From: Felix Miata 
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@Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 08:10:39 -0500
Subject: Re: /!SETMAX
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Robert Traynor (BobT) wrote:
 
> On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 10:41:50 +0100, Hayo Baan wrote:
 
> > True, older motherboards suffer from the 32gb BIOS  limit, thus
> > preventing correct recognition of such a device.
> > There are, however, a few simple remedies for this:
> > 1) Update BIOS to fix the limit problem
 
> As I have said, this is not possible.

Technically incorrect. The problem has nothing to do with hardware, so
you could patch the BIOS yourself if only you knew how. I have two
machines which have the 32G BIOS limit, if you believe the
manufacturers' BIOS download pages. But, just because a BIOS without the
limit isn't available from the manufacturer doesn't mean not available
anywhere. My two AOpen Socket 7 boxen have the limit overcome via BIOS
from http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/J.Steunebrink/k6plus.htm.
 
> > 3) If this still does not work, use a <32GB disk as boot disk and add
> > the >32GB as a second disk (do not let bios try to recognise it).  As
> > all sane OSs don't use BIOS to access a drive once the OS is loaded,
> > you'll have full access to the disk in the OS.  Having the bootmanager
> > on the first disk, you may even be able to install eCS onto that second
> > disk and boot that (haven't tried this though).
 
> No can do due to limitation of IRQ's and apart from wanting to solve it

What do IRQ's have to do with telling the BIOS no drive is attached to
that node? The IRQ is assigned to the IDE controller, not to any devices
attached to it.

> with, hopefully, adjustments to Danis506.add driver switches.
> I already have made major inroads with the  /!SETMAX switch.

You haven't really explained why you want to circumvent the DaniS506.ADD
circumvention of the need to fool your BIOS by using the jumper. What
exactly is wrong with using the whole disk? 

> It is simply not worth throwing more money at this low end machine.
> Time I have plenty of.!  And apart from all that there are a number
> of other members of my local os2 SIG that will soon be in the very
> same boat.

Well, if you have so much time, learn to patch your BIOS yourself, then
share it with others using that motherboard model. ;-)
 
> > It does: DOS is the only OS that is restricted by the limits of the BIOS.
 
> WRONG... This machine ALREADY had the drive recognised BEYOND the BIOS
> LIMITATIONS by the Danis506.add driver and THAT was the trouble.!
 
> It cannot handle it.  I had to apply the  /!SETMAX  switch to get a
> useable system.  /!SETMAX is supposed to hold the Danis506.add driver
> to coincide with the system bios.  Just something more needs to be done
> or tweaked to make it perfect.

What does "cannot handle it" mean? IIRC, you never explained what
trouble not using the /!SETMAX switch gave you. It never gave me trouble
except when not booting OS/2.
 
> > I know for a fact that some of the older Compaq computers suffer the
> > same problem; i.e., no update will ever be available to support >32GB
> > drives.  Using trick 3 from above, however, lets you successfuly access
> > a 160GB drive though :-)
 
> Oh, I have no doubt that it works, I was doing exactly that with a 486
> back in the days of Warp 2.11 or Warp 3, can't remember which.
> But you must have a IDE controller that will allow you to connect
> a drive without it having to be recognised by the hardware, ie
> not recognised by the IDE controller. At least that was the case back then,
> I obviously have not tried it lately.

Prolly time you did. 486 days are ancient history. Works for me.
 
> Quite a lot of the bios I have seen of late won't boot if there is a hard drive
> attached and the drive is not "described".

I've never seen one.
-- 
"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
                                                John 8:32 NIV

 Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409

Felix Miata  ***  http://members.ij.net/mrmazda/partitioningindex.html



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