Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cwjcc!gatech!udel!mmdf
From: Peter_Van_Epp@cc.sfu.ca
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Device drivers damaging HW
Message-ID: <20515@louie.udel.EDU>
Date: 26 Jul 89 16:48:48 GMT
Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU
Lines: 8

I don't see how you could damage a floppy drive with a device driver (the
floppy controller chip should keep you from doing anything damaging, however
it is possible to destroy at least IBM monitors by reprogramming the 6845 in
the mono and CGA cards (ie. setting incorrect scan rates and funny screen
sizes) there used to be a warning about this in the IBM Tech Ref (as I recall).
I don't know if the same is true of the EGA cards (it may depend on whose EGA
it is!) since they don't contain 6845's any more (but it may still be possible
to change the scan rate).