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zeusters · Aug 13, 2008, 06:11 AM

I have a used Compaq EVO n800v. I can install and run Windows 2000 on two different 6gb hard drives. When I try to install on a 30 and a 40gb hard drive the installation cd sees the whole 30 or 40gbs and loads onto the hard drive but when a reboot is needed to complete the installation it will not boot the hard drive. I have also tried installing Linux. Same thing. It will load and boot from the 6gb but when trying to boot from the larger ones I get an error 18. Looking around I found that this means the bios can not see anything bigger than a 8gb hard drive. These units were originally shipped with 20 to 60gb hard drives. I tried to reset the bios/cmos by removing the cmos battery for 48hours. I have flashed the bios with the latest version but still no change. Any help or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Scleros · Aug 13, 2008, 08:59 PM

Compaq Evo Notebook N800v - North America/U.S. QuickSpecs confirms it shipped originally with up to 60 GB drive. So, verify BIOS setup has LBA mode enabled for hard disk.

zeusters · Aug 14, 2008, 05:47 AM

It has the most limited bios settings that I have seen. There is no option to enable LBA mode. Can't figure out how it must have had a bigger hard drive at one time and now will only see small ones.

Scleros · Aug 14, 2008, 03:04 PM

This HP support document discusses an 8 GB limitation with hard drives larger than 8 GB installed in Multibay. Is that your configuration? If so, you need BIOS F.1B or later.

zeusters · Aug 14, 2008, 05:15 PM

I'm using a later bios than discussed there. The download is a later version and the later version shows up in the system info.
It's F.24 . Wish I could find the version listed there. Might solve the problem.

Scleros · Aug 14, 2008, 05:45 PM

Have you talked to HP support?

zeusters · Aug 15, 2008, 02:50 PM

HPSupport says it's out of warranty. Take it to an authorized dealer. Big help they were.

Scleros · Aug 15, 2008, 06:13 PM

The F.1C BIOS on HP's website lists "Fixes error where FDISK could only see 8GB of 40GB and 60GB in the Multibay Hard Drive" as a fix. Sometimes old bugs work their way back into newer builds, have you tried that BIOS?

zeusters · Aug 16, 2008, 07:04 AM

I can not find any bios version to download except the latest.

Scleros · Aug 16, 2008, 07:35 PM

Are you on non U.S. site?

HP Website > Search field at top of page "evo N800v" > Product Quick Links "Software and Driver Downloads" > Microsoft Windows XP Professional > BIOS

zeusters · Aug 18, 2008, 05:31 AM

That looks like what I need but it creates a bootable disk. I do not have a floppy drive. Do you know if it's possible to make a bootable cd from something like this? I know how to burn a iso file and create a bootable cd.
Thanks for all your help.

Scleros · Aug 18, 2008, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by zeusters

Do you know if it's possible to make a bootable cd from something like this?

I keep a USB floppy drive for situations like this. I've attached a .ZIP file containing all of the files on the floppy that is created by the HP diskette creator. I had to name it with a .PDF extension to get this site to upload it as it was over the size limit for .ZIP files. Rename it FLOPPY.ZIP. I would guess the files could go on a CD just as easily although I've never tried doing it that way. I'm also not going to hold my breath that this BIOS version will be the fix. I suspect you'll need to take the laptop to a HP dealer.