add@sciences.sdsu.edu (Alexander Danton) (06/05/91)
I can't get SMARTDRV.SYS or SWAPFILE.EXE to recognise my SCSI hard disk. I have a Future Domain TMC-885 using LDRIVE.SYS and no hard drives installed in my CMOS BIOS setup. I'm using v3.03 of SMARTDRV.SYS and have been told to use the /B switch to turn off double-buffering, but SMARTDRV doesn't recognise this switch. Am I missing something? Do I need a different version of SMARTDRV.SYS? Is there a file I need to obtain from Future Domain? Thanks, -- -------------------- add@sciences.sdsu.edu
antonio@qualcom.qualcomm.com (Franklin Antonio) (06/07/91)
In article <1991Jun5.033656.3537@sciences.sdsu.edu> add@sciences.sdsu.edu (Alexa nder Danton) writes: > I can't get SMARTDRV.SYS or SWAPFILE.EXE to recognise my SCSI hard >disk. I have a Future Domain TMC-885 using LDRIVE.SYS and no hard drives >installed in my CMOS BIOS setup. I'm using v3.03 of SMARTDRV.SYS and ... > Am I missing something? Yes. SMARTDRV does not work with MOST bus-master SCSI controllers. I just had a lengthy exchange with Microsoft (via microsoft online) about this subject. (I have a Western Digital WD-7000 SCSI controller) Finally, I got the Microsoft folks in contact with the people who wrote the BIOS for that disk controller, and suddenly the answer was obvious. SMARTDRV will only cache disk i/o that goes thru int 13. Many SCSI drivers do not use int 13. Last email from microsoft says they have no intention of supporting such bus-master controllers. This was obviously a bad decision, and I suspect they will change that decision as these devices become more popular. > Do I need a different version of SMARTDRV.SYS? Yes. You need a version that Microsoft has not written yet! The nice folks at Columbia Data Systems (who wrote the BIOS and drivers for the Western Digital SCSI controller) suggested i try Flash Cache from Software Matters 1-800-253-5274. It appears to work for my configuration. Maybe it will work for you.