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First post, by Pioneer386

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Trying to install a 1GB CF or 2GB HD to a Dell 320n 386 laptop. The bios allows selecting from 47 different drive types all with fixed CHS values. Does not seem to be a way to enter user values even on type 47.

I tried OnTrack 9.57 overlay software but with drives under 2GB it just formats, no overlay is installed.

Any suggestions?
Anyway to force overlay install on drives under 2GB?
Any software that will allow formatting CF and specifying CHS values to match one in the bios ?

Reply 2 of 9, by Pioneer386

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Thanks for the reply will try EZ tomorrow.

One point to add is the 386 laptop floppy is not working so I am trying to add the drive overlay using a Pentium 4 system. Could it be the drive overlay software is checking the P4 bios and thinking an overlay is not required with an 1GB or 2GB drive and not installing one?

I need somehow to force the overlay to install. Anyhow will try EZ post my results.

Reply 3 of 9, by konc

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Pioneer386 wrote on 2023-02-08, 02:26:

Could it be the drive overlay software is checking the P4 bios and thinking an overlay is not required with an 1GB or 2GB drive and not installing one?

Yes that could very much be the case. EZ-Drive has the option to forcefully install it, I'm not sure if it exists in all versions though. If yours doesn't have it just try a different version.

Reply 7 of 9, by douglar

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Pioneer386 wrote on 2023-02-08, 02:26:

One point to add is the 386 laptop floppy is not working so I am trying to add the drive overlay using a Pentium 4 system. Could it be the drive overlay software is checking the P4 bios and thinking an overlay is not required with an 1GB or 2GB drive and not installing one?

I think I remember your story in the past. I have had good luck moving EZ-drive equipped storage between computers. Let me know how it goes for you. I hope it works out.

Reply 8 of 9, by matze79

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You can use SSTOR to Setup your disk.
It will set BIOS CHS in CMOS RAM.

I use it on NCR PC 286 which only supports a few "Fixed" types.

https://www.minuszerodegrees.net/software/Sto … s/speedstor.htm

https://www.retrokits.de - blog, retro projects, hdd clicker, diy soundcards etc
https://www.retroianer.de - german retro computer board

Reply 9 of 9, by Pioneer386

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Thanks to all who replied, great suggestions.

I did get a 1GB CF card working with the 386 laptop today. On the P4 where I was attempting to prepare the CF card, I changed the HD bios settings. I turned off LBA auto mode and used manual mode instead with CHS config values from the 386. Then Seagate Discwizard Ontrack software detected the bios settings were not ideal but asked if I wanted to continue and it installed the overlay. Then I moved the CF card to the 386 laptop and selected the preset CHS I used above and installed DOS 6.22. It sees the full 1GB.

I will look at SpeedStor and EZ-drive as well, the SCSI suggestion for a 386 would have been great too but can’t think of a way to get a SCSI controller on the laptop.

Looking forward to installing Windows 3.1 and software on the now silent 386.