Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!van-bc!mdivax1!mitchell
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.programmer
Subject: Re: ST01 & OS/2 clash (was: OS/2 problem with AT clone)
Keywords: OS/2 installation Seagate ST01 BIOS problem
Message-ID: <1990Dec3.144830.11150@mdivax1.uucp>
Date: 3 Dec 90 14:48:30 GMT
References: <1990Dec3.002622.14210@talos.pm.com>
Reply-To: mdivax1!bb29c!mitchell (Bill Mitchell)
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Organization: Mobile Data International
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In article <1990Dec3.002622.14210@talos.pm.com> mckenney@talos.pm.com (Frank McKenney) writes:
>BACKGROUND
>----------
>A few weeks back I reported that my Everex AT clone was unable to
>boot either the OS/2 1.1 or 1.2 Installation Diskettes. I <could>
>boot IBM PC DOS 3.3 from the A: drive with no problems.
>
[.....]
>
>SUCCESSFUL WORK-AROUND
>----------------------
>Removing the Seagate ST01 SCSI Host Adapter made the problem go
>away.
>
[.....]
>
>UGLY DETAILS
>------------
>It turns out that the BIOS in my Seagate ST01 SCSI Host Adapter
>was mangling the diskette parameter tables so carefully set up by
>my System BIOS, setting a track limit of <8> sectors per track.
>Yes, this is an odd thing for an <HD-only> adapter to do...
>
[.....]
>
>I would expect this bug to affect <any> boot code that trusts the
>diskette parameters set up for it (i.e. non-DOS systems). Seagate
>Tech Support (800-468-3472) says that this problem has been fixed
>in the current ST01 BIOS, level 3.2 (my ST01, purchased last
>December, is at level 3.0). They also won't sell me an updated
>BIOS chip.
>
[.....]
>
>Any recommendations for an inexpensive AT-type SCSI adapter which
>can coexist with an MFM controller and for which an OS/2 driver
>exists?
>

Ouch!  I'd recommend a controller made by someone other than Seagate.
I'll surely remember this tale of woe in my future disk upgrades.

-- 
mitchell@mdi.com (Bill Mitchell)