Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
On Sat, 16 Oct 1999, you wrote: I've been following this thread to see if it would solve my problems as well. I have an IBM 10.1 Gb HDD, and in order to see anything above 8.4Gb, I had to download and install this pgm called Ontrack Manager. Am I right in presuming that Ontrack does the same thing as EZ-Drive? I have been having problems getting Linux to install on this disk. John, am I getting you right by saying that if I put Linux (and only Linux) on it, the entire 10Gb (minus partitioning overheads) would be seen? Well, never having tried to use something that size in a machine that didn't like it, I can't say for sure, but my understanding is that it would work. John
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
On Sat, 16 Oct 1999, R_Yeo wrote: If you're only going to put Linux on it, it should work OK w/o EZ Drive. John I've been following this thread to see if it would solve my problems as well. I have an IBM 10.1 Gb HDD, and in order to see anything above 8.4Gb, I had to download and install this pgm called Ontrack Manager. Am I right in presuming that Ontrack does the same thing as EZ-Drive? I have been having problems getting Linux to install on this disk. John, am I getting you right by saying that if I put Linux (and only Linux) on it, the entire 10Gb (minus partitioning overheads) would be seen? I have two more 3.2Gb HD set up as pri slave and sec master. Would I have a problem then to install a small Win partition on the pri slave? Would Win choke on not being in the pri master disk? The Win partition would only be for some 'legacy' programs like the IBM Ink Manager for my CrossPad All linux needs is some way to boot, it only requires one disk that the bios recognises, be it floppy, cd, ancient MFM, linux doesn't really care -- MandrakeSoft http://www.mandrakesoft.com/ --Axalon
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
I have a Western Digital 8-Gig HD, and use EZ-Drive with it because my BIOS does not support large HD's ( I have an old 486-style main board ). When I start my system, the video BIOS runs, then the main (AMI) BIOS, then EZ-Drive, then LILO. I can run either Win95 or Linux from the LILO prompt with no problems. I am using Linux-Mandrake v6.0 with the LILO update, although the original version seemed to work flawlessly as well. As I understand it, the EZ-Drive disk manager allows my system to access the entire 8-Gig HD, which would not be possible otherwise, since my BIOS does not support HD's of this size. If my BIOS supported HD's of this size, I would be able to partition the disk with partitions of a size that the OS's could access, and I would not need EZ-Drive, but for me this is not the case. If you need EZ-Drive to use your HD with your system, ( the system just stops booting before the operating system loads without EZ-Drive ), then you will need it no mater what OS you use. I am not certain of this, but this is what I understand from the documentation I have read. Also, EZ-Drive is not a Win9x specific utility, and the EZ-Drive installer disk does not load a version of DOS for it to boot, at least this is my impression from using it. I hope this is of help, Ernie - Original Message - From: Simon Norris [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 5:27 AM Subject: Re: [newbie] EZ-drive As an educated guess, I would say not, for the following reasons. LILO can be installed in the MBR, or the Linux root partition. When it is the MBR, it is your 'root installer', for want of better words. So it is loaded first. If you then select another OS, it goes off and does that. If you have another boot loader, for example boot magic, you put LILO in the root partition, bootmagic into the MBR, then bootmagic boots first, then boots LILO when you select it. Unfortunately, it is a pretty good bet that EZ-drive can only install itself into the MBR, thereby preventing any other boot programs from going first. If EZ-drive is installable on the partition, rather than the MBR, then it should work. But bear in mind EZ-drive is a Microsoft based program, chances are it's not that flexible. Is there some alternative to EZ-drive that doesn't need a boot type execution, perhaps a little applet that runs inside Windows? Just a suggestion. - Original Message - From: Gustavo Viola [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 1999 4:29 PM Subject: [newbie] EZ-drive On sáb, 09 out 1999, Manny Styles wrote: Big Snip The Maxtor drive came with EZ-Drive, but that doesn't affect linux in any way since it can see large drives with no BIOS changes. Manny Styles [EMAIL PROTECTED] Is it possible to have a drive with EZ-Drive with *both* Windows and Linux? Windows needs EZ-Drive, and the EZ-Drive documentation said Linux (or Unix) could not run over it. Any way I can enable EZ-Drive for Windows and disable it for Linux? (*Perhaps* a more adequate phrasing for this question would be: Does LiLo load before EZ-Drive and can it make EZ-Drive run only for Windows?) Thanks, /Gustavo.
