How to go past 1024

[mark hilliard]

Well I did it (with lots of help from everyone)!  The 190 meg drive
is up and running with 3.51a!  It formats out to a little more that 140 meg
with 1224 cyls, and 15 heads.  I had lots of problems loading UNIX on it 
that took a LONG time to overcome. Here is how you do it.

First, get a new disk controller chip 2010 from Western Digital, and find
some one to burn you the new pal (about 80 cents), then install both
as per directions that are ready available.  These modifications will
allow the use of more than 8 heads and 1024 cyls. Allow a full day to
do the installation.

You CANNOT format any more than 1024 cyls with ANY version of the 
diagnostic disk.  It will tell you that it did it when it really did not.
You MUST obtain a copy of the modified diagnostic disk that I have.  I think
that I have the only one currently in existence. This is really a special
version that prompts you for extra partitions, heads and cyls. It really 
does do the format!  You can choose to create multiple user partitions or
just one big one.  The entire process takes about 5 hours from the time
you boot up the diagnostic disk.  Be sure that you do the surface checks.

All that is left to do is load the software.  Just follow the normal
instructions on your foundation set, and it will do all of the work!

All of the problems that I had revolved around the fact that the diagnostic
said that the drive had been formatted.  It even did the surface check!
When loading the foundation set, all would go normally until you put in disk
3 and it ran mkfs and tried to create the user directories.  You would get
all sorts of error messages.  I even went in and modified the install set
and ran mkfs by hand.  It would NOT create a file system with any more than
1024 cyls.

I will be happy to distribute the new diagnostic disk to any one who wants it.
Please send a $2.00 handling charge and a formatted (8) disk for me to copy it
onto.  I will get it out to you asap.  If anyone else would like to help in the
distribution of this please let me know, I dont relish the idea of getting
swamped with requests for it. Send the disk to:


Mark Hilliard
1557 Starflower Ct.
Walworth, NY.  14568.

The diagnostic is self prompting and easy to use.  Even if you do not put
in the 5.1 pal mod, the controller upgrade is well worth the money as you can
put in a 90 meg 1/2 height 22ms drive with it alone!

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                                                {codas,u1100a}-----\
Mark Hilliard                          rutgers!rochester!pcid!kodak!gizzmo!mark
   N2HHR                                  {lazlo,ethos,fthood}-----/