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From: alexank@prism.cs.orst.edu (Kelly Alexander)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: SUMMARY: 1.44MB 3.5" drives, BIOS, XT, and getting it all to work
Message-ID: <1991Mar01.203735.26600@lynx.CS.ORST.EDU>
Date: 1 Mar 91 20:37:35 GMT
References: <31458@sequoia.execu.com>
Sender: @lynx.CS.ORST.EDU
Reply-To: alexank@prism.CS.ORST.EDU (Kelly Alexander)
Organization: Oregon State Univ. -- Computer Science
Lines: 38
Nntp-Posting-Host: prism.cs.orst.edu

In article <31458@sequoia.execu.com> newsgst@sequoia.execu.com (Net News) writes:
>Maybe not everything you wanted to know, but hey, it's free!
>
>	If you get a controller without its own BIOS, and have an old
>BIOS on the motherboard then you can get the system to think you have
>a 720k 3.5" but this is an ugly kludge, so don't do it! :)  What you
>need to do in your config.sys is put in either:
>
>DRIVPARM=/D:1 /F:2
>
>   or
>
>Device=Driver.Sys
>
>This will essentially patch your BIOS to think it has a 720k drive(s?).
>I have not tried the above, but it sounds reasonable.
>
	I've got an XT Clone with a BIOS dated 2/5/81 with a 720k 3.5" hooked
to an equally outdated FDC designed for 360k 5.25" and I've managed to fake 
it into thinking 'D' drive is a 720k for formating purposes and read/write, 
and 'B' as a 720k for reading/writing purposes by adding to the config.sys:

        	     DEVICE= C:\DRIVER.SYS /D:1 /F:2

	This actually works most of the time, but some applications will not
acknoledge the 'D' drive (WordStar 4.0 for one) so you have to run it as 'B'
and hope it works.  Mine does most of the time, but sometimes you have to 
reboot and start again....... :)

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|      Kelly Alexander      | "When you look at the world, just remember that|
| alexank@prism.cs.orst.edu |  some people just aren't built on a whole lot  |
|  OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY  |  of points......."          -D. White          |
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