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
On Wed, 13 Oct 1999, you wrote: Boy.. I am going to ask a stupid question and hopefully someone can enlighten me sarcastically if it is really stupid... What is EZ-drive? It's a software solution for a hardware problem -- it allows "stupid" BIOSes to see large hard drives. If you're only going to put Linux on it, it should work OK w/o EZ Drive. John
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
EZ-Drive is a software tool loaded into a hidden partition on your HD. It adds the needed BIOS code to allow your system to access your HD. When your system boots, the BIOS is loaded into memory, and it provides primitive code for the system to use to connect to the hardware. If your BIOS does not support the size of HD you have installed, and you cannot get an update flasher for your BIOS (not an uncommon thing, at least with older machines), then EZ-Drive is the next best alternative. I use it with a dual-booting installation of Windoze 95 and Linux-Mandrake 6.0, and have no problems. Oh, and BTW, the only "stupid" question would be the one you did not ask. Ernie - Original Message - From: Jesse Royall [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 10:59 PM Subject: Re: [newbie] EZ-drive Boy.. I am going to ask a stupid question and hopefully someone can enlighten me sarcastically if it is really stupid... What is EZ-drive? I have a drive that my bios does not see and I have to run EZ-bios (I think that is what it is) or its EZ something.. will have to reboot to see what it is.. but it allows me to have more than 8 gigs of drive space. ___ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
On Thu, 14 Oct 1999, David P. Greenberg wrote: [snipd] --Sorry for the no snip. You can disable EZ-drive from your slave drives during the install. You go ahead and install it, and it does go onto all the drives. After you get it in you can run an options dialog that will allow you to remove it from all but your windows drive, if that's what you want. In my dealings with the old Pac-Bells, I found that the really best thing to do is replace the mother board. A side note: The bios upgrades (flash) available at the PB website are absolutely worthless. I think thats the ez-bios/ez-drive answer your looking for, but i still say floppy is less headache :)
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
Jan: Thanks for the info.. that is what I thought it was. Funny thing though.. I have no problem with it. I installed a 20gig and the let bios see 8 gig drive. loaded the WD driver so that it would see a full 20. partitioned it in 5 gig parts (since windows 98 will not let me scandisk/defrag more than 6 or 8 gigs and then create its own errors and ruin a perfectly good hard drive.). Installed windows 98 with a 4 gig as a slave. Then some silly person talked my into Linux (which I am still working on). Installed Lilo dual boot thingy. and Linux on the spare 4 gig. when my system boots it loads the EZ thingy where I can press C or A to boot from which I let it do its thing. then Lilo takes over and does it thing booting randomly windows 98 or Linux. hehe.. jking. but it all works for me somehow. with no problems. the only problem I had was I was getting a Lilo prompt and didn't know where to go from there until I reloaded windows a few times and linux a few times and I got a message one time telling me to hit tab to get a menu. Jess On Wed, 13 Oct 1999 23:56:02 -0400 "Jan Herbert" [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: EZ Drive is a Formatting tool that is available on WD (western didital) website. Allows older Bios too see large drives. I think larger than 6 or 8 GIGs. Hope this helps janh ___ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
Linux does NOT depend on BIOS for seeing large drives. It does NOT have the same failing as DOS/Windows. John
Re: [Re: [newbie] EZ-drive]
First off...this is NOT sent in HTML as the check box to SEND in html is NOT checked. EZ-Drive, Max-Blast, and a utility in Disk Manager ( which supports many drive manufacturers ) can all accomplish about the same thing. When required (read as HD not directly supported by the BIOS) a utility can be loaded in the Boot sector of the HD, that is in essence a Translation Table that fakes the BIOS into thinking it supports the HD. It is loaded before anything else in terms of OS's, but the drawback is...when not needed any longer ie: new mother board, the HD must now be reformatted with a clean /MBR for the mother board to directly support the HD, it is not required to continue using the HD, ONLY if you want is supported properly by the BIOS. Axalon Bloodstone [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Thu, 14 Oct 1999, David P. Greenberg wrote: [snipd] --Sorry for the no snip. You can disable EZ-drive from your slave drives during the install. You go ahead and install it, and it does go onto all the drives. After you get it in you can run an options dialog that will allow you to remove it from all but your windows drive, if that's what you want. In my dealings with the old Pac-Bells, I found that the really best thing to do is replace the mother board. A side note: The bios upgrades (flash) available at the PB website are absolutely worthless. I think thats the ez-bios/ez-drive answer your looking for, but i still say floppy is less headache :) Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com.
