[SOLVED] detect unformatted disk size

[iamtheky]

any keen ways of detecting bare metal disk size? All my solutions seem to only function on formatted media.

Edited June 2, 2011 by iamtheky

[BrewManNH]

I don't believe there's a way to detect that because different file systems have different overheads when they format a drive.

[Tripredacus]

You can try WMI. I don't have a system I can test anything out on yet, but I'm looking at these as starting points.

Win32_LogicalDisk

Win32_DiskQuota

[GEOSoft]

Win32_DiskQuota won't do it with any drive

I just tested Win32_LogicalDisk against a drive that I zero filled a couple of days ago and it can't be done that way either.

I can get a return value for Size using Win32_DiskDrive but there is really no way to access it for a particular drive unless you know either the drive ID or the Index of the drive.

Also the figure returned in that case is not correct. The tested drive is a little 120GB drive and the return value is 114.5GB although there is always some manufacturer overhead.

You might be able to calculate it from CHST (Which is returned) but I forget the formula for doing it.

Here is the AutoIt Scriptomatic code for it. I removed the date function and the reference to it because that function sucks and it won't return anything here anyway. I also did the calculation from bytes to Gbytes rounded to 2 decimal places.

expandcollapse popup

; Generated by AutoIt Scriptomatic June 01, 2011

$wbemFlagReturnImmediately = 0x10
$wbemFlagForwardOnly = 0x20
$colItems = ""
$strComputer = "localhost"

$Output=""
$Output &= "Computer: " & $strComputer  & @CRLF
$Output &= "==========================================" & @CRLF
$objWMIService = ObjGet("winmgmts:\\" & $strComputer & "\root\CIMV2")
$colItems = $objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_DiskDrive", "WQL", _
                                          $wbemFlagReturnImmediately + $wbemFlagForwardOnly)

