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BIOS Setup
4-5
drives (HDD). If auto detection is successful, the correct values will be shown in the
remaining items of this menu.
NOTE: A new IDE HDD must be first formatted, otherwise it can not read/write. The basic
step in using a HDD is to make a HDD low-level format, then run FDISK, and then
FORMAT the drive. Most current HDDs have already been subjected to low-level format at
the factory, so you can probably skip this operation. Remember though, the primary IDE
HDD must have its partition set to active within the FDISK procedure.
If you are using an old HDD that is already formatted, auto detection can not detect the
correct parameters. You may need to do a low-level format or set the parameters manually,
and then check if the HDD is working.
IDE Primary Master:
Three settings are available: Auto, Manual and None. If you choose Auto, the BIOS will
automatically check what kind of hard disk you are using. If you want to set the HDD
parameters yourself, make sure you fully understand the meaning of the parameters, and be
sure to refer to the manual provided by the HDD manufacturer to get the settings right.
Access Mode:
Since old operating systems were only able to support HDDs with capacities no bigger than
528MB, any hard disk with more than 528MB was unusable. AWARD BIOS features a
solution to this problem: you can, according to your operating system, choose four operating
modes: CHS $ LBA $ LARGE $Auto.
The HDD auto detection option in the sub-menu will automatically detect the parameters of
your hard disk and the mode supported.
Auto: Lets the BIOS detect your HDD access mode and make the decisions.
Normal mode: Standard normal mode supports hard disks of up to 528MB or less. This mode
directly uses positions indicated by Cylinders (CYLS), Heads, and Sectors to access data.
LBA (Logical Block Addressing) mode: The earlier LBA mode can support HDD capacities
of up to 8.4GB, and this mode uses a different method to calculate the position of disk data to
be accessed. It translates Cylinders (CYLS), Heads and Sectors into a logical address where
data is located. The Cylinders, Heads, and Sectors displayed in this menu do not reflect the
actual structure of the hard disk. They are just reference values used to calculate actual
positions. Currently, all high capacity hard disks support this mode and that is why we
recommend you use this mode. Currently, the BIOS can support the INT 13h extension
function, enabling the LBA mode to support hard disk drive capacities exceeding 8.4GB.
Large Mode: When the number of cylinders (CYLs) of the hard disk exceeds 1024 and DOS
is not able to support it, or if your operating system does not support LBA mode, you should
select this mode.
Capacity:
This item auto displays your HDD size. Note that this size is usually slightly greater than the
size given by a disk checking program of a formatted disk.
User's Manual
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