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issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me



 
 
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  #11  
Old February 2nd 17, 05:15 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
98 Guy[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 34
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

Auric__ wrote:

Why people get fixated on ancient, lame hardware is a mystery.


You say that in a group dedicated to an OS that's more than 18 years
old.


Kerr Mudd-John wrote:

What about ancient s/w then Mr 98 Guy??!!


Win-9x/me has a lot in common, through the win32 API, with Win-NT (2k,
xp, etc).

I'm running a version of VLC media player that's maybe 1 or 2 years old
(and only because I haven't bothered to download the most recent
build). I can run Opera 12.02 (what is that, maybe 4 years old?). My
standard browser is Firefox 2.0.0.20 and for what I want to get out of
the WWW it works 95% of the time.

So yes, 98se is 18 years old. But a lot of code in the Windoze line is
recycled and only win-8/win-10 is radically different than even win-7.

In terms of hardware, the difference in performance and features of
hardware circa 1999 vs 2006 is like night and day. You can take
anything made in 2006 (motherboards, even most laptops) and find win-9x
drivers. Some VIA-based motherboards made in 2007/2008 are also win-9x
compatible.

So you get your AGP (and in some cases, PCIe) video card with 256 mb
ram, you get your kernelEx API helper, you get the hack that lets win-9x
handle up to 3 gb ram (yes, there is such a hack) and you've got a
pretty usable system. A version of Windoze that isin't always "phoning
home" to Macro$haft asking if it's still legit. A version of windoze
that gives you complete access to the file system and registry and
doesn't hide **** on you or block you from doing **** with admin
garbage. A version of windoze with true "file-find" ability.

So I stand by my statement running an 18-year-old OS on 18-year-old
hardware is unnecessary torture.
  #12  
Old February 3rd 17, 08:14 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
Lee
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 196
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

On Thursday, February 2, 2017 at 11:04:28 AM UTC-7, William Bell wrote:

Ok, Lee, thanks. It's a Toshiba Satellite 490XCDT / 4.0 model number
PRI1270U and part # PRI1270U-T2C. If you can find a BIOS rewrite that
would work, that would be great!

Will


No luck sorry, but it's a better search when you do it anyway.
http://wims.rainbow-software.org/ind...art=0&count=40
https://www.wimsbios.com/

Mine was easy to find but it was fixed for 60 Gb bug not the earlier one, so not sure if you are up to date on BIOS or not after all. Mine was 1987 and doing 40 Gb, yours should be 2000 at version 8.

http://support.toshiba.com/support/v...ntentId=106474

http://support.toshiba.com/support/s...OCLink =false

When trying to download the BIOS file my download manager failed to latch onto it with a server error. But default firefox Save As system did get it, just a warning they are using tricks for what ever reason. And first time at Toshiba was zippo, don't know what happened but all of a sudden I get 490X files.

So by the BIOS ID number system you may be able to find a fixed similar version and patch the code in yourself with a hexeditor? That was my plan, but I've never done a thing since finding the above resources anyway. The BIOS string that they are looking for is on the POST, Power On Self Test screen and you may not be seeing it because you might need to press Pause/Break key to halt code long enough for the screen to wake up and show it. Press space bar to resume running code. Best of luck.

  #13  
Old February 3rd 17, 05:40 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
William Bell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

On 02/03/2017 02:14 AM, Lee wrote:

No luck sorry, but it's a better search when you do it anyway.
http://wims.rainbow-software.org/ind...art=0&count=40
https://www.wimsbios.com/


Thanks, Lee. The problem I seem to be having is trying to find those
BIOS ID numbers. They say to pause the splash screen, but all that
comes up there is TOSHIBA and nothing else. I looked in the BIOS for
maybe a fast/ slow boot setting, but didn't find one.


Mine was easy to find but it was fixed for 60 Gb bug not the earlier one, so not sure if you are up to date on BIOS or not after all. Mine was 1987 and doing 40 Gb, yours should be 2000 at version 8.

http://support.toshiba.com/support/v...ntentId=106474

http://support.toshiba.com/support/s...OCLink =false

When trying to download the BIOS file my download manager failed to latch onto it with a server error. But default firefox Save As system did get it, just a warning they are using tricks for what ever reason. And first time at Toshiba was zippo, don't know what happened but all of a sudden I get 490X files.

So by the BIOS ID number system you may be able to find a fixed similar version and patch the code in yourself with a hexeditor? That was my plan, but I've never done a thing since finding the above resources anyway. The BIOS string that they are looking for is on the POST, Power On Self Test screen and you may not be seeing it because you might need to press Pause/Break key to halt code long enough for the screen to wake up and show it. Press space bar to resume running code. Best of luck.


Appreciate the links there. My current version was 7.5 so I suppose the
update to 8.0 wouldn't hurt even though it doesn't appear to make any
change to HD specs that I can see.

Will


  #14  
Old February 3rd 17, 09:55 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
J. P. Gilliver (John)
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 1,554
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

In message , 98 Guy writes:
[]
Seriously people.

Think about it.

We're talking about a laptop circa 1999 or 2000. Probably earlier
because this 8 gb drive limitation is really old - like 1995 - 1997.

This laptop is a POS from a hardware pov. The screen will be ****.
Resolution will be ****.

The battery is flat dead. It will need to be plugged in all the time.

It has no wifi. It probably doesn't even have ethernet port.


Well, Will has actually explained that he just wants to continue to use
it for some logging application, so the following doesn't apply, but:
some of us just _like_ getting old things to work. It's not dissimilar
to keeping old valve (UK; toob in US) wireless sets working, or old cars
(with many different definitions of "old").

A few years I enjoyed getting an XP system with a 6G hard drive and very
limited RAM working - not just functioning (it was, just about, though
with a horrendous amount of paging), but actually usable, including
online. It wouldn't play videos, but anything else, it was fine. If
asked why I did it, I really can't say! Other than (a) the challenge of
getting it working at all, (b) the satisfaction of not scrapping it.

I don't think I'd ever call a piece of equipment a POS - unless it was
in the first place.

So you stick a 40 gb drive in it, and can use only 8 gb. And this is
the main point: What are you going to do with an ancient POS laptop
that you're going to need more than 8 gb of hard drive space?

You going to be editing video with it?

Autocad? Graphic design?

I don't think so.

If you like Win-ME, there is much better hardware (motherboards)
available on ebay where you can build a decent desktop PC and connect
tera-byte hard drives no problem.

Why people get fixated on ancient, lame hardware is a mystery.


There's also the level of "authenticity" one goes for - which is very
much a matter of personal choice. The people who keep old electronics
going - some of them go to the extent, if say a capacitor needs
replacing, of hiding the modern equivalent inside the drilled-out body
of an original one; others remake the original; others just fit modern
capacitors and resistors, being content just to be using the original
valves/tubes. (A few back-fit completely modern innards, though those
tend to be just TV prop companies and the like.) Old car people (I mean
really old!) might or might not insist on using headlights with wicks.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

You can be tough without being rude - Nick Clegg, 2014 July
  #15  
Old February 3rd 17, 09:57 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
J. P. Gilliver (John)
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 1,554
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

In message , William Bell
writes:
[]
Thanks, Lee. The problem I seem to be having is trying to find those
BIOS ID numbers. They say to pause the splash screen, but all that
comes up there is TOSHIBA and nothing else. I looked in the BIOS for
maybe a fast/ slow boot setting, but didn't find one.

[]
Sometimes there's a show/don't show splash screen setting. And/or, the
splash screen itself may include "press X to see behind splash screen",
or similar - though since you've paused it, I guess that's not it in
this case.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Cumulatively, however, they do get my goat, on my wick and up my nose, to the
extent I am angry enough to stick a wick up a goat's nose and to hell with the
consequences. - Eddie Mair, RT 2016/2/27-3/4
  #16  
Old February 3rd 17, 10:39 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
Kerr Mudd-John
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

On Fri, 03 Feb 2017 20:55:02 -0000, J. P. Gilliver (John)
wrote:

In message , 98 Guy writes:
[]
Seriously people.

Think about it.

We're talking about a laptop circa 1999 or 2000. Probably earlier
because this 8 gb drive limitation is really old - like 1995 - 1997.

This laptop is a POS from a hardware pov. The screen will be ****.
Resolution will be ****.

[]

A few years I enjoyed getting an XP system with a 6G hard drive and very
limited RAM working - not just functioning (it was, just about, though
with a horrendous amount of paging), but actually usable, including
online. It wouldn't play videos, but anything else, it was fine. If


I'll bet it can't handle all the shi^extraneous flash/script&adverts on a
whole lot of websites these days - (ex)newspaper sites seem the worst.

asked why I did it, I really can't say! Other than (a) the challenge of
getting it working at all, (b) the satisfaction of not scrapping it.

I don't think I'd ever call a piece of equipment a POS - unless it was
in the first place.


It's a hobby, and satisfying.
[]
--
Bah, and indeed, Humbug
  #17  
Old February 4th 17, 02:26 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
Lee
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 196
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

They often don't put down all the fixes they did though, like adding USB boot capabilities and the like. Best to attempt the latest BIOS version and hope for the best. By that date of version 8 this hard drive issue should have been fixed.

BIOS ID string is there, you may have to 'catch' it at the correct moment is the problem. Which means Pause, Space, Pause, Space again like a guessing game. Another way to find the BIOS ID string is to use a hexeditor on the BIOS file itself, and that should be found on the boot floppy flavor of BIOS version 8. And another issue with BIOS ID string is that screen size is out of bounds, it's there but just off the screen where you can't see it without adjusting that part. And their splash screen might be toggled off by an obscure BIOS setting that is purposely obfuscated in it's name, twined with another vague purpose or placed in a not so obvious location. A Toshiba tech would know how to do it, but us peons can go take a long walk on a short pier.
  #18  
Old February 4th 17, 10:22 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
William Bell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

On 02/03/2017 08:26 PM, Lee wrote:
They often don't put down all the fixes they did though, like adding
USB boot capabilities and the like. Best to attempt the latest BIOS
version and hope for the best. By that date of version 8 this hard
drive issue should have been fixed.


