KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q239119: BUG: FDISK Reports Incorrect Disk Capacity for PCMCIA ATA Drives

Article: Q239119
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:95
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbOSWin95bug kbOSWin98bug kbDSupport kbGrpDSWin9xDDK
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 95 
- Microsoft Windows 98 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

FDISK, when run from an MS-DOS box after Windows has been started, reports the
wrong disk size for PCCARD-based ATA drives that contain a storage capacity
greater than 1023 cylinders. This issue generally applies to disk drives that do
not appear in real mode prior to protected-mode Windows (this problem occurs,
for example, with drives where the controller has no BIOS extension, so MS-DOS
has no way of knowing that they exist).

CAUSE
=====

A bug in the IDE device driver, Esdi_506.pdr, results in FDISK using INT 13
function 8 to obtain disk geometry information. This function truncates the
cylinder count to a 10-bit value.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the
beginning of this article.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbOSWin95bug kbOSWin98bug kbDSupport kbGrpDSWin9xDDK 
Technology        : kbWin95search kbWin98search kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin98
Version           : WINDOWS:95
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbnofix

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

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.