m_hanft@msn.rmi.de (Matthias Hanft) (09/07/89)
(I'm posting this answer to 3 newsgroups because the question appeared in comp.lang.postscript, comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d, and comp.sys.ibm.pc. In my own opinion, it is *not* good practice to send one message to more than one newsgroup.) > > davidg@uns-helios.nevada.edu (Davig Gonzales) writes: > > Our company has some Compaq 386's (Deskpro 386/20 Model 60) that > currently are running with one 60 Mb Hard Disk. My question is: can you > upgrade the system(s) to include a second 60 Mb hard drive? I heard somewhere > that Compaq uses their own disk controllers. Is this correct? And if so, > does that mean that I will need a *special* hard drive? If not, what type of > 60 Mb (or greater) hard drive could/should I get? > I have the Compaq 386/20-60, too, and I also had some trouble upgrading the hard disk. Compaq's disks have a special interface and controller which no other computer has. So you could only use Compaq's own hard disks, but since you can't buy the 386/20 any more, you don't get such hard disks either. My solution was a new hard disk (150 MB from NEC) with a new ESDI controller board (which also handles the floppy disk). This works well in the 386/20. (And was much cheaper than an original Compaq hard disk!!!) I have put the old 60 MB disk into my other Compaq (it's a 386/16) as second disk. You just use the existing 40-pin-cable for "daisy chaining"; you only have to remove the (only) existing jumper from the second disk. So, I suggest to take half of your 60 MB disks and install them as second disk in the other half of your Compaqs; and buy complete new controller and hard disks for the one half of your Compaqs. Matthias Hanft (m_hanft@msn.rmi.de)