Seeking Old Overlay for Quantum Hard Disk Drive

[Brad]

Hi,

I have a portable Compaq 386 computer I use for data logging.
It uses a standard size HDD. Before I removed a Quantum 750M
HDD from an old desktop PC, I partitioned it with two partitions, one
520M and the remainder was used for the second partition. Each
partition was formatted and a MSDos 6.2 OS installed. Of course,
the 520M partition is the "active" partition. I removed the HDD and
installed it in the 386 computer. The BIOS cannot "see" the second
partition. I have searched the web for older overlays, but I couldn't find
any. Note: A new overlay will not "run" in this old 386 computer.

Thanks in advance, Brad

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,
be sure there is no active key logger (spyware) in your PC.

 

[Aidan Grey]

Hi,

I have a portable Compaq 386 computer I use for data logging.
It uses a standard size HDD. Before I removed a Quantum 750M
HDD from an old desktop PC, I partitioned it with two partitions, one
520M and the remainder was used for the second partition. Each
partition was formatted and a MSDos 6.2 OS installed. Of course,
the 520M partition is the "active" partition. I removed the HDD and
installed it in the 386 computer. The BIOS cannot "see" the second
partition. I have searched the web for older overlays, but I couldn't find
any. Note: A new overlay will not "run" in this old 386 computer.

Thanks in advance, Brad

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,
be sure there is no active key logger (spyware) in your PC.

What do you mean by the term "overlay"?

A 386 machine might not be able to boot from anything past 512 MB. In
fact, the BIOS might not support any hard drives larger than 512 MB.


Aidan Grey

 

[Rinse Cycle]

[]

What do you mean by the term "overlay"?

A 386 machine might not be able to boot from
anything past 512 MB. In fact, the BIOS might
not support any hard drives larger than 512 MB.

Objection. Asked and answered.

With an overlay, it doesn't matter whether or not the BIOS can see the
drive.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

I have a portable Compaq 386 computer I use for data logging.
It uses a standard size HDD. Before I removed a Quantum 750M
HDD from an old desktop PC, I partitioned it with two partitions, one
520M and the remainder was used for the second partition. Each
partition was formatted and a MSDos 6.2 OS installed. Of course,
the 520M partition is the "active" partition. I removed the HDD and
installed it in the 386 computer. The BIOS cannot "see" the second
partition. I have searched the web for older overlays, but I couldn't find
any. Note: A new overlay will not "run" in this old 386 computer.

I think I have EZ-Drive which I used to partition a 540MB Maxtor HD in
a PC limited to 528MB. Will that do?


- Franc Zabkar

 

[James Sweet]

I think I have EZ-Drive which I used to partition a 540MB Maxtor HD in
a PC limited to 528MB. Will that do?

I think it'll only work on a Maxtor drive, though Quantum may make something
similar. These tools are normally available for download from the drive
manufacture.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

I think it'll only work on a Maxtor drive, though Quantum may make something
similar. These tools are normally available for download from the drive
manufacture.

Actually I believe it was for a Seagate 540MB, but you may still have
the same problem.


- Franc Zabkar

 

[Andrew Rossmann]

[This followup was posted to sci.electronics.repair and a copy was sent
to the cited author.]

I have a portable Compaq 386 computer I use for data logging.
It uses a standard size HDD. Before I removed a Quantum 750M
HDD from an old desktop PC, I partitioned it with two partitions, one
520M and the remainder was used for the second partition. Each
partition was formatted and a MSDos 6.2 OS installed. Of course,
the 520M partition is the "active" partition. I removed the HDD and
installed it in the 386 computer. The BIOS cannot "see" the second
partition. I have searched the web for older overlays, but I couldn't find
any. Note: A new overlay will not "run" in this old 386 computer.

Partitions are not handled by the BIOS. They are handled by the
operating system.

Many older BIOS's had a 512M limit. If you search around, you might be
able to find an older overlay that will work with 386's. Some older
overlay programs worked by creating a non-standard extended partition,
so you might have to re-create that. Disk Manager (often called Disk
Mangler) was the big name back then.

 

[Tom MacIntyre]

What do you mean by the term "overlay"?

A 386 machine might not be able to boot from anything past 512 MB. In
fact, the BIOS might not support any hard drives larger than 512 MB.


Aidan Grey

I used a 1.08G HDD with a 386, using a drive overlay.

Tom

 

[James Sweet]

I used a 1.08G HDD with a 386, using a drive overlay.

IIRC that was one of the big advantages of SCSI drives back in the day too.