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
thanks ernie... I was just cheking since someone said they were having problems and I just wanted to make sure that it was the same program I use for my drive. Since I didn't have those problems yet... ___ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
On Thu, 14 Oct 1999, Jesse Royall wrote: Jan: Thanks for the info.. that is what I thought it was. Funny thing though.. I have no problem with it. I installed a 20gig and the let bios see 8 gig drive. loaded the WD driver so that it would see a full 20. partitioned it in 5 gig parts (since windows 98 will not let me scandisk/defrag more than 6 or 8 gigs and then create its own errors and ruin a perfectly good hard drive.). Installed windows 98 with a 4 gig as a slave. Then some silly person talked my into Linux (which I am still working on). Installed Lilo dual boot thingy. and Linux on the spare 4 gig. when my system boots it loads the EZ thingy where I can press C or A to boot from which I let it do its thing. then Lilo takes over and does it thing booting randomly windows 98 or Linux. hehe.. jking. but it all works for me somehow. with no problems. the only problem I had was I was getting a Lilo prompt and didn't know where to go from there until I reloaded windows a few times and linux a few times and I got a message one time telling me to hit tab to get a menu. Jess From /usr/src/linux/Documentation/ide.txt " - to use LILO with EZ, install LILO on the linux partition rather than on the master boot record, and then mark the linux partition as "bootable" or "active" using fdisk. (courtesy of Juha Laiho [EMAIL PROTECTED]). " Which explains why Jess has no problems, On Wed, 13 Oct 1999 23:56:02 -0400 "Jan Herbert" [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: EZ Drive is a Formatting tool that is available on WD (western didital) website. Allows older Bios too see large drives. I think larger than 6 or 8 GIGs. Hope this helps janh ___ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. -- MandrakeSoft http://www.mandrakesoft.com/ --Axalon
[newbie] EZ-drive
On sáb, 09 out 1999, Manny Styles wrote: Big Snip The Maxtor drive came with EZ-Drive, but that doesn't affect linux in any way since it can see large drives with no BIOS changes. Manny Styles [EMAIL PROTECTED] Is it possible to have a drive with EZ-Drive with *both* Windows and Linux? Windows needs EZ-Drive, and the EZ-Drive documentation said Linux (or Unix) could not run over it. Any way I can enable EZ-Drive for Windows and disable it for Linux? (*Perhaps* a more adequate phrasing for this question would be: Does LiLo load before EZ-Drive and can it make EZ-Drive run only for Windows?) Thanks, /Gustavo.
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
As an educated guess, I would say not, for the following reasons. LILO can be installed in the MBR, or the Linux root partition. When it is the MBR, it is your 'root installer', for want of better words. So it is loaded first. If you then select another OS, it goes off and does that. If you have another boot loader, for example boot magic, you put LILO in the root partition, bootmagic into the MBR, then bootmagic boots first, then boots LILO when you select it. Unfortunately, it is a pretty good bet that EZ-drive can only install itself into the MBR, thereby preventing any other boot programs from going first. If EZ-drive is installable on the partition, rather than the MBR, then it should work. But bear in mind EZ-drive is a Microsoft based program, chances are it's not that flexible. Is there some alternative to EZ-drive that doesn't need a boot type execution, perhaps a little applet that runs inside Windows? Just a suggestion. - Original Message - From: Gustavo Viola [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 1999 4:29 PM Subject: [newbie] EZ-drive On sáb, 09 out 1999, Manny Styles wrote: Big Snip The Maxtor drive came with EZ-Drive, but that doesn't affect linux in any way since it can see large drives with no BIOS changes. Manny Styles [EMAIL PROTECTED] Is it possible to have a drive with EZ-Drive with *both* Windows and Linux? Windows needs EZ-Drive, and the EZ-Drive documentation said Linux (or Unix) could not run over it. Any way I can enable EZ-Drive for Windows and disable it for Linux? (*Perhaps* a more adequate phrasing for this question would be: Does LiLo load before EZ-Drive and can it make EZ-Drive run only for Windows?) Thanks, /Gustavo.
