[comp.windows.ms] win 3.0 and Ontrack disk manager

dag@tc.fluke.COM (David Gunderson) (08/20/90)

A while back I posted the following article. I got the responses
that follow the article. Thanks to all of you how responded.
 
>I'm posting this for a friend of mine who has no net access. He is
>having trouble running windows 3.0 together with the OnTrack
>disk manager (allows large partitions under DOS 3.3). He's tried
>microsoft support without much help. I've looked through the old
>messages on this group without finding reference to this problem.
>Does anyone have any words of wisdom? Direct responses would be 
>appreciated. I will summerize to the net if I get enough responses.
>
>Thanks
>David Gunderson

From qiming@earth.gas.unsw.OZ.AU Tue Aug 14 20:28:21 1990

I had same problem with my AT Clone with 40 Mb HD running DOS 4.01.
With Disk Manager loaded, I could not running windows in the standard
mode. After I have changed BIOS to support larger harddisk and get
rid of Disk Manager driver, everything runs fine. From the message
sent from Microsoft, you are likely to have problems to run windows
with the Disk Manager.
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From FINOU.BITNET!KTK-VK@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU Wed Aug 15 05:42:37 1990

Disk Manager would not let me create a permanent swapfile, but I have not
had any other problems. I gave up DM partitioning and re-partitioned using
FDISK. No problem any more. What use is DM anyway?

From kean.ucs.mun.ca!bboone@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca Wed Aug 15 17:27:39 1990

There is a message that follows this one, that says that on-track and
disk manager running together can wipe your hard drive!  Last month
we lost 1/2 of our hard disk (reset all of the partition table to 0
for drive d:)  I don't know if this is what happened to me but I feel
a lot better using FDISK to partition my drive!  Get rid of disk
manager.
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From bobgu@microsoft Thu Aug 16 12:22:31 1990

dmdriver from On-Track is the problem.  Only a few rare cases will ever
have problems since the configuration has to be pretty unique.  Also,
the problem will only happen if you have > 32M partitions.  The symptom
of it not working is trashed hard disks.  If it doesn't trash your hard
disk, then it most likely works.  In any event, the
short term solution is to remove smartdrv.sys from your config.sys.  This
will prevent any potential problems from happening.  Long term, On-Track is
working on windows compatible drivers.  If it doesn't work (I assume this
to mean that windows doesn't boot) after removing smartdrv.sys, then there
is something else wrong that is not related to the On-Track stuff.
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From burdett@milton.u.washington.edu Thu Aug 16 17:34:57 1990

David,
	A while a go Microsoft made some noise about reserved addresses
used by the system.  Untill now programs like On track disk Manager
"cheated" and used the reserved areas to break the 32Mb partion Barrer. 
Well now you see the result.  I don't know if there is a pach or if
there will be one soon.
	The best I can offer is Backup the hard disk and use Fdisk to
format your hard disk.  If you want partitions larger then 32Mb up grade
to dos 4.01 and use it's fdisk.
	I don't represent On track or MicroSoft,  I just passing on what
worked for me.
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From 37142_1107@uwovax.uwo.ca Sat Aug 18 07:40:37 1990

We had a similar problem with a 200mB Connors drive. We contacted 
Ontrack and got a five page FAX with the following 3 hints:

1) add the following line(s) into your SYSTEM.INI file under the line

	[386enh]
	VIRTUALHDIRQ=OFF

After doing this our 386SX ran just fine in 386 enhanced mode and we
had access to the full 200mB in two partitions.

 2) If you have any non DOS partitioning (like DMDRVR.BIN) you CAN NOT
install a permanent swapfile. But a temp swapfile on a compressed disk
does do just fine.

3) Never!!! use SMARTDRIVE with Windows if you have a harddisk with more then 
1024 cylinders and you use a disk partitioning software like Ontrak's.
MS says they are working on it


-- David Gunderson