Resurrecting a Legacy X86 PC..

[Vipersan]

An update regarding GAG ..
I dont think I can use it on Chameleon ..
Not that it wont run ...it ..does and easy to install overwriting the Hard Drives MBR ..
but thats the easy bit..
MBRs only really supports 4 primary partitions and one secondary ..
to get more one has to use GPT ...
This really was designed for more modern systems ...and afaik is not compatible with older windows OS ...of which the early ones 3.1 95 NT4 and 98SE are dos based ..
It may well be that I can get 4 x OS on one drive ..thus still using a pull out IDE tray system ..but can reduce tray traffic this way ..
time will tell ..
please correct me if I'm wrong or misunderstanding the above..
rgds
VS

 

[Channel Hopper]

Extended partitioning removes the four partition limitation

 

[Vipersan]

Extended partitioning removes the four partition limitation

Thanks for that CH ..
Now I'm wondering though if Extended partions can be booted ?
As regards extended partitioning ..
assuming I still need at least one active primary ..how many extended partitions can I then set up sequentially ?

 

[Vipersan]

So ..
the answer appears to me to be a max of 3 primary one extended ..
..then subdivide the extended into several logical partitions ..
but can GAG boot these ?
I simply dont know ..
image here ..
>>
Google Image Result for https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f9/Harddrive-partition-extended-logical-volumes.png

On an MBR disk, there can only be 4 primary partitions or 3 primary partitions plus 1 extended partition at most. Windows won't boot after accidentally marking drive C active? ... Like primary partition, a logical partition can be used to install Windows and any other types of files, but we are unable to set it active.

 

[Vipersan]

So I guess one of these is out of the question..
LOL
http://gizmodo.com/5557676/how-much-money-would-a-yottabyte-hard-drive-cost

..Ideal for the pattern buffer in a federation transporter tho...once the physical size problem is solved

 

[Analoguesat]

So I guess one of these is out of the question..
LOL
http://gizmodo.com/5557676/how-much-money-would-a-yottabyte-hard-drive-cost

..Ideal for the pattern buffer in a federation transporter tho...once the physical size problem is solved

I saw this report rarlier & for some reason I immediately though of you VS

Travel IT biz reportedly testing 100TB SSDs, which could mean – oh my gosh – exabyte racks

 

[Vipersan]

So ..the answer so far is NO ..one cannot install say win98 to a logical drive ...as it presumably cannot be bootable ..
So made a 2gb primary partition at the drive start ...and hid every other partition on the drive except the logical partition to which I hoped to install win98 ..
Then installed dos6.2 to the small primary ..and set about installing win 98 ..
it did complete and squeezed itelf into the first primary partition 2gb ..
and in the process overwrote dos 6.2 ..
So no ..it can't be done that way ..
in fact the only way this might be pulled off is to create 4 primary partitions( the MBR controlled limit)
Hide each one in turn ...leaving one at a time revealed and set bootable ..
then after completion of the install ..hide that one ..and move to the next till 4 x OS are installed ..
In later windows the need for win-DOS was removed as the needed boot medium ..so later OS might well be installed on logical partitions ..but not Early windows OS ..
Clear as mud eh ?
I'll give the 4xOS a go ..but if my methodology doesn't work ..it's back to one OS one drive ..and the caddy system..
I've spent long enough trying to cater for Microsofts rigid rules and inadequacies..
lol

 

[jeallen01]

Off-thread (sort of), I thought DOS 6 was good, and that Digital Research DR-DOS 6 was even better (was sad to have to "leave" that and install W95, but that was "progress" then because DR dropped development of anything similar).

 

[Vipersan]

Spent many hours trying to multiboot the various windows OS ..
Many refusals ..many failures ..
Mainly due to windows restrictions and limitations ..
Well I have had some success at last insofaras ..
I have a triple boot option up and running ..
Win98SE or Win2000 ..or XPpro at boot time with GAG ..
see photo ..
I can select any one of the three with a single button press 2/3 or 4 ..and it does work an so far is stable.
I may well try for a 4th and build same on another drive to include win95
This may or may not be successful ..
The real issues start when DOS based OS are included ..
nonetheless I count this as a success ..
afaik ..4 will be the limit due to MBR restrictions ..
but remember ..
I also have a SCSI card ..which will boot hard drives prior to IDE so maybe I can get DOS and 3.1 in that way ..??
afterall ..they dont use much HD space ..
I'd need to get my hands on a larger scsi drive than the 2gb one I have ..but maybe is do-able..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

An easier way to get DOS or Win 3.1 in would be to enable the PD drive as 'bootable' ..
As it would be seen before IDE ..
Thus inserting a bootable OS PD cart would allow this OS to boot before any other..
Much like a live CD or DVD ...BUT ..with the advantage that it is writeable in real time ...unlike a standard CD..
The more I think about it ..the more it makes sense for such small operating systems using FAT..

