[comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware] 1.44 Meg Floppy in IBM AT

a252@mindlink.UUCP (Gordon Roth) (10/29/90)

I had the same problem with a compaq 286-10mghz, its rom bios did not support
the 1.44 because it was (1.44) was made after the 'puter. I suppose it would
depend on the individual machine and whether the bios could be upgraded. Other
than that, the newer 286's should support it ,yes?

rob@bank.ecn.purdue.edu (David L Roberts) (10/30/90)

I am trying to install a 1.44 meg floppy in a IBM AT, however the
setup doesn't support it, it only supports the 1.2 Meg floppy.
Has anyone done this before?  The machine has DOS 3.10 installed
on it.  Maybe it needs a special driver, and/or BIOS upgrade, and/or
a DOOS upgrade.  Any IDEAS?
--

---------------------------------------------------------------------
David L. Roberts                          rob@bank.ecn.purdue.edu

ted@helios.ucsc.edu (Ted Cantrall) (10/31/90)

>I am trying to install a 1.44 meg floppy in a IBM AT, however the
>Has anyone done this before?  The machine has DOS 3.10 installed
------------------
Don't forget that the DOS need to support it too. I think 3.2 is the
minimum for 1.44, but it might need 3.3		-ted-
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W (408)459-2110     |Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness
H (408)423-2444     |and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (RSV)

ESR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Ed Russell) (10/31/90)

In response to:

>From: rob@bank.ecn.purdue.edu (David L Roberts)
>Subject: 1.44 Meg Floppy in IBM AT
>Message-ID: <1990Oct29.195122.3957@ecn.purdue.edu>
>Date: 29 Oct 90 19:51:22 GMT
>
>I am trying to install a 1.44 meg floppy in a IBM AT, however the
>setup doesn't support it, it only supports the 1.2 Meg floppy.
>Has anyone done this before?  The machine has DOS 3.10 installed
>on it.  Maybe it needs a special driver, and/or BIOS upgrade, and/or
>a DOOS upgrade.  Any IDEAS?

If I recall, DOS 3.1 does not have support for 3.5" floppy drives.  You
will AT LEAST need to upgrade to 3.2/3.3.  There could be other problems
too depending on the BIOS or controller you're using but you should try
upgrading DOS first.

thoger@solan8.solan.unit.no (Terje Th|gersen) (11/01/90)

In article <90303.153059ESR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU>, ESR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Ed Russell) writes:
|> In response to:
|> 
|> >From: rob@bank.ecn.purdue.edu (David L Roberts)
|> >Subject: 1.44 Meg Floppy in IBM AT
|> >Message-ID: <1990Oct29.195122.3957@ecn.purdue.edu>
|> >Date: 29 Oct 90 19:51:22 GMT
|> >
|> >I am trying to install a 1.44 meg floppy in a IBM AT, however the
|> >setup doesn't support it, it only supports the 1.2 Meg floppy.
|> >Has anyone done this before?  The machine has DOS 3.10 installed
|> >on it.  Maybe it needs a special driver, and/or BIOS upgrade, and/or
|> >a DOOS upgrade.  Any IDEAS?
|> 
|> If I recall, DOS 3.1 does not have support for 3.5" floppy drives.  You
|> will AT LEAST need to upgrade to 3.2/3.3.  There could be other problems
|> too depending on the BIOS or controller you're using but you should try
|> upgrading DOS first.

You'll need 3.20 for 720k (came with the Convertible, I think) and 3.30 to
go 1.44MB (came with the PS/2's) 

Also, you'll need a BIOS that supports a 1.44MB floppy. Some people claim
that just using DOS 3.30, and drivparm/driver.sys will do the trick, but this
did *NOT* work in my old (c.-86) Sperry/IT AT-clone. I did, however get the
drive (a TEAC 235) to go 1.44 using the public domain program fdread.exe loaded 
as a TSR to read/write, and the companion program FDformat.exe to format.
If I tried to write to 720k floppies in this 1.44MB drive, they got thrashed. 
(General failiure...)

I've heard about a 'Compaticard' floppy controller that comes with it's own BIOS,
(and perhaps a device-driver???) that can get a 1.44 working on any type of
PC. (about $90-100 in an ad in 'Circuit Cellar Ink') (The card even did 8" 
floppies :-))

   -Terje

____________________________________________________________________________
thoger@solan.unit.no       |                 Institute of Physical Chemistry
THOGER AT NORUNIT.BITNET   | Div. of Computer Assisted Instrumental Analysis
                           |               Norwegian Institute of Technology

davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca (11/06/90)

thoger@solan8.solan.unit.no (Terje Th|gersen) writes:

> 
> I've heard about a 'Compaticard' floppy controller that comes with it's own B
> (and perhaps a device-driver???) that can get a 1.44 working on any type of
> PC. (about $90-100 in an ad in 'Circuit Cellar Ink') (The card even did 8" 
> floppies :-))
> 

  The compaticard will work in any pc/xt/at machine, but  the 
UNIFORM-PC package is needed to talk to a hi density drive.  So the price
goes a bit beyond the $90 for the hardware ... add about $75 US I think 
for the software.   It does work well .. I use mine quite a bit.


Dave McCrady                     |  ersys!davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca
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berger@iboga (Mike Berger) (11/10/90)

ersys!davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca writes:

>  The compaticard will work in any pc/xt/at machine, but  the 
>UNIFORM-PC package is needed to talk to a hi density drive.  So the price
>goes a bit beyond the $90 for the hardware ... add about $75 US I think 
>for the software.   It does work well .. I use mine quite a bit.

*----

That's not correct.  The CompatiCard includes the drivers necessary
to support standard disk formats.  Uniform-PC is only necessary if
you want to accomodate hundreds of non-standard formats.  Uniform-PC
does not require a CompatiCard.

--
	Mike Berger
	Department of Statistics, University of Illinois
	AT&TNET     217-244-6067
	Internet    berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu