VOGONS

Search

Common searches

386 AMI bios wait infinitely when cf card connected

Topic actions

First post, by karelbre

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Hi,

I am trying to setup my old retro PC with 386SX and 16GB CF card via CF->IDE reduction card. Motherboard (AMI Bios 1990) doesn't have integrated IDE controller so I am using ISA card for IDE and Floppy. It works correctly with my old HDD (~250MB). However if I try to connect CF card and configure it in BIOS to any type (including User Type 47 1024/16/63) it hangs after RAM test with Wait message and won't continue. If it's not configured at all it normally continue to boot process.

CF card is detected fine by EZ-Drive (trying DDO) and it also works on modern system. Motherboard supports only CHS, no Large, no LBA, no auto-detection.

I was not able to find this specific situation on forums. Had anybody similar issue?

No idea what could I try if I want to still use bigger CF card than 512MB.

Thanks for advices!

Reply 1 of 3, by Jo22

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
karelbre wrote on 2023-11-07, 06:48:

I was not able to find this specific situation on forums. Had anybody similar issue?

Hi, yes, I had. Was a 1988 BIOS (based on Phoenix BIOS).

Re: 286 PC won't boot from HDD or Floppy

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 2 of 3, by douglar

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I had a similar issue with a chips & tech scat 386sx motherboard. Would not get past the hard drive post if a storage device > 528MB was attached and enabled in the bios, regardless of how it was configured in the drive table. I tried both the origional bios and MR Bios with no luck.

I eventually found a work around. I left the bios drive table empty and added an option Rom that detected the drives later on. I used http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=2095 and then installed EZ drive overlay software. Yes, it seems overly complicated to use an LBA bios and a drive overlay, but that’s my recollection of what I had to do to get a 2GB CF to work on that system.

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