 

[PaulR]

...the more it makes sense ...

That went out the window several pages ago...

 

[Vipersan]

This is interesting ..
Plugged in a pci to ide card and popped a bootable OS on it ..leaving the multiboot on the embedded IDE controller ...
Data cable to each drive connected ..but power 5v/12v molex to one or t'other of the drives ..
Obviously this isolates the unpowered drive in that it cannot be booted and cannot be seen by the active OS ..
doing this allows me to effectively choose the bootable drive ..and effectively doubles my boot options.
a DpDt switch would have to be installed to isolate the unrequired drive whilst selecting the required drive ..
This would work..
But has its drawbacks in that the system is 'aware' of the pci to IDE card ..and goes through it's own recognition and raid detection before falling through and timing out.
So ..makes for a much longer boot time ..
can I live with this ?
well as a last resort then yes ..
I'll explore other options first..
Hope this made some sort of sense ..
lol
My brain Hurts..
;)

This would do a better job and Much much quicker ...but no longer made sadly ..

Searched on Ebay ..but drawn a blank ..

 

[Lazarus]

Your brain hurts?

 

[Vipersan]

Not sure how old this add is ...
but does look to be still current ..
But ..
wont ship to the UK ..
not Amazon UK ..but Amazon.com ..
WTF is this ?
Amazon.com: Buying Choices: ROMTEC RX-910T6 Romtec Trios RX910T6 IDE Hard Drive Selector (RX910T6)
I wonder if Terry or one of our other US members can buy the one listed in Florida for me ?

@terryl

Grrrr

 

[davemurgtroyd]

This is interesting ..
Plugged in a pci to ide card and popped a bootable OS on it ..leaving the multiboot on the embedded IDE controller ...
Data cable to each drive connected ..but power 5v/12v molex to one or t'other of the drives ..
Obviously this isolates the unpowered drive in that it cannot be booted and cannot be seen by the active OS ..
doing this allows me to effectively choose the bootable drive ..and effectively doubles my boot options.
a DpDt switch would have to be installed to isolate the unrequired drive whilst selecting the required drive ..
This would work..
But has its drawbacks in that the system is 'aware' of the pci to IDE card ..and goes through it's own recognition and raid detection before falling through and timing out.
So ..makes for a much longer boot time ..
can I live with this ?
well as a last resort then yes ..
I'll explore other options first..
Hope this made some sort of sense ..
lol
My brain Hurts..
;)

This would do a better job and Much much quicker ...but no longer made sadly ..

Searched on Ebay ..but drawn a blank ..

I found one Trios on ebay USA and two on Amazon USA all supposedly NIB but sadly none will ship to UK

 

[Vipersan]

I found one Trios on ebay USA and two on Amazon USA all supposedly NIB but sadly none will ship to UK

Sadly ..thats what I found too Dave ..which is why I'm hoping to enlist Terrys help again..

 

[davemurgtroyd]

Sadly ..thats what I found too Dave ..which is why I'm hoping to enlist Terrys help again..

I would like one too. With Amazon I believe you can pay from here and ship to a US address.

 

[2cvbloke]

Apparently you should be able to get stuff from the US sent via the "Ebay global shipping program", though apparently it can cost a lot more than it normally would if the seller just sent it directly in a USPS flat-rate box...

 

[davemurgtroyd]

Apparently you should be able to get stuff from the US sent via the "Ebay global shipping program", though apparently it can cost a lot more than it normally would if the seller just sent it directly in a USPS flat-rate box...

Yes I do use it occasionally BUT only if the seller allows international bidding/shipping.

 

[Vipersan]

Trying (unsuccessfully) to find and download this 2 disk set ..
Anyone have these lying around ?
201034021022
I certainly dont want to buy em at that silly price ..
The ebay item number is to show you what I'm after ..
rgds
VS