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From: halcyon!ralphs@seattleu.edu (Ralph Sims)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc
Subject: Re: IDE's Help Wanted
Message-ID: <2Lk021w164w@halcyon.uucp>
Date: 20 May 91 21:09:12 GMT
References: <1991May20.151843.11705@vaxa.strath.ac.uk>
Organization: The 23:00 News and Mail Service
Lines: 25

cnav11@vaxa.strath.ac.uk writes:

> Does anyone have any more information on IDE's and was the dealer
> correct in telling me to avoid using utility programs.?

I'd be inclined to look for someone else to deal with, if possible.
On the surface, it sounds as if he doesn't have a handle on what
goes on in a computer system (I don't either, to the level of a tech,
but I am able to keep things afloat with a minimum of effort).  I
have heard more than once that 'It's not our hardware, it's your
software.'  I don't believe it.

I've been using IDE drives since 1987, with minimal problems.  With
these, I've used PCTOOLS in its various releases, Norton Utilities,
XTree, run news and mail systems, low-level formatted, etc.  I'd
have looked for other problems, such as a faulty CMOS chip, or even
a problem with the system's battery.  If utilities were bad (especially
commercial ones from reliable sources, i.e. Norton, Central Point, etc.),
they wouldn't stay on the market for too long.


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