If IsObj($colItems) then
   For $objItem In $colItems
      $Output &= "Availability: " & $objItem.Availability & @CRLF
      $Output &= "BytesPerSector: " & $objItem.BytesPerSector & @CRLF
      $strCapabilities = $objItem.Capabilities(0)
      $Output &= "Capabilities: " & $strCapabilities & @CRLF
      $strCapabilityDescriptions = $objItem.CapabilityDescriptions(0)
      $Output &= "CapabilityDescriptions: " & $strCapabilityDescriptions & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Caption: " & $objItem.Caption & @CRLF
      $Output &= "CompressionMethod: " & $objItem.CompressionMethod & @CRLF
      $Output &= "ConfigManagerErrorCode: " & $objItem.ConfigManagerErrorCode & @CRLF
      $Output &= "ConfigManagerUserConfig: " & $objItem.ConfigManagerUserConfig & @CRLF
      $Output &= "CreationClassName: " & $objItem.CreationClassName & @CRLF
      $Output &= "DefaultBlockSize: " & $objItem.DefaultBlockSize & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Description: " & $objItem.Description & @CRLF
      $Output &= "DeviceID: " & $objItem.DeviceID & @CRLF
      $Output &= "ErrorCleared: " & $objItem.ErrorCleared & @CRLF
      $Output &= "ErrorDescription: " & $objItem.ErrorDescription & @CRLF
      $Output &= "ErrorMethodology: " & $objItem.ErrorMethodology & @CRLF
      $Output &= "FirmwareRevision: " & $objItem.FirmwareRevision & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Index: " & $objItem.Index & @CRLF
      ;$Output &= "InstallDate: " & WMIDateStringToDate($objItem.InstallDate) & @CRLF
      $Output &= "InterfaceType: " & $objItem.InterfaceType & @CRLF
      $Output &= "LastErrorCode: " & $objItem.LastErrorCode & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Manufacturer: " & $objItem.Manufacturer & @CRLF
      $Output &= "MaxBlockSize: " & $objItem.MaxBlockSize & @CRLF
      $Output &= "MaxMediaSize: " & $objItem.MaxMediaSize & @CRLF
      $Output &= "MediaLoaded: " & $objItem.MediaLoaded & @CRLF
      $Output &= "MediaType: " & $objItem.MediaType & @CRLF
      $Output &= "MinBlockSize: " & $objItem.MinBlockSize & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Model: " & $objItem.Model & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Name: " & $objItem.Name & @CRLF
      $Output &= "NeedsCleaning: " & $objItem.NeedsCleaning & @CRLF
      $Output &= "NumberOfMediaSupported: " & $objItem.NumberOfMediaSupported & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Partitions: " & $objItem.Partitions & @CRLF
      $Output &= "PNPDeviceID: " & $objItem.PNPDeviceID & @CRLF
      $strPowerManagementCapabilities = $objItem.PowerManagementCapabilities(0)
      $Output &= "PowerManagementCapabilities: " & $strPowerManagementCapabilities & @CRLF
      $Output &= "PowerManagementSupported: " & $objItem.PowerManagementSupported & @CRLF
      $Output &= "SCSIBus: " & $objItem.SCSIBus & @CRLF
      $Output &= "SCSILogicalUnit: " & $objItem.SCSILogicalUnit & @CRLF
      $Output &= "SCSIPort: " & $objItem.SCSIPort & @CRLF
      $Output &= "SCSITargetId: " & $objItem.SCSITargetId & @CRLF
      $Output &= "SectorsPerTrack: " & $objItem.SectorsPerTrack & @CRLF
      $Output &= "SerialNumber: " & $objItem.SerialNumber & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Signature: " & $objItem.Signature & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Size: " & Round($objItem.Size/1024^3, 2) & "Gb" & @CRLF
      $Output &= "Status: " & $objItem.Status & @CRLF
      $Output &= "StatusInfo: " & $objItem.StatusInfo & @CRLF
      $Output &= "SystemCreationClassName: " & $objItem.SystemCreationClassName & @CRLF
      $Output &= "SystemName: " & $objItem.SystemName & @CRLF
      $Output &= "TotalCylinders: " & $objItem.TotalCylinders & @CRLF
      $Output &= "TotalHeads: " & $objItem.TotalHeads & @CRLF
      $Output &= "TotalSectors: " & $objItem.TotalSectors & @CRLF
      $Output &= "TotalTracks: " & $objItem.TotalTracks & @CRLF
      $Output &= "TracksPerCylinder: " & $objItem.TracksPerCylinder & @CRLF
      if Msgbox(1,"WMI Output",$Output) = 2 then ExitLoop
      $Output=""
   Next
Else
   Msgbox(0,"WMI Output","No WMI Objects Found for class: " & "Win32_DiskDrive" )
Endif

[GEOSoft]

From a TestDisk page we also get this

Under DOS, TestDisk gets the disk sizes using an extended BIOS function (ah=0x48, int 0x13), and geometry (number of heads and sectors) using a standard BIOS function (ah=0x08, int 0x13). TestDisk uses the default sector size of 512 bytes.

Under Windows, TestDisk gets the numbers of cylinders, heads and sectors, and the sector size using the DeviceIoControl call, IOCTL_DISK_GET_DRIVE_GEOMETRY.

Ref: http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Menu_Geometry

That means that you can get the geometry with a dll call but you would still have to do the calculations to get the size.

Someone else can come along and give you the DLL call to get the info.

Just found the calculation based on the standard 512 bytes per sector

sectorbytes = 512

bytes = sectorbytes * sectors * cylinders * heads

[iamtheky]

Thank you, that works nicely in session and will be a excellent snippet to keep. However, i failed to mention that I am attempting this from a WinPE environment which has no love for WMI (no object).

All apologies for my lack of clear direction and/or my clear lack of direction

[Tripredacus]

Is there a reason you haven't added the WMI Package into your WinPE?

[iamtheky]

getting there, hadnt had a need up till now..

[BrewManNH]

Why do you need the unformatted size of a drive anyways? Just curious, because the information isn't of much use because the formatted size is always less, and that depends on what file system you use to format it.

If you're really interested in such things, crack the case open and look at the drive label, it's always on there somewhere.

[UEZ]

Maybe Diskpart will help.

Br,

UEZ

[iamtheky]

Why do you need the unformatted size of a drive anyways?

Solid question.

