Setting up XTIDE with a CF and no floppy controller. What are my options? \ VOGONS

Setting up XTIDE with a CF and no floppy controller. What are my options?

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First post, by gmc

Posted on 2025-03-07, 13:04

gmc Offline

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Got a 386 motherboard I'm trying to setup with xtide Rev 4 and a 1GB CF adapter.

The problem is I don't have a floppy controller. I have a gotek device but no controller.

What are my options to get the drive formatted and DOS installed. It's a catch 22. I need a floppy device so I can boot into DOS and fdisk/format the HDD/CF.

Is there some other way I can do this without a floppy controller?

Reply 1 of 6, by gmc

Posted on 2025-03-07, 13:09

gmc Offline

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I also have a SD -IDE adapter which connects to the XTIDE Card if it helps. Would this make things easier. Can I somehow preformat the SD card on a VM, install DOS and then plug it into the SD-IDE adapter and it will magically work?

Reply 2 of 6, by wierd_w

Posted on 2025-03-07, 14:45

wierd_w Offline

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Isa multi io cards are on ebay... any old card would do for a floppy controller.

Like this umc one, clearly an fdc, and isa ide, with lpt and serial jobbie.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405583727952?_skw=is … ABk9SR4a1kZGuZQ

Would let you add an atapi cdrom later, if you wanted.

Reply 3 of 6, by wierd_w

Posted on 2025-03-07, 14:53

wierd_w Offline

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As for 'my options',

I'll just admonish trying to set up an sdcard outside the target system, without using dos fdisk.

You will have all kinds of trouble.

This is a 386, and predates eltorito boot.

Without an atapi cdrom present, faking a floppy that way is out of the question, besides, most cf->sdcard solutions wont share the channel anyway, so you are back to needing the multi io.

If you shop frugally, you can get one affordably.

I'd get a multi io.

Reply 4 of 6, by Yoghoo

Posted on 2025-03-07, 17:14

Yoghoo Offline

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In the past I used VMware to create a DOS machine and used the pass through HDD option while using the CF card as the HDD. Then I did the usual steps like fdisk, fdisk /mbr and installed DOS. When finished I copied everything else I wanted from the explorer and moved the CF card to the retro pc with a XTIDE rom. Worked great. Just not use a partition bigger then the OS supports etc.

Reply 5 of 6, by gmc

Posted on 2025-03-14, 15:49

gmc Offline

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Thanks. I eventually got it working using vmware

Reply 6 of 6, by gmc

Posted on 2025-03-14, 15:54

gmc Offline

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For future me when I ask this question again in a few years:

https://theinstructionlimit.com/installing-ms … -to-ide-adapter

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