When I HPA'ed one of my HDDs, the partitioner, at least the Ubuntu partitioner, still showed the native size!

This was despite I know that the HPA'ing was successful.

This problem don't occur with Windows.

This can have bad consequences, just like when the HDD is hooked to an early PC, can cause sector errors, because of the OS attempting to access LBAs beyond the max that is seen by the BIOS.

I have a machine (Intel mobo, 2.8Ghz P4 HT) that, I think, has a bum IDE controller. Somehow, grrr, I've lost the 160gb Seagate Barracuda ide hdd.

I installed Ubuntu. Later PCLinux. With Grub, the two had no issues with booting or access. Then I installed LinuxMint. (I ain't a guru by any stretch)

Somewhere in the last install I got a "nothing". A blank screen with a cursor in the upper left. Didn't think anything of it. I run UPSes on everything, what could go wrong?

The hdd is inaccessable, not detected on several other machines now.

So much for a 'free' machine, P4 or not. Going to give it a hammer dance now. -grumble-