Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!spdcc!merk!alliant!linus!gateway.mitre.org!carlson
From: carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: DMA controller chip error
Keywords: Fastback, DMA
Message-ID: <80944@linus.UUCP>
Date: 20 Nov 89 19:59:24 GMT
References: <941@ac.dal.ca>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson)
Organization: The Mitre Corporation
Lines: 26

In article <941@ac.dal.ca> bertfram@ac.dal.ca writes:
>I just bought a copy of Fastback +.  When I configured it the other day
>it informed me that I have an error in my DMA controller chip.  I'm not
>a happy camper.  They suggested that I buy a fix from them.  This is the
>first I've heard of this problem, and it hasn't seemed to affect anything

>MORRISON@UG.CS.DAL.CA
>BERTFRAM@DALAC
>MORRISON@MOON.SBA.DAL

Check to make sure you have specified the type of floppy disk you have, that
you have formatted the disk you are using, and that the disk is good; then
have Fastback+ do the DMA test again.

My AST Premium failed all the DMA tests and when I called the Fastback+
tech support they told me it was probably because I had Windows installed
(although not active) or because of some TSR I was using.  However,
the real problem was that I was using a bad HD 5 1/4 inch disk when I 
did the DMA test.  Since the floppy disk was bad Fastback+ could never 
successfully use the DMA to back up my hard disk.  After I switched to
a good floppy disk my PC passed all the DMA tests, up to the highest
speed.

Your results may vary.

Bruce Carlson