Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!rex!uflorida!travis!hardy!leoh From: leoh@hardy.hdw.csd.harris.com (Leo Hinds) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: How do I add a 3.5" 1.44M drive to my old XT? Message-ID: <2752@travis.csd.harris.com> Date: 22 Mar 91 20:24:02 GMT References: <12206@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> Sender: news@travis.csd.harris.com Organization: Harris Computer Systems, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Lines: 55 In article hollen@megatek.UUCP (Dion Hollenbeck) writes: >In article <12206@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> sadoyama@argon.berkeley.edu (Eric Sadoyama) writes: >> I've got an old Leading Edge Model D (an XT-compatible) that I'd like >> to add a 3.5" 1.44M drive to, either internally or externally. I've >> been told that for various reasons, I can't do this. Why? >I went through this with an old DTK 8088 motherboard and DTK BIOS >and eventually ended upgrading to a 286. Yes, I was in the same >situation as you, I wanted larger floppies on my wife's trusty 8088. >I got the proper controller, which will most likely be necessary >since XT's did not generally recognize 1.44m drives. Then, I could >not get it to be recognized by the BIOS. Tried installable device >drivers, these failed too. Upgraded the BIOS (actually tried >6 different versions from different makers) and finally got a DTK >BIOS new enough to be able to recognize the drive. The trouble was >that even though FASTBACK could use the drive, and NORTON SF could >format a disk, DOS format kept giving me a "general failure" error. >I tried upgrading to DOS4.01from 3.2. This did not help. I converted my true blue (5 slot/256Kmb) IBM PC to use 1.44 MB floppies. What I had to do was the following: 1) upgrade to dos 4.01 2) Use a sysgen omni-bridge (4 floppy) controller. I tried about 6 or 7 different controllers with no good results until I tried the sysgen. The sysgen controller acts like a XT HD controller (ROM that takes over during the boot process). The only negative I could see is the the sysgen is a little slow with the 1.44 drive (or it just might be the drive - teac). >The bottom line is that it MAY be possible to get the right >combination of controller, BIOS, device driver and DOS to get >what you want, but I would bet dollars to donuts you are going >to go through a lot of money and more time and cursing trying >to get it to work. Bottom line, no trouble from any standpoint in the recognition of the 1.44 by DOS of any other program. leoh@hdw.csd.harris.com Leo Hinds (305)973-5229 Gfx ... gfx ... :-) whfg orpnhfr V "ebg"grq zl fvtangher svyr lbh guvax V nz n creireg ?!!!!!!? ... znlor arkg gvzr