DustyShinigami wrote on 2026-03-19, 14:52:

douglar wrote on 2026-03-14, 19:04:

You sure about that? […]
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DustyShinigami wrote on 2026-03-14, 18:49:

Thanks for the heads up. 😄 I ended up ordering a Silicon Image one. At least, it looks to be based on the model on the box. It’s old stock that’s technically new. It was only £8-11. But here’s hoping I don’t run into issues. It’s this:

You sure about that?

The attachment Untitled.png is no longer available

Please post a picture of it when it arrives. Very curious to see what you get.

Nearly a week later, it finally arrived. And yeah, it's an ITE. I just hope it does the job.

The attachment IMG_5422[1].JPG is no longer available

that controller ITE chip is very common across a range of generic IDE cards. A great deal of drivers too.
I posted rare 64bit drivers on internet archive so I could install it on Vista and 7.
I used 80gb IDE disks on it so I can't say if it works for 300gb.
Thus its a chip that doesn't need card manufacturer specific drivers so the most recent one would probably come from another manufacturer.
I archived mine here: https://archive.org/details/ite-it-8212f-drv-1723x-64
Supported from windows 98se to 7 32 and 64 bit i would use R. Loews tool to check if its 48bit LBA supported on DOS.
I don't own one anymore.

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-03-22, 07:47:

Ontrack or *any* disk drive overlay are only meant for built in motherboard ide controllers. You cannot expect scandisk to read […]
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DustyShinigami wrote on 2026-03-20, 01:19:

Progress! Thanks to some advice on Reddit, I just needed to use a utility like Ontrack again, delete the partition and re-create it. Now it's recognising 298GB. 😁 ScanDisk still crashes with a BSOD, but it looks as though that's expected behaviour. Someone did suggest I try and replace it with Windows ME's version.

Ontrack or *any* disk drive overlay are only meant for built in motherboard ide controllers.
You cannot expect scandisk to read 300gb.
I took a disk drive off a motherboard IDE controller with an overlay bootloader and put it into an PCI controller it crashed soon after. They are designed to use system memory and BIOS in a certain way with certain specific checks.
I think scandisk can read up to 120gb but I use 80gb partitions now.
I don't use drive overlays they provide the slowest speeds.
fat32 support was limited across a range of defragmenters and disk checking/repair utilities even in windows xp so I wouldn't do more than 120gb partition's because there's just not enough RAM to check them. NTFS is more efficient and with recent support.
I did use a whole 400gb fat32 disk partition for benchmarking purposes but I need app support so I don't need to plug in the disk into a modern pc to check repair etc.
I don't recommend windows 95 for these disks even with overlays or patches.

Okay. Thanks for the heads-up. So yeah, I'll be avoiding Ontrack from now on. I have reverted back to a very early image I made of the C drive, after it had been reformatted, so any trace of Ontrack and its overlay should be gone. My backup of the C drive's last state, with the ScanDisk issues, is still accessible, but I'm not sure if anything of Ontrack has been 'installed' in the traditional sense. If there's some footprint.

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-03-22, 08:17:

that controller ITE chip is very common across a range of generic IDE cards. A great deal of drivers too. I posted rare 64bit dr […]
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DustyShinigami wrote on 2026-03-19, 14:52:

douglar wrote on 2026-03-14, 19:04:

You sure about that?

The attachment Untitled.png is no longer available

Please post a picture of it when it arrives. Very curious to see what you get.

Nearly a week later, it finally arrived. And yeah, it's an ITE. I just hope it does the job.

The attachment IMG_5422[1].JPG is no longer available

that controller ITE chip is very common across a range of generic IDE cards. A great deal of drivers too.
I posted rare 64bit drivers on internet archive so I could install it on Vista and 7.
I used 80gb IDE disks on it so I can't say if it works for 300gb.
Thus its a chip that doesn't need card manufacturer specific drivers so the most recent one would probably come from another manufacturer.
I archived mine here: https://archive.org/details/ite-it-8212f-drv-1723x-64
Supported from windows 98se to 7 32 and 64 bit i would use R. Loews tool to check if its 48bit LBA supported on DOS.
I don't own one anymore.

Thanks. Surely if ATA 100/133 IDE controllers natively support LBA48, a modified driver wouldn't be needed...? But I can certainly give it a go and see. 😀

I certainly don't think what I posted is modified. They worked well for me. Also the latest for that ITE chip.

LBA48 became a thing sometime in the P4 era with BIOSes supporting it appearing around the same time. PIII and earlier I'm not aware of any example with LBA48 support.

