Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!bobsbox!graphics!bobl From: bobl@graphics.rent.com (Bob Lindabury - SysAdm) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: 1.44M drive in an old IBM-AT.....help! Message-ID: <83mX13w164w@graphics.rent.com> Date: 24 Apr 91 23:57:54 GMT References: <20768@brahms.udel.edu> Organization: The Graphics BBS (2D,3D,GIF,Animation) +1 908/469-0049 Lines: 67 feurer@brahms.udel.edu (Gary Alan Feurer) writes: > In article <1991Apr24.143502.23888@NPIRS.Purdue.EDU> etryon@NPIRS.Purdue.EDU > =>Hi, > => > => Have a major problem! Have an old IBM-AT and a Wyse 286 (4 > =>years old). Both machnies have or had 1.2M 5.25" A: drives and > =>720K 3.5" B: drives. Both B: drives need to be replaced and > =>upgraded to 3.5" drives with 1.44M. After several attempts to > =>install it became clear the BIOS or something was not going to > =>let the machines understand a 1.44M drive was present. The > =>directory on both harddisks could be read but gets "sector not > =>found" errors when data is being read from the disk. > => Do I need to buy a new BIOS??? The floppy 1.44M drives are > =>Mitsumi 45223. We have tried using a newer controller cards in > =>both machines (DTK 2-FDO card), with and without the card's BIOS. > =>HELP!!!!!! > => Thanks for any suggestions. > => Earl > =>-- > I am currently having exactly the same problem with an old AT. There may > be several of us, so maybe replies to the net would not be out of order. > Thanks. --gary > > -- > Gary A. Feurer Instructional Technology > 303B Hall Education Building work: (302) 451-2751 > University of Delaware home: (215) 255-5124 > Newark, DE 19716 feurer@brahms.udel.edu I *was* having the same problem with my AT. You are right, the bios doesn't know about 1.44 meg drives because it's to old of a bios. Now, don't go crazy, there are solutions. What I'm currently using is a program (actually a suite of programs) and a driver from a company called Bastech Inc. out of North Hollywood, CA 91605. The software is dated 1988 and I got it from a friend (original disk). What you have is a device driver that you load in your config.sys and some utility programs that will let you read/write/format 1.44 and 720 3.5" drives. I don't know how easy to come by this software is but it works for me. It is not the best solution however. The second solution that I know of is to purchase a newer hard disk / floppy controller card that has it's own rom bios built in. This will function better than the software driver and it will allow programs such as Norton to recognize the fact that you do have a 1.44 meg drive around for use. When I use Norton for formatting disks, the software solution doesn't provide Norton Utils with the information on the drive so Norton doesn't know it's there. You have to use thier format35 software for formatting disks. The hardware solution I believe works just as a normal drive would work. I don't really know for sure as I don't own a newer RLL controller with the Rom built in. I have the old original MFM card that was supplied with circa 1985 IBM AT machines. ARGH! -- Bob The Graphics BBS 908/469-0049 "It's better than a sharp stick in the eye!" ============================================================================ InterNet: bobl@graphics.rent.com | Raven Enterprises UUCP: ...rutgers!bobsbox!graphics!bobl | 25 Raven Avenue BitNet: bobl%graphics.rent.com@pucc | Piscataway, NJ 08854 Home #: 908/560-7353 | 908/271-8878