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Barracuda ATA Family Installation Guide, Rev. A

Addressing drive-capacity limitations

Some DOS-based computers and operating systems are not designed to accommodate large-capacity hard disc drives. The most common system limitations are listed below.

528-Mbyte limit

The BIOS in some older computers cannot support drives with capacities greater than 528 Mbytes. Seagate provides free Disk Manager software with your drive to overcome this limitation. Alternatively, you can purchase a hard drive controller or a BIOS upgrade that supports drives with capacities greater than 528 Mbytes.

8.4-Gbyte limit

If your drive’s capacity is greater than 8.4 Gbytes, the capacity may exceed the limits of your system BIOS and operating sys- tem. DOS and Windows operating systems and most system BIOS limit the drive partitions to 8.4 Gbytes per physical drive. Because of this limitation, a 32-bit file allocation table (FAT32) is needed to support drive capacities greater than 8.4 Gbytes.

To achieve your drive’s full capacity, you need a Windows operat- ing system that supports FAT32 and device support for drive capacities greater than 8.4 Gbytes, from one of the following:

Third-party device driver, such as Disk Manager (Disk Man- ager is provided on the DiscWizard diskette or CD included with your drive), or

An intelligent ATA host adapter, or

A system BIOS upgrade

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Seagate ST36810A, ST310220A, ST313620A, ST320430A, ST328040A Addressing drive-capacity limitations, Mbyte limit, Gbyte limit

ST313620A, ST36810A, ST310220A, ST320430A, ST328040A specifications

Seagate has a long-standing reputation for producing reliable hard drives, and models like the ST328040A, ST320430A, ST310220A, ST36810A, and ST313620A exemplify the company's commitment to performance and storage innovation. Each of these drives has unique features and technological specifications, catering to a range of storage needs.

The Seagate ST328040A is a 3.5-inch hard drive that boasts a storage capacity of 8.4 GB. It utilizes the IDE interface and offers a rotational speed of 5,400 RPM. With a data transfer rate of 2.2 MB/s, it was a competitive solution for desktop PCs at the time of its release, providing sufficient storage for operating systems, applications, and user files.

Meanwhile, the ST320430A also adheres to a 3.5-inch form factor but steps up storage capacity with 20.4 GB. Utilizing Ultra DMA technology, it enhances data transfer speeds and efficiency. With a rotational speed similar to its predecessor at 5,400 RPM, the ST320430A strikes a balance between performance and power consumption, making it suitable for multimedia applications and file storage.

The ST310220A offers an additional leap in performance with its 10.0 GB capacity and features the same 5,400 RPM speed. It is designed for reliability and benefits from Seagate’s Advanced Format technology, which improves the drive's error correction and fault tolerance.

The ST36810A, offering 6.8 GB of space, showcases Seagate's dedication to reducing drive size while maximizing performance. This model is particularly noted for its ruggedness, making it an ideal choice for portable applications where durability is key.

Finally, the ST313620A provides a robust storage option with 13.6 GB capacity. This model features enhanced read/write speeds, making it well-suited for those demanding swift data access. A notable characteristic of these hard drives is their compatibility with a broad range of operating systems and devices, ensuring versatility across various computing environments.

In summary, the Seagate ST328040A, ST320430A, ST310220A, ST36810A, and ST313620A hard drives reflect the company's technological advancements in storage solutions throughout their respective timelines. With features focusing on efficiency, reliability, and capacity, these drives played important roles in the evolution of desktop computing and storage solutions.