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
On Tue, 12 Oct 1999, Gustavo Viola wrote: snip (*Perhaps* a more adequate phrasing for this question would be: Does LiLo load before EZ-Drive and can it make EZ-Drive run only for Windows?) Thanks, /Gustavo. --Hi Gustavo. You have answered many questions for me, and I wish I could answer this one for you. What I can tell you is that EZ-drive puts a small _non-dos_ partition on the first sector of the drive it controls. This partition can be read by dos, but appears as errors to scandisk and defrag. I believe that it's the first command to load during boot up. David P. Greenberg Bitco Electronics "In Service to the Recording Industry" *Confirmed Linux Newbie* **Dogs wonder why each week we take our best stuff outside and let people in big trucks steal it**
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
it's posible to have ez-bios and linux, but hardly worth the effort. Boot from a floppy or try loadlin On Wed, 13 Oct 1999, David P. Greenberg wrote: On Tue, 12 Oct 1999, Gustavo Viola wrote: snip (*Perhaps* a more adequate phrasing for this question would be: Does LiLo load before EZ-Drive and can it make EZ-Drive run only for Windows?) Thanks, /Gustavo. --Hi Gustavo. You have answered many questions for me, and I wish I could answer this one for you. What I can tell you is that EZ-drive puts a small _non-dos_ partition on the first sector of the drive it controls. This partition can be read by dos, but appears as errors to scandisk and defrag. I believe that it's the first command to load during boot up. David P. Greenberg Bitco Electronics "In Service to the Recording Industry" *Confirmed Linux Newbie* **Dogs wonder why each week we take our best stuff outside and let people in big trucks steal it** -- MandrakeSoft http://www.mandrakesoft.com/ --Axalon
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
- Original Message - From: Gustavo Viola [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 1999 11:29 AM Subject: [newbie] EZ-drive Is it possible to have a drive with EZ-Drive with *both* Windows and Linux? Windows needs EZ-Drive, and the EZ-Drive documentation said Linux (or Unix) could not run over it. Any way I can enable EZ-Drive for Windows and disable it for Linux? (*Perhaps* a more adequate phrasing for this question would be: Does LiLo load before EZ-Drive and can it make EZ-Drive run only for Windows?) Thanks, /Gustavo. - Original Message - From: Axalon Bloodstone [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Gustavo Viola [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 11:56 AM Subject: Re: [newbie] EZ-drive it's posible to have ez-bios and linux, but hardly worth the effort. Boot from a floppy or try loadlin -- MandrakeSoft http://www.mandrakesoft.com/ --Axalon Axalon hit it on the nose (mostly). Ez-BIOS loads itself in the MBR of each drive on your system. I tried to put LILO on my system and went through hell to get EZ-Drive to reinstall for the sake of Windows. Don't even try all of that, just use a bootdisk. All you have to do when the system boots is wait for the EZ-Drive dialog to appear before Windows loads, and press CTRL, then it will tell you to either press A to boot from the floppy drive, or C to boot from the harddrive; that is when you can insert your bootdisk, then press A, and linux will boot from there. It is possible to boot directly from the bootdisk and skip all of that (I presume), but it is better to be safe, right? Manny Styles [EMAIL PROTECTED] Computers aren't smart, they only think they are. __ NetZero - Defenders of the Free World Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
EZ Drive is a Formatting tool that is available on WD (western didital) website. Allows older Bios too see large drives. I think larger than 6 or 8 GIGs. Hope this helps janh - Original Message - From: Jesse Royall [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 10:59 PM Subject: Re: [newbie] EZ-drive Boy.. I am going to ask a stupid question and hopefully someone can enlighten me sarcastically if it is really stupid... What is EZ-drive? I have a drive that my bios does not see and I have to run EZ-bios (I think that is what it is) or its EZ something.. will have to reboot to see what it is.. but it allows me to have more than 8 gigs of drive space. ___ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.