As far as the PCI solutions go, some present themselves as standard bus mastering IDE controllers, using the ESDI506.PDR as the driver built into windows, and as such, will be subject to LBA48 limits from the OS end of things. Windows driver can be patched to be LBA48 aware, but DOS requires BIOS to be LBA48 aware for things to work correctly regardless and if you cannot have that then you will encounter corruption sooner or later (i.e letting SCANDISK do its thing after a bad shut down).

It is better to make a 120GB partition in beginning of the driver and another to fill the rest, and not touch the remainder until all the patching etc. is done. Any write to the rest without LBA48 support will put those writes somewhere in the beginning of the drive, with potential major data corruption possibilities (speaking from experience when big drives were still new).

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-03-22, 14:12:

I certainly don't think what I posted is modified. They worked well for me.

Oh, sorry. I was under the impression they were modified as they have drivers that support 64-bit versions of Windows.

the chip was sold and supported for it as well

Tiido wrote on 2026-03-22, 14:13:

LBA48 became a thing sometime in the P4 era with BIOSes supporting it appearing around the same time. PIII and earlier I'm not aware of any example with LBA48 support.

As far as the PCI solutions go, some present themselves as standard bus mastering IDE controllers, using the ESDI506.PDR as the driver built into windows, and as such, will be subject to LBA48 limits from the OS end of things. Windows driver can be patched to be LBA48 aware, but DOS requires BIOS to be LBA48 aware for things to work correctly regardless and if you cannot have that then you will encounter corruption sooner or later (i.e letting SCANDISK do its thing after a bad shut down).

It is better to make a 120GB partition in beginning of the driver and another to fill the rest, and not touch the remainder until all the patching etc. is done. Any write to the rest without LBA48 support will put those writes somewhere in the beginning of the drive, with potential major data corruption possibilities (speaking from experience when big drives were still new).

Funnily enough, ScanDisk after a bad shutdown never appeared to be a problem. Though I think it did try to do it for the D drive a few times even when the system had shutdown correctly. But the bad shutdown ScanDisk appeared to be working fine. It's just under Windows.

I still reckon I'll wind up just sticking to a 120GB HDD to keep the system happy, but I'm happy to do some more testing.

I'm just a bit foggy still on what exactly I should do; the exact steps in my situation, as what I thought may not be recommended or needed...?

well that ITE PCI card probably supports that capacity disk since you've accessed it anyway.
You need a primary partition not exceeding 120gb (I do 80gb myself now) to install windows perhaps add extra partitions after finishing installing windows and applying the LBA48 bit patch.
You cannot do anything in windows (settings, install software or drivers) until you patch windows 95/98/Me for 48bit LBA support otherwise eventually it will reach beyond its limitation and blue screen.
Rudolph Loews High Capacity Disk Patch (HCDP) is the free famous 48bit LBA patch to use patching windows to use your disk properly.
You then need to extract the patch archive contents into a folder on your disk, my methods are by either a burned CDR/DVDR or by using a SATA to IDE bridge adapter on a modern pc.
Also floppy disks can be used if you have them.
Rudy's patch is done in DOS so you need to be in dos mode to run it. The patch archive includes a manual to follow.
After you have installed the patch reboot and you can use windows without bluescreens.
The FDISK you mention even though it is newer has its limitations as my last IDE disk was 500gb and it only reached 120gb of use with it so I got full capacity use by partitioning/formatting on windows 11 using a 3rd party free tool (I used my ide to SATA bridge adapter to connect IDE to SATA controller)

Ant questions? 😀

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-03-22, 16:18:

well that ITE PCI card probably supports that capacity disk since you've accessed it anyway. You need a primary partition not e […]
Show full quote

well that ITE PCI card probably supports that capacity disk since you've accessed it anyway.
You need a primary partition not exceeding 120gb (I do 80gb myself now) to install windows perhaps add extra partitions after finishing installing windows and applying the LBA48 bit patch.
You cannot do anything in windows (settings, install software or drivers) until you patch windows 95/98/Me for 48bit LBA support otherwise eventually it will reach beyond its limitation and blue screen.
Rudolph Loews High Capacity Disk Patch (HCDP) is the free famous 48bit LBA patch to use patching windows to use your disk properly.
You then need to extract the patch archive contents into a folder on your disk, my methods are by either a burned CDR/DVDR or by using a SATA to IDE bridge adapter on a modern pc.
Also floppy disks can be used if you have them.
Rudy's patch is done in DOS so you need to be in dos mode to run it. The patch archive includes a manual to follow.
After you have installed the patch reboot and you can use windows without bluescreens.
The FDISK you mention even though it is newer has its limitations as my last IDE disk was 500gb and it only reached 120gb of use with it so I got full capacity use by partitioning/formatting on windows 11 using a 3rd party free tool (I used my ide to SATA bridge adapter to connect IDE to SATA controller)

Ant questions? 😀

Okay. So let's see if I'm on the same page. Well, the primary partition is sorted. At the moment, I've gone back to a point where Windows has been freshly installed. I reverted back to an earlier image I made using GHOST. I'm going to try and see if I can go back to a more recent one from December last year. Providing the file isn't corrupt. This should be before any patches or bigger HDDs were added. Otherwise, the primary partition is sorted as I installed Windows on its own HDD. A 30GB one.