I have a fork in the road that detects drive size and then diskparts accordingly. This worked charmingly until they dropped the image on a virtualbox with a new disk. Even if you create a static disk there is no proper return (that i have found yet).

**no format is conducted up front because if the drive does not meet minimum requirements the load is refused, prefer not to wipe their drive and then reject it**

So i was looking for a way to determine drive size regardless of data, then go do the fork.

@Uez - "list disk" up front might do the trick, just have to pipe that size out somewhere usable. Thanks for the recommendations/questions, they are forcing me to explore more options.

Edited June 1, 2011 by iamtheky

[Tripredacus]

I'm probably going to need something like this as well for my deployment code. We had ordered a 3TB drive from corporate but haven't gotten it yet. We've already ran into situations where the normal deployment would make a 2TB partition on a 3TB drive because diskpart's default formatting type uses MBR. So I'm thinking (have planned this a while now but no drive to test on yet) that my app can detect the drive size, if over 2TB, prompt to install as GPT. I already know how the entire process works, and a pretty good idea how to automate it.

But oh about the WinPE, I always build mine with all the extra packages in them. To quote:

This adds the HTA, MDAC, Scripting and WMI packages. The MDAC may or may not be required for you, but not having it only can limit future development

From here. So I've always taken the presence of WMI for granted.

EDIT: regarding the diskpart automation, I had already checked the SDK for OPK and it doesn't cover anything for Diskpart. I think the main problem might be that when you run Diskpart it runs as a shell, which just means you always need to make it exit. You could probably do a "diskpart /s findsize.txt > result.txt" then do a string read off that file.

Edited June 1, 2011 by Tripredacus

[iamtheky]

thanks for the link, i really should spend more time over there.

[rover]

code from WinAPIEx.au3 example folder

works in WinPE 2.0

#Include <WinAPIEx.au3>

Opt('MustDeclareVars', 1)

Global $tDISK_GEOMETRY_EX, $Drive = 0

While 1
    $tDISK_GEOMETRY_EX = _WinAPI_GetDriveGeometryEx($Drive)
    If @error Then
        ExitLoop
    EndIf
    If Not $Drive Then
        ConsoleWrite('-------------------------------' & @CR)
    EndIf
    ConsoleWrite('Drive: ' & $Drive & @CR)
    ConsoleWrite('Cylinders: ' & DllStructGetData($tDISK_GEOMETRY_EX, 'Cylinders') & @CR)
    ConsoleWrite('Tracks per Cylinder: ' & DllStructGetData($tDISK_GEOMETRY_EX, 'TracksPerCylinder') & @CR)
    ConsoleWrite('Sectors per Track: ' & DllStructGetData($tDISK_GEOMETRY_EX, 'SectorsPerTrack') & @CR)
    ConsoleWrite('Bytes per Sector: ' & DllStructGetData($tDISK_GEOMETRY_EX, 'BytesPerSector') & ' bytes' & @CR)
    ConsoleWrite('Total Space: ' & DllStructGetData($tDISK_GEOMETRY_EX, 'DiskSize') & ' bytes' & @CR& @CR)
    ConsoleWrite('-------------------------------' & @CR)
    $Drive +=1
WEnd

Edited June 1, 2011 by rover

[BrewManNH]

Would this function be of any use for an unformatted drive because unformatted drives have no drive letter? Or does it work by drive number as well, as the example you posted used, because the function you used said it needs a drive letter.

Does a non-formatted, non-fdisk'ed drive have a drive number to the OS?

[rover]

Would this function be of any use for an unformatted drive because unformatted drives have no drive letter? Or does it work by drive number as well, as the example you posted used, because the function you used said it needs a drive letter.

Does a non-formatted, non-fdisk'ed drive have a drive number to the OS?

It's an error in the documentation.

If you look at the function you would see it calls

CreateFileEx with a physical drive number 0,1,2...

and yes it works with unformatted drives, even on a WinPE platform.

just a few API calls to kernel32.dll

and no drive letter for a unformatted disk.

[BrewManNH]

Very useful.

[iamtheky]

APIex is the big winner, even handles 'dynamic expanding disks' inside virtual machines (with a tolerable discrepancy between reported and actual).

Thanks Rover

Edited June 2, 2011 by iamtheky