further and have found reference to 98SE handling a max of 137GB hence the two references above to 137GB, however I also understand that the largest partition that can be established in FAT32 is 32GB, it would be intersting to get to the bottom of this, I will post again if I find any more info.
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OK 98SE will let you create a 137GB partition in FAT32 though you may run into problems with Scandisk, hence smaller partitions are recommended, max 125MB, ideally no more than 80MB.
XP will not let you create a partition greater than 32GB in FAT32 (which is what I was thinking of), to go larger you need to use NTFS which has a limit of 4TB.
Regards.
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The disk maker's software I used to condition the drive told me I could have up to 137 GB in ONE partition.
I returned the drive as faulty when it would not work with 100 GB.
So I hope you are wrong about 32GB.
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>>In regard to an internal disk, during a recent 160 GB install with 98 SE, the install flagged not to try using more than 137 GB of it (in one partition) as I would lose data.>>
98SE will creat a 137GB partition though it is likely to be problematic, 100Gb should be OK though.
XP will create a max partion size of 32GB using FAT32, the 98SE file system, though will go much larger if using NTFS.
>>A 41 bit something or other was needed to handle more than 137.>>
Probably 48bit LBA (Logical Block Addressing) quote:
"48-bit Logical Block Addressing (LBA) is a technology which extends the capacity of IDE ATA/ATAPI devices beyond a previous limit of 137.4 GB. This limit applies to IDE ATA/ATAPI devices only and not to SCSI interface devices. The original design specification for the ATA interface only provided 28-bits with which to address the devices. This meant that a hard disk could only have a maximum of 268,435,456 sectors of 512 bytes of data thus limiting the ATA interface to a maximum of 137.4 gigabytes. With 48-bit addressing the limit is 144 petabytes (144,000,000 gigabytes)."
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Yes. I have been using a 20 GB single partition FAT32 disk for a couple of years.
There is also a FAT32X.
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I have a feeling booting from an external drive is down to the BIOS capabilities. But my four year-old HP desktop can boot from usb devices so I would think most machines can now. if you want to be able to boot from, say, a usb memory stick in the case of hard-drive horror or malware, take a look at Damn Small Linux. Just 50MB and a functional, graphical OS that will boot from usb:
www.damnsmalllinux.org/
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Yes, it is in the BIOS settings but so far as I am aware you cannot boot up to the full Windows O/S via the USB or Firewire. Sure you can use the USB as a start up disc but that's about it. Linux, of course, is a different - if only there were more believers.
On a slightly different point, it is possible to format a USB key in exactly the same way as a hard drive. Also if you have a digital camera you can usually drag and drop files onto its memory card and use it as a portable hard drive.
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believe in what? Hype and broken promises? Had enough of that with windows.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Is everything OK TVM, just read this thread and you seem a bit aerated today?
(And my IT employer is bigger than both yours and Stuart's offspring's put together) {grins, then runs}
Lee -- Without bills, magazines and junk mail, there is no mail
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Unless of course, you're working for the Chinese army or the Indian railways... :-)
Lee -- Without bills, magazines and junk mail, there is no mail
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