I mean, I believe last time, I did install Rudy's patch way WAY before getting the HDD, but it didn't seem to make much difference. But I'll install it in DOS and make sure it's applied. Though with just the 30 and 40GB HDDs in (C and D), that patch doesn't list those HDDs as being supported. Only the 320GB drive. I'm not sure if that prevents it from installing though...? I can't recall. I think it still does.
I'm a bit unsure about the extracting though. Do you mean to extract PatchATA so all the files can be accessed and then the patch installed...? Because if so, all the files are already accessible. Last time I had them stored with a bunch of drivers/software I've gathered and pasted onto my C drive. So this is the contents:

I've downloaded FDISK 1.4 from FreeDOS. Though I expect I would need to install my RAID/IDE controller, install those drivers you've linked to, and then use the newer FDISK to create the partition?

DustyShinigami wrote on 2026-03-22, 16:47:

Okay. So let's see if I'm on the same page. Well, the primary partition is sorted. At the moment, I've gone back to a point wher […]
Show full quote

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-03-22, 16:18:

well that ITE PCI card probably supports that capacity disk since you've accessed it anyway. You need a primary partition not e […]
Show full quote

well that ITE PCI card probably supports that capacity disk since you've accessed it anyway.
You need a primary partition not exceeding 120gb (I do 80gb myself now) to install windows perhaps add extra partitions after finishing installing windows and applying the LBA48 bit patch.
You cannot do anything in windows (settings, install software or drivers) until you patch windows 95/98/Me for 48bit LBA support otherwise eventually it will reach beyond its limitation and blue screen.
Rudolph Loews High Capacity Disk Patch (HCDP) is the free famous 48bit LBA patch to use patching windows to use your disk properly.
You then need to extract the patch archive contents into a folder on your disk, my methods are by either a burned CDR/DVDR or by using a SATA to IDE bridge adapter on a modern pc.
Also floppy disks can be used if you have them.
Rudy's patch is done in DOS so you need to be in dos mode to run it. The patch archive includes a manual to follow.
After you have installed the patch reboot and you can use windows without bluescreens.
The FDISK you mention even though it is newer has its limitations as my last IDE disk was 500gb and it only reached 120gb of use with it so I got full capacity use by partitioning/formatting on windows 11 using a 3rd party free tool (I used my ide to SATA bridge adapter to connect IDE to SATA controller)

Ant questions? 😀

Okay. So let's see if I'm on the same page. Well, the primary partition is sorted. At the moment, I've gone back to a point where Windows has been freshly installed. I reverted back to an earlier image I made using GHOST. I'm going to try and see if I can go back to a more recent one from December last year. Providing the file isn't corrupt. This should be before any patches or bigger HDDs were added. Otherwise, the primary partition is sorted as I installed Windows on its own HDD. A 30GB one.

I mean, I believe last time, I did install Rudy's patch way WAY before getting the HDD, but it didn't seem to make much difference. But I'll install it in DOS and make sure it's applied. Though with just the 30 and 40GB HDDs in (C and D), that patch doesn't list those HDDs as being supported. Only the 320GB drive. I'm not sure if that prevents it from installing though...? I can't recall. I think it still does.
I'm a bit unsure about the extracting though. Do you mean to extract PatchATA so all the files can be accessed and then the patch installed...? Because if so, all the files are already accessible. Last time I had them stored with a bunch of drivers/software I've gathered and pasted onto my C drive. So this is the contents:

The attachment explorer_SDuAHWY4hr.png is no longer available

I've downloaded FDISK 1.4 from FreeDOS. Though I expect I would need to install my RAID/IDE controller, install those drivers you've linked to, and then use the newer FDISK to create the partition?

Rudy's patch is overwritten and needs to be reinstalled usually when you've updated windows with patches so re-applying it will probably solve issues.
I'm sure you can use that FDISK but I cannot guarantee it will work I last used one years ago and done away with that method (good luck)
I don't use Ghost or any old backup tools because well they weren't around with massive drive geometries and have limitations maybe there's modern tools but I don't use them
because its old windows stuff for fun my modern pc has the important stuff.

