Click filename to download:
ide.exe; 36043 bytes; Date/Time: 09-20-1994/03:00PM

Novell Labs has certified these IDE drivers for NetWare v3.12 and v4.02. This version of the IDE driver provides enhanced support for Current Parameters. Current Parameters is a feature of some of the newer IDE drives. A potential problem with host computer BIOSes that translate IDE drive parameters (heads) on drives which do not support Current Parameters is described.

Replace previous IDE.DSK with this version of the IDE.DSK.

_Verified by customer
x_Verified by Novell

Symptoms may include ABENDs soon after the driver is loaded and the drive has been accessed. Other problems may be partition conflicts which will likely result in DOS partition accesses overwriting NetWare or NetWare overwriting DOS. File loss or corruption or inability to mount volumes would be likely symptoms.

NOTE: These symptoms and the solution apply in cases where the host computer's BIOS translates the IDE drive geometry. BIOS manufacturers will be able to verify that the BIOS translates drive geometries.

Previous versions of the IDE.DSK driver used the DOS partition table parameters to define the drive geometry for NetWare. This method was reliable until host computer BIOSes implemented translation of the IDE drive geometry. Now, that the DOS parameters are unreliable, the IDE driver has been enhanced to read "Current Parameters" from the drive. The driver will use Current Parameters (CP) if the drive supports them. Some drives do not support CP. This driver will give the following error message if it detects BIOS translation and the drive does not support CP:

IDE-040: Drive xx does not support current parameters. Drive not registered with OS.

Potential Problems:

If the drive does not support CP, then the IDE driver cannot be certain what the actual used parameters are. If the user desires, the driver may be loaded with a "/c" parameter which will permit the driver to continue. However, Novell will not be responsible for any problems encountered when the driver is used in the /c mode.

When the IDE driver is loaded: load ide /c port=xx int=x, a message and a warning will appear:

IDE-045: Drive xx does not support current parameters.

**WARNING** Novell does not recommend using this drive in this configuration.

If the translating BIOS does not set the drives parameters to other than the native parameters, then even drives which do not support CP should work. The problem arises if the translating BIOS sets the drives parameters to other than native and the drive does not support CP. In that case, the IDE driver has no method of determining what the used parameters are and in such a case the potential for overlapping DOS and NetWare partitions exists. Overlapping partitions will lead to corruption, loss of data and/or inability to mount volumes.

Use IDE.EXE. Replace your current IDE.DSK with the appropriate 3.1X or 4.0X IDE.DSK from IDE.EXE. NOTE the potential problems in the Cause section above.

Self-Extracting File Name: IDE.EXE Revision: A

Files Included Size Date Time

\
     IDE.TXT (This File)
\IDE31X\
     IDE.DSK 15850 09-02-94 6:13p
\IDE40X\
     IDE.DSK 15847 09-02-94 6:13p

Installation Instructions:

Replace previous IDE.DSK with this version of the IDE.DSK.

_Verified by customer
x_Verified by Novell

Self-Extracting File Name:  ide.exe

Files Included       Size   Date         Time    Version   Checksum

\
       IDE.TXT       4486   09-20-1994   03:00PM
\IDE31X\
       IDE.DSK      15850   09-02-1994   06:13PM
\IDE40X\
       IDE.DSK      15847   09-02-1994   06:13PM