Maxtor of questionable size

Ok...I have this hard drive I got from a friend...and for every different controler card I run it with I get a new and screwed up drive size to register....So far it's been formatted into a 2GB size.....detected as a 12GB and also detected as an 8.5GB but that's because of the 1997 bios app.....but stil why is this damn thing so screwed up?? Incase one of you people out there in tv land has a calculator...it's properties are as follows..

Cylinders:16383
Heads:16
Sectors:63
PRECOMP was detected at:65535
and LandZ was detected at:16382

thanks in advance...oh, and if it helps the drive was from 1999 so I'm guessing it was a 12GB...but....why the random readings?

Those random readings do sound like common BIOS / OS limitations.
The 2.1GB limit: also known as the 4096 cylinder limit, some computers have a bios that does not properly handles the 13th bit. Nevertheless this bit is needed for drives with 4096 cylinders or more.
The 8.4GB limit: non intelligent ATA host adapters will have problems with disks larger than 8.4GB . The same goes for some operating systems, for instance windows NT4.0 SP1, you need the atapi driver delivered by microsoft this article explains what to do: http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;q197667

The sizes you mention are examples for typical limitation problems, therefor try your HDD on a newer system and normally the largest size will be recognized. If you plan to use the drive on an older system, upgrade your bios if possible, or use a DDO software program. The DDO, dynamic drive overlay, provided by most disk manufacturers makes it possible to use all your diskspace. Refer to the antionline Newsletter 1. There's an article about hdd limitations in that newsletter. http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=153302

---
a note -> you posted your question in the wrong forum. the How do I, What is forum is intended for questions about the AO site itself.
---

oh sorry, I should have mentioned this too...

the systems and the readings they gave me

Pentium 3 Epox ep3vwb+ from 2001 gave me the 2GB reading....only it said something like 3986 cylinders...I'm sure it wasn't 4096

My P-pro from 1997 give's me 8.5Gb.....I see your point there...
and my SIIG ATA/66 Adapter gives me 12GB

any thoughts?

Your Pentium III Epox should read whole disk size. You shoudl check the hdd settings in the bios, try to detect it and if that fails, search the disk on google by typing the model number, 9 chanches on 10 you get the drive size, type and etc... or if the type reads from a label, surf to the disk manufacturer site and enter the diskmodel to see what it should be. Next enter that info in your bios settings (at the P3). This should work.

I have a 8.4GB disc and a 20GB disk working on a box with motherboard from 1997. Check your motherboard manufacturer site to obtain info on known bugs / bios limitations.

About the card you mention: it's manufactured by Highpoint technologies, those cards are known to have problems with Maxtor hdd for soem reason. (A chip compatibility problem?) However if you want to read more about that prob: http://www.sysopt.com/userreviews/sc...ontroller.html

Are you using LBA settings? Try with those set to AUTO

been there, done that actually.....the drive is supposed to be a 12 GB but my P3 hates it...
oh well..thanks