[comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware] Second hard disk under DOS

louis@cs.athabascau.ca (Louis Schmittroth) (11/14/90)

I want to use part of my second disk to install DOS, and have troubles.

I have been running Xenix 2.3.2 on a 386 here at home for two years now.
Adaptec 2372 RLL controller with two drives.  The first is a MItsubishi
535R, and the second a Microscience HH1060.  I have been running both
with the whole disk as a Xenix partition.  Root on the 535R and /u on
the 1060.  Works fine.  I also run VP/ix for some applications, but 
MS Windows does not run under VP/ix.

Now I want to use about 20MB on the second drive for a DOS partition, so
I can boot up Windows 3.0.  Using Xenix fdisk I cut the Xenix partition
down, restored the files, all OK.  Then using DOS 3.3 fdisk, when I want
to create a DOS partition, it tells me there is 1 track available, and
there is no space for a DOS partition.  I have tried different CMOS
specs for the drive.  It has 1024 cyls 5 heads, and there is a type listed
in my CMOS for that.  I also tried other types, but I always get the same
message from DOS fdisk.  The DOS fdisk must work for second drives, since
there is an option on the menu to go to the next drive.

Has anyone a solution to this problem?  Or a hint of what to try next?

-- 
Louis Schmittroth, Computer Science, Athabasca University

louis@cs.athabascau.ca (Louis Schmittroth) (11/14/90)

In article <794@vax.cs.athabascau.ca>, louis@cs.athabascau.ca (Louis Schmittroth) writes:
> I want to use part of my second disk to install DOS, and have troubles.
 
A trip thru the controller manual convinced me that I had left out creating
an Adaptec volume on the second disk.  Xenix obviously can live without
that, but DOS can't.  So I should have RTFM again.  I now have a first
disk devoted to XENIX root, and the second with a 20MB DOS partition, and
a 45MB Xenix partition.  Works fine.  I have to boot from the floppy, but
autoexe.bat transfers to C:, and away I go.  My next step is a paper white
VGA monitor and card combo for about $250.00, which will get me into Windows
on DOS and whatever on Xenix.

Louis

-- 
Louis Schmittroth, Computer Science, Athabasca University