---------- Original message ---------- Subject: Using HD > 128GB in G4 Macs! Date: Wednesday, 06. April 2011 From: Valter Prahlad <[email protected]> To: [email protected] > Woah! :-o > So it isn't an hardware limitation (as I always had thought)... No. It's an Open Firmware limitation. A boot limit.
> Really aroused from your comments :-D I did some research and found many > info about using HDs bigger than 128GB in G3-G4 Macs (caution: if you want > to try that, read carefully, you could lose your data): > http://4thcode.blogspot.com/2007/12/using-128-gib-or-larger-ata-hard-drives > . html > (this has a link for the "enable-lba48" script) > http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list/browse_thread/thread/22ffcb9d07ffa > 9 48 > https://groups.google.com/group/pci-powermacs/browse_thread/thread/04380ae3 > 9 d2e1fa1?hl=en You've found all the right discussions then! > Oh, Man! I never knew this! :-o > If I only had knew it before... I have a 250GB HD now, using only the first > 128GB (of course)... and quite full. > > I wonder... if I'll use the script and enable the 48bit LBA, I think Disk > Utility will then show the unused portion of the drive. No. But you may be able to create a partition in the remainder of the space when you boot into Leopard’s installation application and try the Disk Utility from there – you'll have to use the OF hack for this to work. But I'm not 100% sure. What will work for sure – and how I did it – is to boot into a Linux distribution of your choice and use mac-fdisk (a very user-unfriendly command line tool) to add a partition. The good news is, you only need to create just one partition of random size, delete it again (but be careful – don't delete the wrong one!) and save the whole partitioning scheme back to disk. This will put the correct size information into the partition table (APM=Apple Partition Map), so your Disk Utility (from your/any Mac OS X installation) will finally be able to create a new partition in the remainder of the space. If you don't know which Linux to choose: Ubuntu http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ports/releases/maverick/release/ Just boot into the LiveCD, start a terminal, run mac-fdisk, do the partitioning (create and delete an empty partition, be cautios, save!) and get out of there. > Will I be able to partition and format that portion and using it, WITHOUT > DAMAGING the already existing partitions??? Yes. > Using the script and enabling the 48bit LBA, can in itself be dangerous for > the data residing on the drive(s)? No. Start the hack now and you won't see a difference at all, because Mac OS X’ Disk Utility believes in what is written in the APM (partition map) and thus will continue to show only 128 GB. If you create the second partition outside the 128 GB barrier – which you will do, since you intend to keep your 128 GB partition, the LBA48 OF property won't damage anything. It will simply hide or show this partition. > Please advise, I'm tempted AND scared! :-/ As an alternative to the OF hack you may also consider to use a modified version of the KeyLargo Kernel Extension (KeyLargo.kext). This way you don't need to worry about the LBA48 property no more (after creating the new partition, that is)! I've compiled such a modified kext that I use without the OF LBA48 property (I simply reset the NVRAM) and it works like it should. This doesn't resolve the issue with the boot partition size limit though. So you NEED this 128 GB partition for Mac OS X, and the modified KeyLargo.kext simply /always/ enables the data partition behind it. I know this all sounds like a lot of work, and a bit dangerous. But it is not. Give it a try! You will love the additional space! Call in again if you need any help. Cheers, Andreas aka Mac User #330250 -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