I updated to ver. 8 yesterday, but I don't see any differences. The
drive still shows as 7.8 GB and that's it.


BIOS ID string is there, you may have to 'catch' it at the correct
moment is the problem. Which means Pause, Space, Pause, Space again
like a guessing game. Another way to find the BIOS ID string is to
use a hexeditor on the BIOS file itself, and that should be found on
the boot floppy flavor of BIOS version 8. And another issue with
BIOS ID string is that screen size is out of bounds, it's there but
just off the screen where you can't see it without adjusting that
part. And their splash screen might be toggled off by an obscure
BIOS setting that is purposely obfuscated in it's name, twined with
another vague purpose or placed in a not so obvious location. A
Toshiba tech would know how to do it, but us peons can go take a long
walk on a short pier.


I may try it again soon, but I think I've pretty much decided that I'm
going to have to be content with just the 7.8 GB of the drive being
used. It is a cheap, Chinese Hitachi that if I had paid $50 for it, I
would have been quite perturbed by now, but for like $12, it's not a big
deal. In fact, I never even thought I'd be able to get this laptop
going again anyway. Sometime tomorrow I guess, I'll restart it's only
task of continuous data logging. Thanks again for trying to help with
this. I knew it was a long shot at best, but a challenge to try and
maybe succeed (or fail).


  #19  
Old February 5th 17, 06:18 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
Lee
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 196
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

On Saturday, February 4, 2017 at 2:22:25 PM UTC-7, William Bell wrote:

I updated to ver. 8 yesterday, but I don't see any differences. The
drive still shows as 7.8 GB and that's it.

I would think you need to start over entirely though. With updated IO.SYS, using 48 bit LBA, etc. It won't just magically fix itself, the old data needs to be overwritten with more better data. If you don't use the fixed for 48 bit LBA windows drivers as well again I wouldn't think much could change.

You could start with a test for 48 bit LBA BIOS capabilities, if they are there then earlier issues should have been slain as well.
Intel used to host this, can't find it there anymore but did find it here.
http://89.223.54.240/Driver/HDD/Test...S/48lbachk.exe

Run it in boot to DOS mode.

Use a better FDISK from here
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ger-than-64-gb

IO.SYS fix starts here and is modified by rloew PATCHPAR
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ardware-errors

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/1181...-9xme/?page=11
Last message there, bottom of page.

So after the above has been done be sure to write out a new partition scheme with your new FDISK, reboot to allow it be re-mounted properly and see if the proper size shows up then?
I think you've quit too early, but you can quit anytime you want to.

  #20  
Old February 5th 17, 04:57 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
William Bell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default issues with replacement 40 GB hard drive in Win Me

On 02/05/2017 12:18 AM, Lee wrote:
On Saturday, February 4, 2017 at 2:22:25 PM UTC-7, William Bell wrote:

I updated to ver. 8 yesterday, but I don't see any differences. The
drive still shows as 7.8 GB and that's it.

I would think you need to start over entirely though. With updated IO.SYS, using 48 bit LBA, etc. It won't just magically fix itself, the old data needs to be overwritten with more better data. If you don't use the fixed for 48 bit LBA windows drivers as well again I wouldn't think much could change.

You could start with a test for 48 bit LBA BIOS capabilities, if they are there then earlier issues should have been slain as well.
Intel used to host this, can't find it there anymore but did find it here.
http://89.223.54.240/Driver/HDD/Test...S/48lbachk.exe

Run it in boot to DOS mode.


Ok, Lee, since you're kind enough to continue trying to help, I can't
just ignore . For this, you may have to refresh my memory. When you
say to boot to DOS, will the .exe file automatically start up from the
CD/floppy or do I have to use a command to get it going?


Use a better FDISK from here
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ger-than-64-gb


Ok, I could try this, but I'm not quite sure how to implement it. From
DOS, or in Win? Does it matter than I'm using Win Me instead of '98?


IO.SYS fix starts here and is modified by rloew PATCHPAR
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ardware-errors

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/1181...-9xme/?page=11
Last message there, bottom of page.


After reading these two links, I don't have a clue how they're supposed
to work, where they're supposed to be placed, when to use, etc... any
step by step insight here would be welcome.



So after the above has been done be sure to write out a new partition scheme with your new FDISK, reboot to allow it be re-mounted properly and see if the proper size shows up then?
I think you've quit too early, but you can quit anytime you want to.


Right. I get the part about using new FDISK (if I could figure out when
and where to use that .exe file) and then rechecking the partition
afterwards, and I think I understand the part about checking out now by
auto? or manually executing 48lbachk.exe in DOS first, but as far as
PATCHPAR and the other, I'm not sure when they are to be used.


 




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