48bitLBA.com - SATA Hard Drives

		Source for 48-bit LBA Information

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SATA Hard Drives and 48-bit LBA

We have received questions from users installing serial ATA (SATA) 48-bit LBA hard drives asking whether requirements involving Windows Service Packs and 48-bit LBA BIOS compatibility apply to these drives. We could not find anything in the Microsoft Knowledge Base regarding SATA 48-bit LBA hard drives and Windows. The following information is from our own testing.

48-bit LBA requirements for SATA hard drives are the same as those for IDE hard drives. You will need to make sure you have the correct Windows Service Packs installed and EnableBigLba registry value set for Windows 2000. If not, your SATA hard drive will not be recognized at full capacity.

Regarding 48-bit LBA BIOS compatibility, in theory that is also required. In reality, since SATA technology is basically newer relative to 48-bit LBA we expect all motherboards which support SATA will also have 48-bit LBA compatibility in the BIOS. Most likely, you will not need to check for this if you are having problems installing your SATA hard drive. You should make sure you have the latest Windows Service Packs and drivers installed first.

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