peter@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) (09/01/90)
I own a Compaq Deskpro 286 and I am trying to install a
1.44MB 3.5in floppy drive that I bought at Compu Add.
However the SETUP program does not recognize it as
as a 1.44MB 3.5in floppy. It say its a 1.2MB 5.25in
floppy. I talked to Compu ADD and they said that the
system ROMS need to be upgraded.
I called around town and found that a ROM upgrade will
run between $75 - $100.
Question: Is it really a ROM BIOS problem? If so could I buy
a phenoix bios (or somebody elses bios) for a 286 which I
assume would be cheaper and use it instead?
Thanks
-Peter (peter@csd4.csd.uwm.edu)sonny@charybdis.harris-atd.com (Bob Davis) (09/02/90)
In article <6050@uwm.edu> peter@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) writes: > > I own a Compaq Deskpro 286 and I am trying to install a > 1.44MB 3.5in floppy drive that I bought at Compu Add. > However the SETUP program does not recognize it as > as a 1.44MB 3.5in floppy. It say its a 1.2MB 5.25in > floppy. I talked to Compu ADD and they said that the > system ROMS need to be upgraded. > > I called around town and found that a ROM upgrade will > run between $75 - $100. > > Question: Is it really a ROM BIOS problem? If so could I buy > a phenoix bios (or somebody elses bios) for a 286 which I > assume would be cheaper and use it instead? > > > Thanks > -Peter (peter@csd4.csd.uwm.edu) ------------------------------------------------- I think DOS before v.3.2 does not deal with 3.5 inch floppies. Perhaps some aftermarket software does - I don't know. DOS 3.2 deals with 720K 3.5 inch floppies, I have read. DOS 3.3 (which is what I own) accommodates both 720K and 1.44M 3.5 inch floppies. The way it deals with them is through a device driver, DRIVER.SYS. Although I have not tried this, my MS-DOS documentation appears to tell me that if I wish to have a 1.44M 3.5 inch floppy as the B: drive, I should put this line in my CONFIG.SYS file: DEVICE=DRIVER.SYS /D:1 /C /F:7 Since I know very little of which I presently speak that is NOT based merely on "book-larnin'", I strongly suggest you read your own manual and rely on your own lights. But perhaps this post points to where the right answer lies. While I am at this, I'll ask about confusion I have about this bringing up 3.5 inch floppies on a DOS 3.3 system: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE drivparm COMMAND AND THE device=driver.sys ..... APPROACH TO LETTING THE SYSTEM KNOW ABOUT 3.5 INCH FLOPPIES? My documentation is as muddy as a Mississippi river on this matter. Thanks. ______________________________________________________________________________ Bob Davis \\ INTERNET : sonny@trantor.harris-atd.com | _ _ | Harris Corporation, ESS \\ UUCP : ...!uunet!x102a!trantor!sonny |_| |_| | | Advanced Technology Dept.\\ AETHER : K4VNO |==============|_/\/\/\|_| PO Box 37, MS 3A/1912 \\ VOICE : (407) 727-5886 | I SPEAK ONLY | |_| |_| | Melbourne, FL 32902 \\ FAX : (407) 729-2537 | FOR MYSELF. |_________|
peter@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) (09/03/90)
In article <6050@uwm.edu> peter@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) writes: > > I own a Compaq Deskpro 286 and I am trying to install a > 1.44MB 3.5in floppy drive that I bought at Compu Add. > However the SETUP program does not recognize it as > as a 1.44MB 3.5in floppy. It say its a 1.2MB 5.25in > floppy. I talked to Compu ADD and they said that the > system ROMS need to be upgraded. > > I called around town and found that a ROM upgrade will > run between $75 - $100. > > Question: Is it really a ROM BIOS problem? If so could I buy > a phenoix bios (or somebody elses bios) for a 286 which I > assume would be cheaper and use it instead? > > > Thanks > -Peter (peter@csd4.csd.uwm.edu) By the way I am using Compaq Dos Version 3.31 Thanks Peter (peter@csd4.csd.uwm.edu)