[comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware] Can I install external floppy drive as B:?

donhowe@udel.edu (Mark Donhowe) (04/09/91)

I have a 55SX with a 3.5" 1.44M floppy A: drive and a
60 Mb hard C: drive.  I have been successful in installing
an external 5.25" floppy drive as a D: drive but I cannot
configure it as a B: drive.  It's not a big deal....I'm just
curious....why can't this be done?  What can you put in the
B: position?

Also, I have 2 Mb installed in (I think) one of the two connectors
on the motherboard.  I know I can add another 2 Mb in the other
slot but can I add more using 4 Mb simms?

Thanks,
Mark Donhowe
donhowe@udel.edu

defreese@zeus.mgmt.purdue.edu (Barry DeFreese) (04/09/91)

In article <50070@nigel.ee.udel.edu> donhowe@udel.edu () writes:
>I have a 55SX with a 3.5" 1.44M floppy A: drive and a
>60 Mb hard C: drive.  I have been successful in installing
>an external 5.25" floppy drive as a D: drive but I cannot
>configure it as a B: drive.  It's not a big deal....I'm just
>curious....why can't this be done?  What can you put in the
>B: position?
>
>Also, I have 2 Mb installed in (I think) one of the two connectors
>on the motherboard.  I know I can add another 2 Mb in the other
>slot but can I add more using 4 Mb simms?
>
>Thanks,
>Mark Donhowe
>donhowe@udel.edu

If it a low density 5.25" drive it should have installed as drive B:, but
if you installed a 1.2 meg floppy the only way to get it to drive B: is to
put in a subst in your autoexec.bat.  As for the memory, I am not sure
about using 4M simms.

Barry
-- 
Barry deFreese 				defreese@zeus.mgmt.purdue.edu
Technician, LCPL USMCR, Student		defreese@vm.cc.purdue.edu
For those who fight for it, life has a special flavor, the protected 
never know!!        Found on an unknown Marines K-rat box, Khe-Sahn.       

erich@milton.u.washington.edu (Eric Horst) (04/09/91)

>If it a low density 5.25" drive it should have installed as drive B:, but
>if you installed a 1.2 meg floppy the only way to get it to drive B: is to
>put in a subst in your autoexec.bat.  As for the memory, I am not sure
>about using 4M simms.


I have a high density 5.25 installed as B: so "subst" is not the ONLY way.
Some manufacturers must know something that others don't.


Eric Horst


Postscript: In order to save the obvious responses the manufacturer is CMS.

nick@sura.net (Nick Lemberos) (04/10/91)

In article <1991Apr8.190531.6483@zeus.mgmt.purdue.edu> defreese@zeus.mgmt.purdue.edu (Barry DeFreese) writes:
>In article <50070@nigel.ee.udel.edu> donhowe@udel.edu () writes:
>>I have a 55SX with a 3.5" 1.44M floppy A: drive and a
>>60 Mb hard C: drive.  I have been successful in installing
>>an external 5.25" floppy drive as a D: drive but I cannot
>>configure it as a B: drive.  It's not a big deal....I'm just
>>curious....why can't this be done?  What can you put in the
>>B: position?
>>...

>
>If it a low density 5.25" drive it should have installed as drive B:, but
>if you installed a 1.2 meg floppy the only way to get it to drive B: is to
>put in a subst in your autoexec.bat.  As for the memory, I am not sure
>about using 4M simms.
>
>Barry
 
  last i inquired, it was not possible to install an external IBM 5.25
 inch drive as drive B: on the IBM PS/2 Model 55.  I can only guess
 that IBM uses a software driver on this machine instead of supporting
 the drive via hardware.  
  It is a major pain for us and is the reason why we are not going to 
 buy 20+ IBM model 55s for a new lab we are setting up. ALL..i repeat
 ALL our workstations have a 5.25 360KB b: drive.  some have 3.5"
 A: drives, and some have 5.25 HD A: drives. but all have a 360kb B: drive.

 if anyone has a working solution, please let me know.
                            nick

nick@umuc.umd.edu