VOGONS

Search

Common searches

A: drive and B: drive mismatch - really strange bug?

Topic actions

First post, by massimo233

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

So, recently I picked up this old 386 DX-40, had been tinkering around with it for a while, installed Windows 3.1, and enjoyed going through all my 5 inch floppies back in the day and seeing what files and whatnot were on there. But at one point I had a hardware issue so I decided to reinstall DOS 6.22, which is where things started getting weird. First off, my B: drive (5 1/4 floppy) was no longer accessible, well, it was, but it will only show the contents of any disk i have in drive A: . Even if there is 5 inch floppy in the B: drive I am able to switch to it, but again its always the files from the 3.5" drive! the only time it won't read at all is when there is nothing in the A: drive. I've checked all my bios/cmos settings and everything is setup correctly and there was never a problem before I had suddenly updated. One thing that did change though is before I would switch to a drive, it would ask me to insert a disk then press enter. before that started occuring this didn't happen. anyone that would have any tips or help to offer would be much appreciated, and i am sorry if this is the wrong forum!

cheers,

max

Reply 1 of 4, by Horun

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
massimo233 wrote:

But at one point I had a hardware issue so I decided to reinstall DOS 6.22, which is where things started getting weird.

What was the hardware issue ? That could be the pointer to your troubles...

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 3 of 4, by bakemono

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

DOS normally redirects access to B: to A: along with that prompt to switch disks when it thinks there is only one FDD. The second drive must not be set right in the BIOS or it is not being detected because of a problem with the cable or ??

Reply 4 of 4, by SirNickity

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

No idea if this is your problem, but just coincidentally... I had a similar issue with a 386DX/40 motherboard that used an old Phoenix BIOS. It was a pretty bare-bones two-page blue screen setup utility. The CMOS battery had died (with mixed luck, it used one of those Dallas encapsulated RTC modules, so no corrosion, but no exposed cell either), and so it would of course lose its settings on every power-cycle.

But, it also seemed to have an issue retaining settings properly even while powered on. I would set the floppy drives in the BIOS, endure the battery warning during POST, boot into DOS, and it would still throw errors reading disks. Turns out, it thought I had two 360KB drives installed no matter what. Once I replaced the RTC with a DIY module with the clock IC and separate coin cell, the drive inventory worked just fine.

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to General Old Hardware
Close window
Close window