[comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware] Installing a 1.44M floppy drive in an XT compatible

snc0231@cs.rit.edu (Curry Scott N) (10/21/90)

I have been trying to install a 1.44M floppy drive into my XT compatible. Some people say you can install the drive and some say you can't. I bought a drive from two different companies and I have been unsuccessful in installing either of them. I have since returned them.

I would like to buy and install a 1.44M floppy drive into my XT. What do I need to get it working? What problems may I run into when installing it? What other advice can you offer.

Here is my setup:
	a leading edge model 'D' with 640k
	daiwoo BIOS: year??
	seagate st-225 hard drive w/ controller
	360k floppy drive
        etc.

I realize I need a new BIOS, but the FDD controller had a new BIOS on board to supposedly overide the old BIOS.


When I installed the drive, I got two errors. Upon boot up I got:
	
	drive 0 seek failure

and later on after the FDD controller was recognized:

	drive bad error

I would hit F1 to continue and run diagnostics on it. Everything past. Norton disk doctor said everything was fine. I could read and write to it ok, but when I inserted a new disk in I would get the old directory structure. I then found it would not write correctly across different subdirectories on the floppy.

I assumed that it was the way I installed it, but after several hours of rechecking and reinstalling it I figured out it was something else.

So can anyone help me out? 

Thanks in advance,

Scott Curry

email:snc0231@cs.rit.edu

todd@ivucsb.sba.ca.us (Todd Day) (10/21/90)

snc0231@cs.rit.edu (Curry Scott N) writes:

%I would hit F1 to continue and run diagnostics on it. Everything past. Norton disk doctor said everything was fine. I could read and write to it ok, but when I inserted a new disk in I would get the old directory structure. I then found it would not write correctly across different subdirectories on the floppy.

I'm not sure about the rest of your problems, but this disk change problem
(getting the old directory when a new disk is inserted) can usually be solved
by setting a jumper.  Some of the 1.44s I've installed had a option on whether
pin 34 is used for READY or DISK CHANGE.  Seems PCs need to have it be READY
and ATs need it to be DISK CHANGE.  This may vary according to your controller,
also.


-- 
Todd Day |   todd@ivucsb.sba.ca.us   |  ucsbcsl!ivucsb!todd
    Pleasure leaves a fingerprint, As surely as mortal pain
    In memories they resonate, And echo back again. -- Rush