I think you are over-complicating things here. Yes, it appears you have a BIOS with the 8.4GB limit. To overcome it (and since the jumpers only allow limiting the capacity to 2GB and not 8.4GB) instead of trying different geometries just install some Dynamic Drive Overlay software (DDO) like EZ-drive.

Then there is the OS with its own limitations: DOS 6.22 doesn't know FAT32 like Win98 do and is limited to 2.1GB partition size. I suggest using only one boot disk to setup the HDD and not mixing things up, for example if you want to install Win98 use a Win98 boot disk, partition/format the disk with Win98's fdisk and then install windows.

AlessandroB wrote on 2023-05-20, 13:19:

1) Why?

The BIOS was designed in an era where HDD sizes were smaller. It would require a BIOS update (if available) or using DDO (Dynamic Disk Overlay) to get around the 8.4 GB limitation.

Same goes for MS-DOS 6.22, there is an upper limit of 8 GB per HDD and 2 GB per FAT16 partition. You have to make multiple partitions as a workaround.

2) Considering using DOS with its 2GB, isn't it a bit small for a compyer to install games from 1993 to 1997? (I don't mean all the games ever released, but at least 20 and some on CD-ROM which I think will require enough space)

Yes, if you chose the maximum install option for every game. Smaller HDD capacities is why several games had an install size option.

3) using only DSO6.22 on a Pentium200, wouldn't that be too limiting? I like the idea of using DOS (like in the best days of the 486) but maybe the 2GB visible I'm afraid are too few. Using Win98 on the Samsung disk (if I couldn't get the IBM disk to work) and starting win98 from the prompt, would I still have the various choices of config.sys and autoexec.bat exactly as if I were using DOS 6.22? This thing is not clear to me in the functioning...

Using only MS-DOS 6.22 on a Pentium 200 feels quite limited but it has better compatibility with Windows 3.x and certain software without workarounds.

On the other hand, Windows 98's MS-DOS mode still allows the configuration menu and don't have to worry much about HDD partitioning.

so you currently have a working, fully usable 8.4gb drive installed which is really more than plenty for a pentium 200 but then you're asking whether 2gb would be enough for all your games? maybe look at how much of the drive you are using right now.

the best solution for using that 20gb drive would be hooking it up to a promise controller, which would allow to use its higher UDMA modes, not that it would matter that much on a pentium. ezdrive on the other hand probably costs a bit of performance and locks you into using that software, which might be annoying should you choose to put the drive into another machine.

ok, but does the bios see the 20gb as 8gb and won't let me use them? I thought if he wasn't compatible he wouldn't see the disc at all.

AlessandroB wrote on 2023-05-20, 17:28:

ok, but does the bios see the 20gb as 8gb and won't let me use them? I thought if he wasn't compatible he wouldn't see the disc at all.

Because the BIOS doesn't detect the disk as 8GB,

AlessandroB wrote on 2023-05-20, 17:28:

...By doing various combinations in the IBM disk between 15/16 Head the bios manages to see an 8GB...

you somehow specified a weird 8GB disk that is obviously not correct/operational geometry.