Compaq bios

[Symes]

I'm trying to install a CD ROM in an old Compaq Deskpro 486/33M, but it just doesn't seem to want to work!

I've tried a 24speed Mitsumi which the DOS driver doesn't find either using the built in IDE interface OR a multifunction ISA expansion card (the HDDs are fine though).

When I tried a (known) faulty 4 speed drive the DOS driver found the drive but (as it's faulty) wouldn't see the disk itself.

I have two questions;

1. Can anyone explain why a new(ish) 24x drive is undetected by it's DOS driver when an old 4x drive is picked up?
2. Does anyone have a bios update (you never know, it might help), they're not on the Compaq site ...

Symes.

[Axel]

the old BIOS for that board won't support anything higher than maybe an 8 speed.

Most of the games and applications you can run on that board won't benefit by anything faster than a 4 speed CD-ROM anyway.

The only people writing BIOS updates for something like what you have are vendors for AWARD who custom write the upgrades for between $70 - $100 a pop. You can't get that much for the computer you're toying with.

Should you really need to play DOS games on that system, your best bet is to make a DOS partition on a better system and load the games there.

Chances are, you'll have problems running old game CD's in the higher speed CD-ROMS. Unless the disk happens to be in perfect balance, it will vibrate in the drive and give you read errors which may hang the game.

Best advice - move on & buy an old pentium 75 Mhz, comfigure it for DOS and play whatever games you want. - P.S. - change the date back to 1972 unless you want to take the trouble of changing the BIOS for Y2K.

[Symes]

Thanks Axel,

The machines (3 off) are actually for a pre-school nursery and will only be running very simple eductaional programs so the low spec isn't too much of a problem.

I'd thought about using the NICs that they're fitted with to get a networked build done, but a directly connected CD is so much easier :-)

I think I'll try to get hold of a working 4 /6/8 speed drive and see how it goes.

Thanks for the quick reply - I appreciate it.

Symes.