TRansportNX / Chicony 989

BIOS update, EIDE card, or overlay software? (FAQ Hard disk recognition)
darktower
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Guys, I am desperate for help. I need a hacked bios to let me use a 40 gig HD on my laptop. There are 2 threads on this here, but no links to the file.

Here is the info I could come up with.

Award Modular v4.51PGM
V16m12 1999/07/29
Mobile Pentium 2 CPU @400mhz

Award Plug & play Bros Extension v1.0A

at the bottom of the screen it says

7/24/1999 - i440BX-NS338-2A69KC2AC-00

I'm new to all of this windows stuff, so any help would greatly be appreciated!
If anyone has a good link on directions to flash this once I've got it, I would appreciate that too.
Cheers! darktower
NickS
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Darktower, welcome; Kuriaki has been seriously unwell. I'll repatch the BIOS for you, it'll take a few minutes.

[edit]Hmm, some complications on recompressing the file, so it'll take more than a couple of minutes.
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NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
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OK, if you're sure you have a Chicony 989, there's a patched BIOS at the "untested" link in my signature, (Chicony 989).zip. Please let us have feedback. Don't forget to use /cc /cd /cp switches on the flasher command line to clear all existing CMOS etc settings, note down what you need to beforehand. The original 17t02 BIOS was taken from http://www.databest.fi/downloads.htm.

Good luck!
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darktower
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Nick, thank you VERY Much for the help! Like I said, I'm new to windows ect.
( Sorry Mac Guy here :D )
Do you know of a good link to guide me on flashing this. ( an idiots guide to flashing basically ) I'm having to burn the files on CD and then transfer them to the laptop. I want to get everything I need on one disk so I don't waste any CD's. I appreciate the help and can't wait to get this spiffy laptop working!
Cheers! Chris
NickS
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OK, potted flashing guide.
You need a basic DOS boot disk with no himem.sys, etc. We usually recommend the DRDOS diskette image from http://motherboards.mbarron.net/download/drdflash.exe.

On the disk you need the flash program, AWDFLASH.EXE or whatever, and the BIOS file in .BIN form. The BIOS file v17t02.zip at the site above includes the flasher flash989.exe which is actually AWDFLASH renamed. Check the readability of the contents before flashing as the last thing you want is to load half a BIOS and get a read error.

Boot from the disk and at the command prompt type <flashername> <biosname> /Py SAVEBIOS.BIN /Sy /CC /CP /CD. Then everything should just chug along until it finishes.

If booted from CD, don't bother with SAVEBIOS.BIN /Sy, which saves your old BIOS before flashing.
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darktower
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Nick, The directions for flashing were great and the flashing was successful.
the only Problem is my drive is still not recognized. It will show up as a unpartioned drive when I try to install the OS and it will try to format it for me, but the format always fails. I also ran ontrack Disk Manager from a utility disk and it said this:
The system BIOS is representing this drive with a geometry having more than 16 heads but is not providing proper translation to support it.
Any Ideas?
Darktower

P.S. I really appreciate all your help!
NickS
BIOS Bodhisattva
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OK...
1. What make/model of drive?
2. What OS do you plan to use?
3. Are your BIOS drive settings for size and type set to Auto & Auto?

(If you planned to use Linux or XP, you should be able to installl a 32GB clip jumper on the drive and the OS should see the real size)
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edwin
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Was this drive ever tested in another system that does recognize it by design?
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
cp
BIOS Guru
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enter the bios. use HDD AUTODETECTION and select 2/Y as answer. save and exit the bios. now reinstall the OS.
darktower
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attempting CP's suggestion now. We'll see and report.
Thanks to everyone!!
darktower
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ok, no dice

the model I'm installing is seagate ST94011a 40 gig momentus
the one I am replacing is a hitachi DK23aa-60 6 gig

I will be installing XP but there is nothing by seagate on how to clip this particular drive. There is only a master, slave, cable connect jumper settings.

setting the type to auto, nothing shows up.
If I set the CMOS up for the type : user
and then go to HDD autodetection it will allow me to choose 2y
then I go back to CMOS and the primary master shows the following info

Primary Master : user Size 40010M cyls: 4864 Head:255 Precomp 0
Landz 19151 sector 63 Mode LBA

With it showing up like this I still can't get the hard drive recognized by any OS to format or for any utility to format.
If I go back to CMOS and change to auto, then I won't get the option to do 2y in HDD Autodetection.

Hope all of this helps!
NickS
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darktower wrote:ok, no dice

the model I'm installing is seagate ST94011a 40 gig momentus
the one I am replacing is a hitachi DK23aa-60 6 gig

I will be installing XP but there is nothing by seagate on how to clip this particular drive. There is only a master, slave, cable connect jumper settings.
How many pairs of pins are there in the drive select block? Are there 4 pairs?
Image
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NickS
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Other avenues to try:
Using type User and setting 16 heads, what is the maximum no of cylinders & sectors you can set?

Download Seagate's Seatools for DOS utility and use option C to set reported capacity to 32GB. XP should still see the whole drive.
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darktower
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2 pair
4 pins
I'm gonna look into your other suggestion right now.
darktower
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nope, Used the Seatools for DOS and set it to 32meg and XP instalation still dosen't recognize the disk. Arrgghh! :)
I'm ready to throw this thing through the window! *LOL*
any other ideas?
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