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-03-22, 16:56:

Rudy's patch is overwritten and needs to be reinstalled usually when you've updated windows with patches so re-applying it will […]
Show full quote

DustyShinigami wrote on 2026-03-22, 16:47:

Okay. So let's see if I'm on the same page. Well, the primary partition is sorted. At the moment, I've gone back to a point wher […]
Show full quote

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-03-22, 16:18:

well that ITE PCI card probably supports that capacity disk since you've accessed it anyway. You need a primary partition not e […]
Show full quote

well that ITE PCI card probably supports that capacity disk since you've accessed it anyway.
You need a primary partition not exceeding 120gb (I do 80gb myself now) to install windows perhaps add extra partitions after finishing installing windows and applying the LBA48 bit patch.
You cannot do anything in windows (settings, install software or drivers) until you patch windows 95/98/Me for 48bit LBA support otherwise eventually it will reach beyond its limitation and blue screen.
Rudolph Loews High Capacity Disk Patch (HCDP) is the free famous 48bit LBA patch to use patching windows to use your disk properly.
You then need to extract the patch archive contents into a folder on your disk, my methods are by either a burned CDR/DVDR or by using a SATA to IDE bridge adapter on a modern pc.
Also floppy disks can be used if you have them.
Rudy's patch is done in DOS so you need to be in dos mode to run it. The patch archive includes a manual to follow.
After you have installed the patch reboot and you can use windows without bluescreens.
The FDISK you mention even though it is newer has its limitations as my last IDE disk was 500gb and it only reached 120gb of use with it so I got full capacity use by partitioning/formatting on windows 11 using a 3rd party free tool (I used my ide to SATA bridge adapter to connect IDE to SATA controller)

Ant questions? 😀

Okay. So let's see if I'm on the same page. Well, the primary partition is sorted. At the moment, I've gone back to a point where Windows has been freshly installed. I reverted back to an earlier image I made using GHOST. I'm going to try and see if I can go back to a more recent one from December last year. Providing the file isn't corrupt. This should be before any patches or bigger HDDs were added. Otherwise, the primary partition is sorted as I installed Windows on its own HDD. A 30GB one.

I mean, I believe last time, I did install Rudy's patch way WAY before getting the HDD, but it didn't seem to make much difference. But I'll install it in DOS and make sure it's applied. Though with just the 30 and 40GB HDDs in (C and D), that patch doesn't list those HDDs as being supported. Only the 320GB drive. I'm not sure if that prevents it from installing though...? I can't recall. I think it still does.
I'm a bit unsure about the extracting though. Do you mean to extract PatchATA so all the files can be accessed and then the patch installed...? Because if so, all the files are already accessible. Last time I had them stored with a bunch of drivers/software I've gathered and pasted onto my C drive. So this is the contents:

The attachment explorer_SDuAHWY4hr.png is no longer available

I've downloaded FDISK 1.4 from FreeDOS. Though I expect I would need to install my RAID/IDE controller, install those drivers you've linked to, and then use the newer FDISK to create the partition?

Rudy's patch is overwritten and needs to be reinstalled usually when you've updated windows with patches so re-applying it will probably solve issues.
I'm sure you can use that FDISK but I cannot guarantee it will work I last used one years ago and done away with that method (good luck)
I don't use Ghost or any old backup tools because well they weren't around with massive drive geometries and have limitations.

So it gets overwritten if I install the IDE/RAID controller? Or even the last official Windows update that allows FDISK to work with HDDs up to 127GB? Usually that patch is reapplied by adding a command to your Autoexec file. So it re-initialises it during boot.

It was suggested I use FDISK from FreeDOS, so I'll give it a try. Otherwise I'm not sure what else to try. I won't be using Ontrack this time.

Also, managed to snag an Hitachi 120GB HDD for £5, so if all else fails, I'll have that to fall back onto. 😀

you've updated disk hardware so its possible files were overwritten .
to tell that on windows 98 I would have used system file checker before and after installation of hardware to confirm file changes when noticing system problems.
And also the registry scanner

Okay, I've installed the patch. Have it set up in the autoexec so it verifies on boot. I've re-installed the IDE controller and installed the drivers that were linked. All that's left now is to connect the drive up and try FDISK 1.4.

No. This just isn't happening. I didn't think it would. So again, despite applying the patch, installing the IDE controller, installing the provided driver, and using FDISK 1.4 to create the partition, Windows still locks up. As soon as I try to format it.

i don't do it that way ghost fdisk etc
but since your getting a 120gb disk perhaps you can do it your way with that.

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-03-23, 00:45:

i don't do it that way ghost fdisk etc
but since your getting a 120gb disk perhaps you can do it your way with that.

I'm not really sure how else to do it. I don't fancy manually reformatting with a fresh install of Windows only for the same thing to happen. Going back to a saved image where everything is fine is much quicker and preferable, especially for testing.

each to their own I guess.
good luck ya.

zapbuzz wrote on 2026-03-23, 06:12:

each to their own I guess.
good luck ya.

Thanks. And thanks for your help. 😀