Question Current USB 3.x Bridge Chipsets that support 4096 sector re-emulation?

[sultroy]

In the past, I've used Asmedia's ASM1051(E) and ASM1053(E) USB 3.0 bridge chipsets for 4k sector re-emulation when (for whatever reason) I've needed to format a 2.19TB+ drive using MBR rather than GPT.

Several bridge boards from the era in which the 1051 and 1053 were popular offered firmware that supported 4k sector re-emulation. Both of these chipsets are old now, and bridges/enclosures that use them aren't in production or otherwise available.

The ASM1153(E) replaced the 1051 and 1053, but only a few OEM's produced any hardware with the newer ASM1153(E) chipset that have the 4k sector re-emulation feature enabled, or available as an option.

Now, the ASM1351 has replaced the 1153. I have been able to find exactly zero bridge boards with the ASM1351 that have the 4k sector re-emulation feature. I suppose this makes sense, since the current demand for the 4k sector re-emulation feature is also probably about zero.

So, I'm wondering if there are any other USB 3.x bridge chipsets/enclosures currently in production that do this legacy function?

 

[sultroy]

I couldn't find any devices featuring the ASM1351 that have the 4k sector re-emulation feature. One OEM offered to make a custom firmware for the ASM1351 with the feature, but only if I pre-ordered several hundred enclosures.

I found enough ASM1153E devices with the 4k sector re-emulation feature to complete my current project and have a few spares left. The era of this feature being available in new hardware appears to have reached its end.

 

[Billy Tallis]

Can you shed any light on what use case you still have for this? Are you trying to support a Windows XP box somewhere?

 

[mindfulbit]

I know this is a bump from last year, but technically this is still an open question and I've been on the same quest as the OP too, in trying to get my Seagate 8TB HDD to work with XP.

The following information may be helpful to both the OP and anyone else googling on how to force a >2TB hard drive to have 4k sectors so that e.g. it can work on Windows XP.

In 2020 and going forward, it is indeed extremely difficult to find a HDD enclosure or SATA adapter that re-emulates 4k sectors in its controller (AND via its firmware code which also has to make that choice).

There's many models still selling online that advertise 'compatible with [sizes like] 8TB', 'compatible with Windows XP' and even 'no drivers needed', all in the one product listing, but so far I've bought 2 and had to return them as turns out they do NOT do 4k sector emulation and do NOT work with Windows XP (32-bit).

I've also emailed some manufacturers who've said they DON'T offer 4k emulation. (E.g. Orico and Vantec.)

I've learned the hard way it's best to go with 4Kn drives from now on. But I can't return my 8TB drive. I want to make it useful in my environment.

---

I've found a potentially modern lead. I might pursue it if my 3rd enclosure coming in the mail doesn't work out.

Some brand new WD Elements external drives might still - as of 2020 - so 4k sector emulation:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Y3KDVZH?th=1

See this German amazon review: https://www.amazon.de/gp/customer-reviews/R2IE6DYVG19AC?ref_=fspcr_pl_sr_3_1_16_17449504031 (I use Google Translate.)

"Unfortunately, the built in controller uses a 4K sector emulation that used to be used to allow Windows XP to access disks > 2.2TB."

One could buy a 2TB version of this same WD Elements drive known to emulate 4k sectors, take out the 2TB drive, put in your own larger drive, then either sell or use the 2TB HDD on XP alongside your larger one now inside the enclosure.

I may email WD to confirm:

1. That the "WDBWLG0140HBK-EESN" (and that family) really does emulate 4K sectors so it can work with Windows XP.
2. That the firmware and 4k emulation capability is identical for this family of models no matter the capacity so 2TB model (WDBWLG0020HBK-EESN) is safe to purchase for my use case.

(Product family page: https://shop.westerndigital.com/en-...ements-desktop-usb-3-0-hdd#WDBWLG0020HBK-EESN)

@sultroy, are you still working on this quest? Maybe WD brand is another saviour going forward.

 

[myocardia]

Why in the world are you people going to these kind of extents to just avoid learning how to use Windows? I don't get it. To use a made in 2020 14GB disk with Windows XP requires nothing more than opening up Windows Disk Management, deleting the current single partions you have made on them, and making as many 2.0 GB partitions as the drive can hold, so 2.0GB x 7 for a 14GB disk. No more problem with Windows XP. I don't happen to remember though whether you can use the XP machine to do the larger than 2.0GB partition deletion but if not, borrow a newer machine to spend the 10 minutes it takes to make all of the new partitions, then shut the machine down, and you can use the XP machine to format all of your new, usable in Windows XP partitions. See how easy that was?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Why in the world are you people going to these kind of extents to just avoid learning how to use Windows? I don't get it. To use a made in 2020 14GB disk with Windows XP requires nothing more than opening up Windows Disk Management, deleting the current single partions you have made on them, and making as many 2.0 GB partitions as the drive can hold, so 2.0GB x 7 for a 14GB disk. No more problem with Windows XP. I don't happen to remember though whether you can use the XP machine to do the larger than 2.0GB partition deletion but if not, borrow a newer machine to spend the 10 minutes it takes to make all of the new partitions, then shut the machine down, and you can use the XP machine to format all of your new, usable in Windows XP partitions. See how easy that was?

This is a popular mis-conception. This DOES NOT work. (*)

(*) The reasoning behind this is technical, but it has to do with the fact that the MBR physical sector count, only allows up to 2TB partition size TOTAL, using 512B sectors. For the WHOLE drive. No matter how many partitions.

To get around this, you need somelike like ASRock's "3TB Disk Unlocker" driver.

Edit: If it WERE this simple, then there would likely be far less demand for "GPT" partitions.