Re: Max size for boot partition

XP itself can handle very large disks, up to 127 Gig originally, then beyond
1000 Gig with SP-2.

However, older computer BIOS code had problems with "large" disks.
Depending on the BIOS, "large" could be >32 Gig, or even > 8 Gig. Check the
motherboard manual or motehrboard support website, or contact the PC
manufacture's support site for more informaiuton on BIOS limitations.

Some clever hard drive makers got around BIOS limitations with some software
that did something called "overlaying". Such fixes can be fragile and
easily broken. For example, upgrading such a michine form 98 to XP would
probably break the overlay coding. A better fix would be a BIOS update,
also called a BIOS flash, if one is available form the PC (or motherboard)
manufacture.

A wild thought, but have you tried running CHKDSK with the /F option (then
rebooting)? Strange computer behavior can sometimes be caused by
imperfections in the file system, some of which CHKDSK can fix.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/chkdsk.mspx?mfr=true

Another thought, if booting into the normal XP desktop is "iffy", can you
more boot into the safe mode of XP? If yes, then the disk is probably OK,
and the problem is more likely one of drivers or startup programs, since
safe mode uses Microsoft (safe) drivers and disables most startup programs.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/boot_failsafe.mspx?mfr=true

"Andereida" <bhk5835-ng1@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:O0w3ICAIIHA.3708@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On a computer using XPhome OS is there a maximum size for the bootable
partition, please?

This is an elderly computer (1999), originally using win98 but was
upgraded to XP a couple of years ago. The hard drive is a 13GB unit
divided into 2 partitions, one of 8GB and the rest is drive E but largely
unused. A second hard drive (80GB) contains applications and data.

The C drive was running out of room (less than 500MB spare) so I extended
it to 10GB using Partition Magic. Since then it frequently hangs when
starting windows. It has been suggested to me that the boot sequence
cannot see beyond 8GB and that may be the cause of the 'iffy' loading.

Is this the case, please? Any alternatives?

bhk


.

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