Read GPT hard disk on Windows XP

[Dave-H]

Thanks, that's very interesting to know.

I have to say that as the card functions perfectly with the 3TB disk under Windows 10, I'm a bit loathe to start trying different BIOS versions.
If anything goes wrong, the card could be permanently bricked of course!

I'm still pretty convinced that it's the card's driver which is at fault here.
Although the Windows 10 driver is apparently earlier (1.2.15.3) than the XP driver (1.3.71.1) this could again be a numbering anomaly, especially as the Windows 10 driver is apparently from 2009 and the XP driver from 2008! The Windows 10 driver is also 64 bit.

The other fly in the ointment is the Paragon HFS+ program's Core Storage Volumes Driver.
This will not run on my system, saying it can't find a necessary file.
It is just vaguely possible that the disk is not being seen in Disk Management because this driver isn't running.
Unfortunately, I've not been able to find out much at all about the Core Storage Volumes Driver and what it's supposed to do!

[D.Draker]

6 hours ago, Dave-H said:

Windows 10 driver is apparently earlier (1.2.15.3) than the XP driver (1.3.71.1)

Dave, did you try the same version as Win10 or similar (lower) version on XP?

[Dave-H]

Is there a 32 bit version of that 1.2.15.3 driver?
I did look a week or two ago, but I couldn't find one.
I'll have another search.
It's a very long shot IMO, but it's worth a try!

[Andalu]

Hi,

I do not believe that the missing Core Storage Volumes Driver (csvol.sys) can result in the GPT disk not being recognized. The Paragon driver that should enable GPT disk recognition is "gpt_loader.sys" which has no correlation with the csvol.sys driver as can be seen from the following image (where csvol.sys is not listed under 'Module' section):

 

The failure to start the Core Storage Volumes Driver due to the error related to missing file most likely relates to missing "cng.sys":

I could not find the version of the cng.sys driver for XP, and in any case, even if you added the Win10 or Win7 version of the cng.sys file to the Paragon HFS+ program, the Core Storage Volumes Driver itself would still not work in XP since many essential functions are missing for ntoskrnl.exe (currently not even covered by the ntoskrn8.sys Emu_Extender):

Regarding the GPT disk listed in XP's Device Manager but not in Disk Management is a situation that always occurs when a GPT disk is not recognized.

Below is an example with a 4TB Seagate GPT disk:

1. disk connected to a USB3 port via sata adapter or with a USB enclosure:

2. same disk connected to the external eSATA port of a ASMedia PCI Express to eSATA card:

Edited January 23 by Andalu

[Dave-H]

Thank you so much again @Andalu that's really helpful! 

So it looks as if the version of Paragon HFS+ that I'm using isn't actually 100% XP compatible.

It does sound as if the loss of that driver isn't significant in this case though.

I could certainly buy an ASMedia card, which would probably work from what you say, but I have nowhere to plug it in if it's only available as PCI-E.
I wonder if there are any other eSATA cards which might work and be available in PCI or PCI-X?

[Andalu]

5 hours ago, Dave-H said:

I could certainly buy an ASMedia card, which would probably work from what you say, but I have nowhere to plug it in if it's only available as PCI-E.

I wonder if there are any other eSATA cards which might work and be available in PCI or PCI-X?

There would be two alternative ways that do not involve the use of an Asmedia eSATA PCIEx card:

1. since there is more than one version of the ASMedia sata driver that allows GPT disk recognition even with some non-ASMedia controllers, you could try installing the ASMedia driver v2.0.3.1 or earlier versions for your Silicon Image card;

2. already reported here: https://msfn.org/board/topic/181911-read-gpt-hard-disk-on-windows-xp/?do=findComment&comment=1258361

In both cases, the .inf file needs to be edited by adding the usual two text lines for recogniton of a generic disk drive.

If you want to give it a try, it is a good idea to first save an image of the system disk to restore in case it becomes unbootable.

Most important: try it at your own risk

[Jotnar]

What are the "usual two text lines for recognition of a generic disk drive?"  Some here might know but I don't.

[Dave-H]

On 1/23/2024 at 6:00 PM, Andalu said:

There would be two alternative ways that do not involve the use of an Asmedia eSATA PCIEx card:

1. since there is more than one version of the ASMedia sata driver that allows GPT disk recognition even with some non-ASMedia controllers, you could try installing the ASMedia driver v2.0.3.1 or earlier versions for your Silicon Image card;

2. already reported here: https://msfn.org/board/topic/181911-read-gpt-hard-disk-on-windows-xp/?do=findComment&comment=1258361

In both cases, the .inf file needs to be edited by adding the usual two text lines for recogniton of a generic disk drive.

If you want to give it a try, it is a good idea to first save an image of the system disk to restore in case it becomes unbootable.