Re: [Re: [newbie] EZ-drive]
Ontrack DiskManager is ditributed by Ontrack and comes in different flavors..IE: Fujitsu, Quantum, etc... DiskManager has a host of functions/utilities...but should be used ONLY by someone who _KNOWS_ what it does...in the past ie: early 'puter years, I have killed a drive or two...:( It is comparable in function to EZ-Drive, Max-Blast ( I think ), and probably a few other "disk" utilities. All I can say is...make sure the one your using is for the drive you want to manipulate. Jaguar R_Yeo [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have an IBM 10.1 Gb HDD, and in order to see anything above 8.4Gb, I had to download and install this pgm called Ontrack Manager. Am I right in presuming that Ontrack does the same thing as EZ-Drive? I have been having problems getting Linux to install on this disk. Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com.
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
On Sat, 16 Oct 1999, you wrote: I've been following this thread to see if it would solve my problems as well. I have an IBM 10.1 Gb HDD, and in order to see anything above 8.4Gb, I had to download and install this pgm called Ontrack Manager. Am I right in presuming that Ontrack does the same thing as EZ-Drive? I have been having problems getting Linux to install on this disk. John, am I getting you right by saying that if I put Linux (and only Linux) on it, the entire 10Gb (minus partitioning overheads) would be seen? Caution: I'm still more "newbie" than "expert." However, that being said, it is my understanding that Linux shouldn't have a problem seeing the ENTIRE 10 Gb. I would think that out of a 10 Gb hard drive, you should get at least 9.5 to 9.75 Gb out of it. I have two more 3.2Gb HD set up as pri slave and sec master. Would I have a problem then to install a small Win partition on the pri slave? Would Win choke on not being in the pri master disk? The Win partition would only be for some 'legacy' programs like the IBM Ink Manager for myCrossPad I won't swear to it, but I *think* Windows will choke if it's not on the primary master. I would suggest you check with someone who's more knowledgeable than I about dual-booting and Windows' preferences. John
Re: [newbie] EZ-drive
On 4 Nov, John Aldrich wrote: On Sat, 16 Oct 1999, you wrote: I've been following this thread to see if it would solve my problems as well. I have an IBM 10.1 Gb HDD, and in order to see anything above 8.4Gb, I had to download and install this pgm called Ontrack Manager. Am I right in presuming that Ontrack does the same thing as EZ-Drive? I have been having problems getting Linux to install on this disk. John, am I getting you right by saying that if I put Linux (and only Linux) on it, the entire 10Gb (minus partitioning overheads) would be seen? Caution: I'm still more "newbie" than "expert." However, that being said, it is my understanding that Linux shouldn't have a problem seeing the ENTIRE 10 Gb. I would think that out of a 10 Gb hard drive, you should get at least 9.5 to 9.75 Gb out of it. If it is at all possible, get a BIOS update instead of using that disk manager software. Those things are nothing more than pains in the ... well, you get the idea. I'm speaking from experience here, too. Getting a BIOS update may be a headache, but unless someone on this list knows a painless way to get LILO and that dumb boot manager to co-exist... well, maybe you could... anyway, I still wouldn't. I have two more 3.2Gb HD set up as pri slave and sec master. Would I have a problem then to install a small Win partition on the pri slave? Would Win choke on not being in the pri master disk? The Win partition would only be for some 'legacy' programs like the IBM Ink Manager for myCrossPad I won't swear to it, but I *think* Windows will choke if it's not on the primary master. I would suggest you check with someone who's more knowledgeable than I about dual-booting and Windows' preferences. Yes, DOS - which includes Win9x, as it's just extensions to DOS (and as far as I know, NT too, but I haven't tried that) - does need to be on the primary master drive. -- -Matt Stegman [EMAIL PROTECTED]
