60GB: ATC-5000 (i430TX-2A59IA29C-00)

[guydeschepper]

Hi,

I have the following bios/mainboard:

Award Modular BIOS v4.51PG
ATC-5000 Bios ver:1.0 06 (A-Trend Mainboard)
11/04/97 - i430TX - 2A59IA29C - 00

I try to add a 60GB disk (Maxtor), but can only address 32GB
with CLJ set (cylinder limitation jumper) and MaxBlast Plus II


I'm looking for an update to my BIOS, so I can use the full 60GB
Can You help me ?

Thanx

[ajzchips]

Here's version 1.08a (patched for large HDD support).

http://wims.rainbow-software.org/ajz/

06/02/1999-i430TX-S672-ATC-5000C-GV
ATC-5000 VER:1.0 08

Your flasher might complain because of the change in BIOS ID string. Just ignore it.

[guydeschepper]

Thanx !

I suppose I don't need to use the CLJ and
the MaxBlast software anymore after having
flashed my bios.

Is that correct ?

[Rainbow]

Exactly.

[guydeschepper]

I just flashed my bios with v1.08a as you suggested and guess what:

It works !!


Thanx again. You did a great job !!

[guydeschepper]

I have to drives in my system one with a size recognized by the default bios (IBM) and one of 60GB (MAXTOR), recognized after patching my bios to ver 1.08A as
suggested in the previous post.

Never had any trouble until today:

I repartitioned my IBM disk to add a new operating system (win2k)
everything still ok.
could still boot in "old" os, see the newly created partitions, ...

Then I set the newly created partition as the active partition, rebooted
and started installing the new win2k os.

installation complete. "Please remove any cd's and floppies and reboot your system".
So I did this and then I just get this:

blablabla

Verifying DMI pool data ...

L 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99


and then it hangs.

I already tried to reflash my bios, but still the same.

Heeeeelp !

[guydeschepper]

Sorry, had probably nothing to do with the bios itself.

I ran win2k setup again, booted into the recovery console,
ran fixmbr and the problem was solved.

[edwin]

Leftover from the MaxBlast software, no doubt.

[KachiWachi]

"Next I tried in BIOS 40980 4982 255 0 19617 63 LBA "

Is this what is stamped on the HD as an alternate setting CHS = 4982, 255, 63??

Usually the BIOS entry is CHS = 16383, 16, 63.

[Ritchie]

NOTE: TOMAZS problem now has it's own thread. So I have now edited my original post to split the content intended for GUYDESCHOPPER and TOMAZS into the appropriate threads. The content intended for GUYDESCHOPPER is below. Anyone looking for the content I posted for TOMAZS will find it under ***Tomaz's Post***.

GUYDESCHOPPER:
If you intend to do a Win2K or WinXP installation on a clean disk, then once you have backed up any data, I find the install works nicely by booting from a cold boot off the CD, then removing all partitions using the setup console (assuming you are happy to start with a blank disk and thus wipe everything off it from all partitions) and then to setup Windows on the the unpartitioned space. This will ask you to format and when you tell it to do so it Windows Setup will use the maximum space it can and take care of the partitions for you.

I do not have any problems with corruption in this manner and would expect it to clear out any leftovers from other partitioning software.

Secondly, if I want to start 2K or XP Windows Setup with a blank disk, I take the extra measure of using a command prompt boot floppy or CD to clear out partitions using FDISK first, and then after this is finalised, boot to the 2K or XP Setup and proceed as above. This is probably being extra thorough and is probably not normally necessary unless something on the hard disk is confusing the initial stages of Setup.