ok not being able to boot is not gonna do it for me..
i guess i need an IO Controller with support for more than one IDE interface

is there not like a file/driver that needs to beinstalled
SBIDE.SYS ??
to enable IDE on the awe32??
i guess i should have made a new thread

chrisNova777 wrote:

is there not like a file/driver that needs to beinstalled SBIDE.SYS ?? to enable IDE on the awe32?? i guess i should have made […]
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is there not like a file/driver that needs to beinstalled
SBIDE.SYS ??
to enable IDE on the awe32??
i guess i should have made a new thread

Hmm, maybe. I admit it has been a long time since I have done this, but it seems to me, if you had already installed the drivers, it should be there. You may have to edit your config.sys.

it sucks because of the compact flash i have.. i cant use a master/slave IDE cable on the i/o controller, because the compactflash adapter has to go directly onto the pins (male)
i guess i might have to order a different adapter to be able to use the 512MB CF as my drive + also have access to a CD-ROM, thats presuming that this winbond controller will support more than one hard drive.. im faily certain that it does tho i believe i was using it in my 486 before and i definately had the cd rom drive working alongside a hard drive then...

chrisNova777 wrote:

looking here i find the install disk has a file called
MTMCDS.SYS
maybe thats whats used to access the IDE port on the AWE32?

MTMCDS.SYS is for Mitsumi CD-ROM drives using the proprietary Mitsumi interface, which, while 40-pin is not IDE. SBIDE.SYS is for IDE CD-ROM drives on any IDE controller.

An AWE32 that has a Mitsumi controller will also have a 40-pin CRE/PAN (Creative/Panasonic interface) and a Sony interface (this one being 34-pin). Therefore, if you see three CD-ROM interfaces on your AWE32, it won't support IDE. If you see only ONE interface, it's IDE and won't support the three proprietary formats.

The IDE port on an AWE32 that has one is always active, you just need to use SBIDE.SYS to detect the IDE CD-ROM.
Assuming we put SBIDE.SYS in C:\DRIVERS\

1device=C:\DRIVERS\SBIDE.SYS /D:MSCD001 /p:1e8,11

(for the tertiary IDE port, use /p:168,10 for quaternary-- check the device jumpers to see what it's set for.)
Of course, to actually assign the CD-ROM a drive letter, you need MSCDEX.EXE in AUTOEXEC.BAT (let's assume it's in C:\DOS\):

1C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001

(BTW: MSCDEX.EXE is not a CD-ROM driver, it's a network redirector.)

(Don't change the /D: to /E:, unless you like seeing the message "Expanded memory not present or unavailable"-- to change the drive letter use /L:(letter). Of course, make sure your CONFIG.SYS' "LASTDRIVE=" statement is allows for such a drive letter.)

Hard drives will not work on the AWE32 IDE interface, even when the AWE32's interface is set for port 170, IRQ 15 (the secondary IDE port).

http://chukaev.ru54.com/bios_en.htm

==== 3ucm004.zip ======================================== Name: ??? Revision: ??? CPU/FPU: 386DX, 387 Chi […]
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==== 3ucm004.zip ========================================
Name: ???
Revision: ???
CPU/FPU: 386DX, 387
Chipset: UniChip U4800
ICs: ???
Memory: ???
Exp. slots: ???
Id string: ???
BIOS: AMI; 06/06/92
ROM: 27C512 (64k)
File: 3ucm004.bin
MD5: 91b348d091beadad8c71b30d600102e5
Comment: [386dx/u4800.zip], [386dx/486_dlc.zip]

is it possible this applie to my board? because all the others say unichip-VLX and my bios string does not say that..
i think i remember seeing that date before 6/06/92

^^yes this must be the exact bios that i have installed now because it does indeed say 6/06/1992 date.. everytime i boot!

http://stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards/R/RO … -GMB-386UN.html

also maybe there was an error made.. because the model number tself says 386UN . un= unichip chipset?
i cant find much else on this unichip 4800 chipset online!

the cpu in the board is of the PQFP type:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am386#/media/Fi … _2007_03_27.jpg

was there any intel overdrive processor that is compatible with the same socket (132 pin?) + UniChip U4800 chipset as this board?

is there anyc hance theres a bios update available for my board that would allow me to use cdrom?

GMB -> Gemlight, seems to be some sort of joint venture with DTK. there's a list with DTK-Gemlight mathces. As for the CDROM question, I think you mean boot from CD:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Torito ... _standard)
That spec was released a few years after this board was designed and everybody moved to 486. SO no, I do not know of any bios upgrade that would allow you to boot from CD. As for using a CDROM, that is a matter of adding drivers for the OS and sometimes an executable like mscdex to make it seen in DOS.