Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!tank!ncar!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!microsoft!leefi From: leefi@microsoft.UUCP (Lee Fisher) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: DRIVPARM Message-ID: <102@microsoft.UUCP> Date: 19 Dec 88 01:30:02 GMT References: <4365@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM> <317@indep1.UUCP> Distribution: comp Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA Lines: 100 > In article <4365@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes: ... [Keith tells how he updated to MS-DOS v3.30A to get DRIVPARM to work...] ... > Let me tell you a story. I called the number above for information > about obtaining the upgrade. They said to call 1-800-426-9400. So I > did. > > When I finally got to talk to someone at that (9400) number, they told > me that the DOS was an IBM product and had to be upgraded through > IBM. The IBM number that they had was 1-800-426-3333. So I called it. > > The person who answered THAT (3333) number told me that ALL DOS > upgrades are performed by their Dealers, who should have an upgrade > "kit" that will perform the upgrade. They told me to call (right - > another number) 1-800-426-2468. So I did. > > The person that answered that (2468) number asked me for the zip code > of the Dealer that I purchased the DOS from (Egghead - Schaumburg, > IL), which I gave them. They told me that Egghead was NOT an > Authorized IBM Dealer and they gave me the names of several in the > area. So I called one. > > The person that answered at MicroAge in Vernon Hills, IL told me that > he never heard of an upgrade kit. He also said that they don't carry > DOS 3.3 any more, and wouldn't I be interested in purchasing DOS 4.0? > (I've NEVER found anyone at that store to be of any use whatsoever.) > > When I called Egghead, THEY said that they WERE authorized by IBM to > sell their DOS, but they never heard of an upgrade kit either. > > So, to sum up, WHERE do I get an upgrade to PC-DOS 3.30A? I would > really like to have a working DRIVEPARM, etc., and feel that I > shouldn't have to work this hard to get it. > > Pete Franks [I'd already replied to the original poster, telling them how to update their copy of Microsoft MS-DOS v3.30 to v3.30A, which fixes the problem they were experiencing with DRIVPARM. This message brings up a few common misconceptions that I'd like to try to clarify.] IBM PC-DOS does NOT support DRIVPARM. Look in their documentation: it is not there. Instead, try using DRIVER.SYS, or see if you can get a new release of your ROM BIOS to properly support your hardware. The way I understand it, the reason that IBM doesn't use DRIVPARM is that if you have all IBM hardware, you don't NEED the DRIVPARM command, since you ROM BIOS will properly support your hardware, and PC-DOS would not need DRIVPARM to try to fool the system into thinking it supports hardware it doesn't understand. There is no IBM PC-DOS 3.30A. This is why your dealers have not heard of an update kit for this. There was an update provided by IBM for IBM PC-DOS 3.30 which is available by IBM dealers. (I've also seen the thing somewhere on Compu$erve, I think.) IBM PC-DOS is sold through IBM authorized dealers. It is not sold or updated by Microsoft. Microsoft MS-DOS, beginning with v3.2, DOES support DRIVPARM. MS-DOS v3.30 had a problem in which DRIVPARM did not work. MS-DOS v3.30A fixed this problem. MS-DOS is an OEM licensed product, not sold to the public (compared to something like Microsoft WORD). OEMs license this product, sell it to their customers, and are contractually obligated to support and update their customers. There are two basic flavors of MS-DOS, the Packaged Product release (which is for 100% IBM compatible systems, and is not modified by an OEM), and all of the OEM modified releases (in which they add value-added features and/or support hardware that is not 100% IBM compatible), such as AT&T, Compaq, etc. The Microsoft MS-DOS Packaged Product release began with MS-DOS 3.2: there was no generic Packaged Product release of MS-DOS before this release of MS-DOS. In some releases of the MS-DOS Packaged Product release (such as MS-DOS v3.20 -> v3.21 and v3.30 -> v3.30A), the Microsoft Customer Support group updates customers. For OEM-modified releases of MS-DOS, this group does not (cannot) update customers, since any changes in the software would have to be re-integrated into the OEM-modified release of MS-DOS. I hope this has clarified some of the differences between IBM PC-DOS, the generic Microsoft MS-DOS, and the OEM adaptation of MS-DOS. Please don't flame Microsoft for not updating IBM PC-DOS or an OEM release of MS-DOS. For those releases of the MS-DOS Packaged Product listed above, we will update these. The domestic USA Microsoft Product Support number is (206) 454-2030. For other countries, contact the Microsoft subsidiary in that country. In case my .signature doesn't make it and it isn't completely obvious, my opinions are my *own*, not those of my employer... Thanks, Lee -- Lee Fisher - Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA - leefi@microsof.UUCP leefi%microsof@uw-beaver.MIL - leefi@microsof.beaver.washington.EDU {uw-beaver,decvax,decwrl,intelca,sco,sun,trsvax,uunet}!microsof!leefi Ka nama kaa lajerama. My opinions are obviously my own responsibility.