Reference number: CH000182

Hard disk drive is only being seen as 504, 528, or 540MB.

Issue:

hard disk drive is only being seen as 504, 528, or 540MB

Cause:

This is caused by your computer being set in Standard CHS mode within CMOS. This mode's limitation is 16 heads and 1,024 cylinders, which gives you a limit of 504MB, 528MB, or 540MB.

Solution:

It is recommended that you enter CMOS and enable LBA (Large Block Addressing) or Extended CHS (ECHS). If neither of these are an option see if the computer or motherboard manufacturer has a BIOS upgrade to enable this option within the CMOS. Additional information and help with getting into CMOS setup can be found on document CH000192.

Caution: When changing the Hard Disk Drive modes to Standard CHS, Extended CHS (ECHS), or LBA, it changes the layout structure of the hard disk drive which can cause data read errors. It is recommended that when changing modes after changing the Hard Disk Drive, that the hard drive be formatted in the new mode. Additionally, this can occur when changing the Hard Drive from one computer to another if the modes differ between the two.

Additional information:

• See our CHS and ECHS dictionary definitions for addition information about each of these terms.