Ontrack disk manager overwrites the drive I select and formats it , but it removes the windows installation......
So now what? the drive doesnt have windows , the machine can't even install windows without cd rom support. I'm confused how this is all supposed to work.
Ontrack needs to modify the MBR and write some of its data to the drive so it can get loaded to memory at boot time, that's why you're supposed to format the drive AFTER Ontrack is active and is doing the translation to access the full capacity of the disk.
I assume you're trying to install Windows 95 or 98? Why not boot off a floppy with CD-ROM support and then launch Windows setup from the CD?
TheMobRules wrote on 2020-09-30, 18:27:Ontrack needs to modify the MBR and write some of its data to the drive so it can get loaded to memory at boot time, that's why you're supposed to format the drive AFTER Ontrack is active and is doing the translation to access the full capacity of the disk.
ok but how do i know if it worked? its supposedly supposed to take a while to format but it formats in only a few seconds and claims to be done. it also doesn't ask for a boot disk or anything just says to restart.
TheMobRules wrote on 2020-09-30, 18:27:I assume you're trying to install Windows 95 or 98? Why not boot off a floppy with CD-ROM support and then launch Windows setup from the CD?
won't the windows 98 installation delete whatever ontrack did to the drive?
as of right now with the ontrack drive empty with no windows instalation , the computer doesn't do anything at all with the drive. theres no ontrack word or logo that pops up before it tries to search for an os install
emosun wrote on 2020-09-30, 18:18:Ontrack disk manager overwrites the drive I select and formats it , but it removes the windows installation......
So now what? the drive doesnt have windows , the machine can't even install windows without cd rom support. I'm confused how this is all supposed to work.
I'm not getting something here,
If the drive is recognized, working fine at full capacity and has a windows installation, then you don't need the overlay software
If the drive is wiped by installing ontrack, why don't you install windows the same way you initially installed it? How did this hard disk end up with windows on it? And no, a windows installation won't erase ontrack.
The only probable scenario I can think of is that the hdd had already windows installed while in another pc and now you want to put it on a pc for which it is too large and needs ontrack. Well in this case you'll need to reinstall everything, somehow.
konc wrote on 2020-09-30, 19:26:The only probable scenario I can think of is that the hdd had already windows installed while in another pc and now you want to put it on a pc for which it is too large and needs ontrack. Well in this case you'll need to reinstall everything, somehow.
yes thats the situation
so the 98 install won't mess with whatever ontrack has done to the drive? i'll give it a shot.
Ok man I guess I can help you. I have used these kind of disk utilities in the past, but I always just install windows 98 with a OEM 98se cd rom boot disk. Thats what you need.
The kind of Ontrack thing I used was a ontrack kill disk utility that was a drive wiper and it was like kill disk, the other things I used before are partition magic. I have used those ontrack drive overlays.
No matter, I used those programs for specific case rare cases, I alwasy just cam back to a 98se oem cd rom boot disk. Google it if you dont have one.
Then I boot the disk, fdisk the drive make partition then format. and run set up from cd . search for "allbootdisks" on google
Warlord wrote on 2020-09-30, 20:22:Ok man I guess I can help you. I have used these kind of disk utilities in the past, but I always just install windows 98 with […]
Ok man I guess I can help you. I have used these kind of disk utilities in the past, but I always just install windows 98 with a OEM 98se cd rom boot disk. Thats what you need.
The kind of Ontrack thing I used was a ontrack kill disk utility that was a drive wiper and it was like kill disk, the other things I used before are partition magic. I have used those ontrack drive overlays.
No matter, I used those programs for specific case rare cases, I alwasy just cam back to a 98se oem cd rom boot disk. Google it if you dont have one.Then I boot the disk, fdisk the drive make partition then format. and run set up from cd . search for "allbootdisks" on google
uh.. thx
I can't help you with the overlay software as I avoided them like the plague back then (had friends with bad experiences).
Using a PCI controller with a BIOS or an XTIDE (ISA) is a better choice, IMHO.
That said, if these are not options due to lack of slots, funds, the desire for period correctness or any other reason, I understand .
Either way, best of luck .
What are the specs of the system AND the drive you are wanting to use Ontrack on?
Did you set up the drive parameters in the BIOS according to what Ontrack expects?
cyclone3d wrote on 2020-09-30, 21:04:What are the specs of the system AND the drive you are wanting to use Ontrack on?
Did you set up the drive parameters in the BIOS according to what Ontrack expects?
i dont know what the specs of the drive are its an 8gb dom. And ontrack doesn't seem to specify needing to set any parameters. it's being done on a machine that can already detect the dom anyway then moved to a 486
emosun wrote on 2020-10-01, 00:38:cyclone3d wrote on 2020-09-30, 21:04:What are the specs of the system AND the drive you are wanting to use Ontrack on?
Did you set up the drive parameters in the BIOS according to what Ontrack expects?
i dont know what the specs of the drive are its an 8gb dom. And ontrack doesn't seem to specify needing to set any parameters. it's being done on a machine that can already detect the dom anyway then moved to a 486
I could be completely wrong about this, but you might need to install the overlay software on the system where you intend to use it . I am not sure if it will install properly on a system whose BIOS already supports "large" disks . I would also mention that I am not sure any system will actually be able to read or write to the disk with the overlay installed, unless you either boot with from the drive where the overlay is installed or a boot floppy that has a copy of the overlay software .
I am, again, no expert on drive overlay software, but I do have some (somewhat traumatic) memories of helping friends deal with theirs . I cannot vouch for the accuracy of those memories .
Here's a very good reading that I found about Drive Overlay Software: http://retropcbuilder.blogspot.com/2016/11/ho … grams-work.html
emosun wrote on 2020-10-01, 00:38:cyclone3d wrote on 2020-09-30, 21:04:What are the specs of the system AND the drive you are wanting to use Ontrack on?
Did you set up the drive parameters in the BIOS according to what Ontrack expects?
i dont know what the specs of the drive are its an 8gb dom. And ontrack doesn't seem to specify needing to set any parameters. it's being done on a machine that can already detect the dom anyway then moved to a 486
Yeah... I doubt it is going to work that way. Almost for sure needs to be set up on the computer it is intended for.
The last system I set up a drive overlay on was a 386. The overlay software I used said the set the drive up with specific parameters in the BIOS.... Then I installed it. Takes a bit longer to boot because the overlay takes over but it seems to work really well.
It's been a long time but I have a vague memory of having to let the PC boot initially from the HDD (with ontrack installed) and then pressing/holding keys down if you need to boot a floppy, to ensure the DDO gets loaded.
Phil's done a video on how to setup Ontrack
https://youtu.be/sI7U9LYbt28
But basically
Yes, set this up on the PC you intend to use it on
No, Installing windows wont undo ontracks work as long as you use its spacebar method to boot from floppy (you can see this at 6:57 in the video)