Most important: try it at your own risk

Thanks again @Andalu!

I've searched, but I cannot find a download of the ASMedia v2.0.3.1 driver which doesn't involve installing the sites' driver downloader software, which I refuse to do!
The only version I could find a direct download of was v1.4.1.
After modifying the INF file, it appeared to install OK, but the system just produced a BSOD when rebooted.

I guess that unless v2.0.3.1 is very different, it will produce the same result.
What a shame, but it was worth a try!

Cheers, Dave.

[Andalu]

22 hours ago, Jotnar said:

What are the "usual two text lines for recognition of a generic disk drive?"  Some here might know but I don't.

Here are the two lines of text containing the generic hardware ID for a sata/ahci disk controller:

a) %PCI\CC_010601.DeviceDesc%=variable, PCI\CC_010601

b) PCI\CC_010601.DeviceDesc ="variable"

In both lines of text, the term "variable" should be changed following the information about the other Hardware IDs already listed.

Edited January 25 by Andalu

[Andalu]

6 hours ago, Dave-H said:

Thanks again @Andalu!

I've searched, but I cannot find a download of the ASMedia v2.0.3.1 driver which doesn't involve installing the sites' driver downloader software, which I refuse to do!
The only version I could find a direct download of was v1.4.1.
After modifying the INF file, it appeared to install OK, but the system just produced a BSOD when rebooted.

I guess that unless v2.0.3.1 is very different, it will produce the same result.
What a shame, but it was worth a try!

Cheers, Dave.

The asahxp32.sys driver from v1.4.1 is not the right driver. The driver I mentioned in a previous post is "asahci32.sys". You need to use only this driver; the others do not allow recognition of GPT disks.

All versions of the asahci32.sys driver are contained in the Asmedia ASM106x SATA driver packages, from v2.0.1.916 to v3.3.3.

All of these versions are available here:

hxxps://www.usbdev.ru/files/asmedia/asm106xdriver/

Version 2.0.3.1 is contained in the package "Asmedia ASM106x SATA Host Controller Driver v2.0.4.0000" (sometimes the driver version does not match the package version).

It can also be downloaded from the following link:
hxxps://download.asrock.com/Drivers/All/SATA/Asmedia_SATA3(v2.0.4).zip

First of all, try for the Silicon Image sata card: there is less chance of success, but in case of a failed installation, most likely, you might get only an error code 10 or 39 and not a BSOD.

There is a much better chance of getting a working driver by installing a version of the asahci32.sys for the intel sata controller. But in case of failure the BSOD on reboot is guaranteed

[Dave-H]

Thank you again, especially for the links!

I will try with that driver and let you know how I get on.
Cheers, Dave.

[Dave-H]

Back again!

No go I'm afraid. 
The ASMedia driver installed OK, and no BSOD on reboot this time, but the boot splash screen animation just moved very very slowly and never went any further.
Trying in Safe Mode did produce a BSOD, the first time STOP 0x000000C2 (BAD_POOL_CALLER) and then the second time STOP 0x0000007E.

It was worth a try though, thanks very much @Andalu!

I guess I'm just going to have to accept that I'm not going to be able to use my 3TB disk on an eSATA connection with XP.
The only answer would be to somehow get an actual ASMedia card into the system, which as they are only PCI-E is going to be physically impossible at the moment.

I suppose there are no such things as PCI-E extender cables which will allow the card to be physically separated from its slot?
There are right-angled spacers and that sort of thing, but none of the ones I've seen will work around my particular problem I'm afraid.

Cheers,
Dave.

[Andalu]

@Dave-H

thank you for your report.
Have you tried the asmedia driver for both controllers (silicon image and intel)?

Could you please tell me what your motherboard is?

[D.Draker]

On 1/23/2024 at 12:48 AM, Dave-H said:

Is there a 32 bit version of that 1.2.15.3 driver?
I did look a week or two ago, but I couldn't find one.
I'll have another search.
It's a very long shot IMO, but it's worth a try!

Dave, sorry for the delay! I was only able to find.

Silicon Image SiI 3512 SATALink Controller Driver v.1.3.64 for Windows XP, it's still older than yours.

https://driverscollection.com/_4336253885718f2c231da2e7a7a/Download-SONY-VGN-BX675P-Silicon-Image-SiI-3512-SATALink-Controller-Driver-v.1.3.64-for-Windows-XP-free

[Dave-H]

3 hours ago, Andalu said:

@Dave-H

thank you for your report.
Have you tried the asmedia driver for both controllers (silicon image and intel)?

Could you please tell me what your motherboard is?

My motherboard is a Supermicro X7DAL-E+ server board.
I only tried the ASMedia driver on the Silicon Image eSATA card, as that's the only place I really need to use it.