chaim@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Chaim Dworkin) (06/05/90)
I recently ordered a 160 Mb Micropolis ESDI hard drive for my Zenith 386. This was to be installed in addition to the 72 Mb MFM drive already there. Now I've been informed that an ESDI drive and an MFM drive will not operate in the same computer and that I should return the ESDI for a SCSI which will coexist with the MFM. Then someone else told me that it's true that both controller cards can't be in the same machine but that I can run both drives off the ESDI controller card. Now I'm confused. Can anyone help me out???? One other problem but easily overcome, I think. The Zenith's setup ROM has a menu for choosing drive letter and entering the type of drive installed. There are no choices for any drive over 116 Mb in size. I guess Zenith didn't think anyone would manufacture or want any such thing. I assume that can be overcome by using a third party setup program? Please e-mail responses. Thanks!!! Chaim chaim@eniac.seas.upenn.edu
davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (06/05/90)
In article <25673@netnews.upenn.edu> chaim@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Chaim Dworkin) writes: | I recently ordered a 160 Mb Micropolis ESDI hard drive for my Zenith 386. | This was to be installed in addition to the 72 Mb MFM drive already there. | Now I've been informed that an ESDI drive and an MFM drive will not operate | in the same computer and that I should return the ESDI for a SCSI which | will coexist with the MFM. Then someone else told me that it's true that | both controller cards can't be in the same machine but that I can run both | drives off the ESDI controller card. Now I'm confused. Can anyone | help me out???? Someone is doing their best to confuse you! The truth is this, you can run ESDI and MFM on the same system with two controllers from a hardware standpoint. Depending on the BIOS you *may* be able to run that combination from a software standpoint. If the BIOS supports remapping the i/o addresses and BIOS you should be okay, just put the controller with no floppy controller (or disabled) at the alternate address and leave the 1st controller with floppies at the standard location. People do this with UNIX so there's no question that the hardware supports it, you just need to have BIOS support on at least one card. This buys you nothing but capacity on DOS, but is a performance win with UNIX. It *is* a bit tricky to get going, but it can be done. -- bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me