Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 21:06:53 -0500 (CDT) From: Kim Scarborough <lists@jinx.unknown.nu> To: Bill <bwoods2@uswest.net> Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD on a REAL OLD system help please Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0007052050350.69040-100000@jinx.unknown.nu> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0007051043390.1655-100000@alpha.gplsucks.org>
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> Now, I do have some software that I got with the drive, to make old > systems see large drives, Maxtor HD Max or something, but I am almost sure > that wont work with freebsd. Not true! I ran into the same problem you did trying to put a 15 GB Maxtor HD in an old Gateway 2000 P75. I installed the MaxBlast software and it works great. In fact, this is being posted from the very box I refer to. What that software does is sit in your MBR and trick the BIOS into thinking it's a smaller drive, sorta. But the OS will see the whole thing. Since it loads before the OS, it's not OS-specific, and should work with anything. It definitely works with FreeBSD. The only problem you might run into is if you're trying to put something else in the MBR; i.e., some sort of bootloader. Make sure you select "leave the MBR untouched" when you install FreeBSD. If you absolutely have to have something else in the MBR, like if this box is going to dual-boot, there may still be hope for you. Nearly all BIOS manufacturers make flash upgrades for their old models that will allow you to use large HDs. It'll be a free download; the trick is finding it, since nearly all manufacturer's web sites seem to have been created by madmen. So you'll need to dig a bit. When you find it, you'll be able to use your HD without that Maxtor software. But using MaxBlast is definitely an easier solution. Whatever you do, please promise me you won't buy a new motherboard, like I saw somebody suggesting here. That would just make me sad... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kim Scarborough http://www.unknown.nu/kim/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when YOU fall in an open manhole and die." - Mel Brooks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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