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From: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Compaq Hard Disks
Keywords: Compaq, hard disks
Message-ID: <4044@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Date: 26 Jul 90 21:29:12 GMT
References: <11035@chaph.usc.edu>
Reply-To: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen)
Distribution: na
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Lines: 18

In article <11035@chaph.usc.edu> asplund@alcor.usc.edu (Daryl) writes:
>I have, what I thought to be, a simple question about a friend's Compaq 
>Deskpro 386/16.  His original disk drive (40Mb) died on him.  He has a
>Seagate ST251-1 (40Mb, 27ms) drive that he would like to use; however,
....

I have been told, and am no expert on compaq's by any means, the following...
1. Compaq uses a funny disk standard.  The drive may be mfm (or rll  - I spose)
    However, the controller is split up differently that a st506 interface.
    More of the controller is mounted on the drive.
2. In order to use a st251 or sim drive, several different possibilities exist.
a. Strip this extra 'stuff' off the dead compaq drive & rig it all up somehow.
b. If the controller isn't the original deskpro type, the drive controller
   can be disabled via jumpers.  These jumpers are undocumented and known
   only to quasi-psycotic hard-core compaq dealers.
Maybe somebody from compaq can or will provide the information we all need.
Maybe somebody that has worked on a least one deskpro can provide the same.
al