->  -> I wouldn't expect it to. MicroSlimes Windows scrambled the
->  -> Partitioning information becasue of the Wrong version of FDISK used.

->  WC> I was brought up to speed on this... the day after receiving
->  WC> an e-mail suggesting I "was so cautious it bordered on
paranoia."
->  WC> It was then I proceeded against my instincts.

-> I had a little HDD accident myself around first of the year, and now
-> can't find an email where I said that, but it sounds familiar, so - -

-> The "paranoia" comment was over your dogged insistance on
worrying about
-> the Promise card not supporting ATAPI devices, (because those particular
-> words did not appear at the Promise website) despite having been sent
-> several pieces of info which clearly indicated that it will,

WITH DRIVERS and a non-OEM Win 98 first release installation CD
on a < 65 Gig drive ALL of which I explained to you numerous times.   

->  and
-> evidence that the IDE and ATAPI specs were combined back in 1998.
 
It's NOT a BIOS'ed card, it REQUIES drivers for ATAPI support.
Booted on my system with hard drive on IDE channel 0
and the ATAPI CD drive on IDE channel 1 the CD drive was utterly
unresponsive.
The damned LED didn't even blin on boot nor would the tray eject
or respond.
OTOH it didn't destroy the CD drive which promply worked on the
motherboard I/O.

-> Of course, the card _does_ support ATAPI devices, _after_ the Windows
-> driver is loaded. (I know this, because I did it here). 
   
How many times must I go over this?
I've a Windows OEM software CD here.

-> Back at that
-> time, we both thought the card might give CDROM support using the M$
-> DOS-based CDROM drivers (it does not), and I was _trying_ to encourage
-> you to give that a try, 

Don't claim I EVER had any idea the card had ANY hardware ATAPI support,
it's not in the docs and I've said that repeatedly.

I elected to believe you against my better judgement.
I even said I usually do not usually do not proceed with an unknown
practice unless I get TWO opinions from two independent sources.
You said "I was borderline paranoia" about proceeding.
This time I violated my usual verification  practice and I paid the
price.

-> as a "simple hardware check."  _That_ is what
-> you were bordering on paranoia about, back then.

Linux did a simple hardware check and caused no difficulty at all.
The Windows 98 OEM first release and they > 64 Gig drive
I repeatedly expressed to you was a concern of mine you
dismissed.

I screw stuff up sometimes and when I do I ADMIT to it.
This time I relying on your assurances had help SCREWING up
against my better instincts and "paranoia."

I killed a drive one time with static outside of the machine by brushing
my elbow into a monitor but this is the VERY FIRST I've killed
with software and it was on your advice.

->  TW>> But the Western Digital Diagnostic program, OR the LINUX program
->  TW>> soemone mentioned can recover the Drive by zeroing out the MBR.

->  WC> No if Linux can't see the drive.
->  WC> Wrote Roy's command down but if fdisk -l and fdisk /dev/hde fails
->  WC> I don't see the dd command working either.

-> For HDD connected to the Promise card, I think the main concern is
-> whether the BIOS on the card autodetects the drive, as shown on a splash
-> screen during POST. If the HDD is scrogged so badly that the card no
-> longer autodetects the HDD, I think you will need to take the HDD to a
-> newer machine, and if the BIOS on that machine will autodetect the drive
-> and its CHS parameters, then may be able to zero it out and proceed to
-> fdisk, repartition and format it.  Since old Win98 FDISK scrogged the
-> drive, I'd start with the new Win98 FDISK, rather than the Linux
-> version, but that is just me. YMMV (and it usually does).

There is no more mileage on the drive, it's toast and Windows
rendered it so.
NO MORE WINDOWS PERIOD.
What BIOS on the Ultra card?
It translates to the 137 Gig barrier and supports Windows >
than 64 Gig drives ( with software drivers) and NOTHING more.
IT is NOT hardware ATAPI compliant.


->  WC> Drive's still in the machine but power and cable unconnected.
->  WC> I'd need to slip the I/O card in again too to try again.

->  WC> Due to my circumstances all this must be done laying on my back
->  WC> with the computer on a roll cart and a light shining into the case.

-> So why not make it easy on yourself, and stop taking the card in and
-> out, in and out, to the point of recently starting to fret yourself
-> about yet another Waynesworld concern - worrying that you may be wearing
-> out your PCI slot?

Not to worry, that card is never going near my machine again EVER
for any reason.
It's not needed for Linux and I'll never run Windows again
except for 3.1 which happily co-exists on my lowly 486
with a primitive Linux release.
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5