Text 1418, 177 rader
Skriven 2004-12-29 07:59:42 av WAYNE CHIRNSIDE (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av JIM HOLSONBACK
Ärende: Installing UDMA Card
============================
->  WC> Well the Promise card doesn't support ATAPI CD-ROM and that's where
->  WC> I have to load my CD-ROM OEM software.

-> Something is wrong here - -  the Promise Ultra66 card _does_ support
-> ATAPI devices.  What makes you say that it doesn't?

Lack of mention of any such support in the manual.
When I had a Promise ISA EIDEMAX card in my 486 it clearly stated ATAPI 
support.

->  WC> This means I have to leave the onboard controller card enabled
->  WC> too use the CD drive.

->  WC> Thusly the Promise card doesn't exist as the primary controller
->  WC> but as another 2 primary channels, but the OEM Windows software
->  WC> doesn't like this at all.

-> AFAIK, Windows 9x will insist on being installed to and running from C:
-> drive only, if that's what you're talking about.

I created the first C: partition with Linux and toggled it boot active.

->  WC> Windows starts to install just fine but when it calls
->  WC> for reboot it fails for lack of a driver.

-> You remember exactly what the error msg said?

It was looking for the Promise driver but given the OEM
CD and blank formatted drive there was no way to install
the driver until Windows had loaded following reboot,
that's where it failed with the message.

-> Is your new large drive the only HDD in the system?

Only one.

->  WC> The driver is still available from from Promise download, archive
->  WC> however to to install it?

-> I haven't messed with the download from www.promise.com, but I do know
-> that the file "promise.exe" from the MicronPC website is a
-> self-extracting zipfile, and I put it in a separate "Promise" directory
-> and unzipped it (there are 10 or more files in there).  To "install" the
-> driver from within windows, I would have to send Windows there to look
-> for the driver file(s).  For your install, it might be easier to unzip
-> it to a Floppy diskette. I would assume that the Promise card defaults
-> to non-UDMA mode for compatibility before the UDMA66 driver is
-> installed. Maybe not?

Appears NOT :-(        
I only gave c: 8 Gig too. 

->  WC> The manual specifies it be installed from withing an operating Windows
->  WC> environment, a catch 22 situation.

-> How to get an operating Windows environment?  If your existing onboard
-> controller will recognize that 8GB partition you set aside for Win, you
-> could install Win on the new drive in your existing machine, get Win
-> working just right, and _then_ worry with installing the Ultra66 card
-> and driver for it?    

Nope, the BIOS reads the drive wrong, allows FDISK but fails 
on format after going through the motions.
Right after it reads 99 percent formatted it fails.

-> <   >
-> WC>I know it will if I disable the on motherboard existingI/O controller
-> WC> but then how to load my software from a CD the Promise card doesn't
-> WC> support, catch 22 again.

-> Again, there is something wrong here, unless the CDROM drive is an
-> older, slower (maybe 4x) drive which is not ATAPI compliant - - maybe
-> the Ultra66 card would not support that.       

32x LG drive.

->  -> Have you carefully studied the
->  -> Installation Guide for your Promise card, and correctly loaded the
->  -> Windows DRIVER for it? I'd also think you may need to disable your
->  -> onboard IDE controller - - have you done that?

That deprives me of the CD drive and without documentation
saying the Promise card supports ATAPI I'll not risk the drive.
Can't afford  mistakes here

->  WC> Seems little point as in so doing I can't load any software from
->  WC> the CD-ROM drive the Promise card doesn't support.

-> There _must_ be a way to get the thing going.

It _may_ be possible to get Linux alone going if I scrap
Windows but I'd still have to boot Linux to console mode withgout GUI
and resolve the conflict with the mouse
I won't do this as when my stamina fails me and I'm involved
I overextend myself and fry hardware.
Simpler, cheaper and more rational to wait until February
when I can purchase the Belkin's I'O card.

-> I didn't find installation guide at Promise.com, but a guide for inst
-> of the Win98 driver from there is available at

-> http://support.mpccorp.com/platforms/components.html   

It's under downloads, archive.
I got just the manual but the entire zp file with drivers is there
as well.

-> I hesitate to quote from it, because like a lot of such guides, some of
-> the instructions don't sound just right.

Well it doesn't mention ATAPI support as my other Promise card does.
Before you ask THAT card is an old ISA card used in the 486 and
though it supports ATAPI it only supports hard drives to 
8.4 Gig

->  WC> I was able to leave the motherboard I/O enabled and load
->  WC> Knoppix in command line configuration and fdisk the drive removing the
->  WC> existing NTFS file system and create type C ( 32 bit Win 9x file
->  WC> system), type 82 ( Linux swap), 2 - type 83 ( Linux native) partitions)
->  WC> but they reside on /dev/hde which indicates the drive is seen as
->  WC> 3rd primary on the Promise card.

-> I'm iggorant about Linux, but you may have to rework those designations
-> after you get the drive working and get rid of the onboard IDE
-> controller.

Drive already sees C partition as first partition, active Win 9x.
In fact Windows _starts_ to load, first formats the drive successfully
from CD, then installs software, calls for reboot to complete
and only then fails with the driver error message.
Like I said it's a Catch 22 situation.

->  WC> Windows doesn't like this however and fails when the software
->  WC> calls for reboot this despite the fact I've only given Windows 8
Gig.

->  WC> It's a OEM CD software problem that requires C: be seen as first
->  WC> primary IDE channel, or such is what I've deduced.

-> Again, AFAIK, Win insists on being on C: drive - first IDE channel.

Well this I CANNOT do unless the Promise card supports ATAPI protocols
and the manual doesn't say it does.
I'll do a google search on Promise Ultra66 and ATAPI support
later but previously in my experience if a card supports ATAPI
it says so in it's users and installation manuals.
Again with my situation and means I can't run risks.

->  WC> Knoppix being intended as a demonstration release appears to suffer
->  WC> a conflict in IRQ's resulting in a lockup of PSAUX ( mouse)
->  WC> when I load the ramdisk GUI.

-> I think for any hope of success, you'll want to get Windows working
-> first, next disable the onboard IDE controller, and then slog through
-> the Linux problems.           

Actually it would likely be possible to get Linux to work first
but Windows appears out of the question.

-> <  >
->  WC> The travel to the nearest CompUSA ( 14 miles by bus) is more daunting
->  WC> than the price however I'll find a way.

-> If you give up on the Ultra66 and go get yourself the UDMA133 card
-> you've been craving, I'd expect you to come across the same bunch of
-> problems you've already seen. (Just my guess, now from about 600 miles
-> away).

Naw, the Belkin's I/O card explicitly states > 136 Gig and ATAPI support
AND I can switch off the existing motherboard I/O in CMOS
so the card will offer up C: on first IDE channel.
I expect all shall go well then.
Any way I've Knoppix Linux running great in the 256 Meg of RAM
in the RAM DIMMS you sold me in a great deal.
Have a GREAT New Years!!!
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: Try Our Web Based QWK: DOCSPLACE.ORG (1:123/140)