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minor probs?

New Messageminor probs? (modified 0 times) hackin' away
anyone get annoying typematic keyrate settings when accessing the bios on the websurfer? messed with the settings but so far it recurs randomly. keys tend to either jump to fast or become too jittery when messing around in the bios, this is with codeman's and hardware1's jumper block hack to use the external keyboard and ps/2 mouse. haven't tried the wireless keyboard/mouse yet.

also, having problems trying to boot off a promise ultra ata66 controller card. seems overkill for the websurfer but seeing how some of us are buying $20 isa ide controllers i figured it's a bargain at $23 ( pricewatch.com search ) and can be modified to be a fastrak66 RAID controller with a $0.50 resistor and bios flashing hack at : http://www.hardocp.com/articles/raid/mr_boomys_raid.html

btw, couldn't boot with the promise card in stock condition. unmodified to RAID status. looks like i'll be searching for one of those old isa ide controller cards to get the websurfer going for now. maybe i'll spare the time and effort greghol bravely spent to solder on the ide/com1/audio headers. happy hackin'.

04-27-2000 03:44:13

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) stepson
Crap, I've got the promise ATA66 card .. I'm not currently using it, but I was planning on using it for this ... looks like I'll have to look elsewhere. Maybe I can find an IDE/IO (we used to sell those a loooong time ago) real cheap. (Anyone got any sources?). Were you trying to boot linux, or win98? With linux I don't think you can use the ata66 controller ... er, although maybe you can use it, just not in ata66 mode. I'll give it a try and let you know what I find.
04-27-2000 12:13:03

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) thnkgrn
I tried one of those old style 16 bit IDE and (Conner 485mb) HD's from the early 90's. The pair works fine in another socket 7 board, but comes up with a disk boot failure on the Surfer. Disabled the onboard and everything. The Surfer (also know as 'Dude') recognizes the drive, just no boot. I am getting my HD power (at the moment) from a old AT PS.

I even removed the 'disk on a chip'. But no go. Any ideas?

Charles

04-27-2000 13:45:18

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) Squash
Profile | Email
Once you have your new IDE controller card in the slot, you need to go into the BIOS and disable the onboard IDE (in Integrated Peripherals). Save changes and exit, then go back to the BIOS and have it autodetect hard drives.
If you install Linux, make sure your kernel is configured to boot off-board IDE first! Also, if you are ot using the built-in IDE, do not enable MediaGX IDE support! or you won't boot.
- Squash
04-27-2000 14:18:37

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) Tinkerers Delite
Glad I saved my old ISA Adaptec 1540/1544 SCSI controller cards. Anyone tried this yet?
04-27-2000 16:01:32

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) More Blues
I was having problems with my older IDE controller working, so I went and bought a new one. Same stuff. I suspect that you can get an IDE adapter to work in it, but that it has to be a pretty smart one and specifically one that is not an all in one type... just IDE, no I/O-stuff I supose I can go SCSI, but GEEZ that is more money.

I will trade a slot1 Celeron 300a/495 with Alpha cooler for an equiv value SCSI adapter. If anybody is interested.

To be honest with you, this hack may be cheaper than the IO, but you are not getting anywhere near the fun back in return. I love my IO and the keyboard on the 'surfer dude' is much better, but the video quality TV-wise (even s-vhs), is kind of lame.

hugatre@msn.com

04-27-2000 19:46:47

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) Beeblebrox
Being a packrat, I have in my possesion a very interesting little ISA board that once belonged to an IBM PS-1. It's an 8-bit proprietary SCSI board that controls a 104 MB SCSI drive (which convienently enough for testing purposes has Win 3.11 installed on it with Office and everything). The beauty of this little card is that it supplies the power for the hard drive as well with a cable running right off the board, so I figured this was a perfect way to get this thing up and running just to see it do something. I hooked it up, disabled the IDE controller in the BIOS, and even disabled drive C. I set the boot order to "SCSI, C" and saved it all.

Booting up, I now get what I expect, a little message about the Seagate and it's controller's BIOS revision. I also get the "1 SCSI drive found." as expected. However, the WSP /still/ boots to the stupid demo instead of off the SCSI drive.

Not that this is important seeing as a 104 MB drive isn't big enough to be useful and the card is older (and possibly less technologically advanced) than a hypercolor t-shirt, but I'm sort of intrigued now. Any suggestions or should I send this card to that great big parts bin in the sky? I'll get you my WebSurfer! And you're little IO too!

04-27-2000 22:11:52

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) Rick
I was able to get it to boot with my promise ultra DMA 66 card. I had to remove the DiskOnChip, though. Also double check that your boot partition is set active.

--Rick

04-27-2000 23:43:32

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) Squash
Profile | Email
guys,

if you are having problems booting from your ide device, try loading bios defaults, then disabling onboard IDE, then save and exit, then go right back in and autodetect drives.


- Squash
04-28-2000 05:27:02

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) Phred
I have had the exact same problem with the keyboard connector. Anyone figured out the fix yet? Do we need to disable the IR keyboard connector?
04-28-2000 10:53:06

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) PiGod
From what I've read, yes, you have to remove the daughter card for the IR keyboard? Codeman says so elsewhere on the BBS.
04-28-2000 13:28:09

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) Ouch
Has anyone else noticed the current running through the chassis? I just got two and they both have the problem.
04-28-2000 18:41:32

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) what did you touch?
Exactly what did you touch...Clue... stay away from the power supply heat sinks if you are foolish enough to have the unit plugged in with cover off..
04-28-2000 18:55:11

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) What did you touch ?
Also did you read Codemans WARNING about 80+ volts at heat sink(s)
IF YOU ARE NOT AN EXPERIENCED ELECTRONICS TECH STAY OUT OF THE UNIT!
the voltage present may cause serious injury or even death if you get connected just right!
04-28-2000 19:00:02

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) meathook
I have done some looking on the net and it seems the only thing that the MediaGX version of the cyrix chips has is built in sound on the chip. If anyone can confirm this let me know. I cant remeber the site i found it on either.

I was also thinking that if you put in a sound card, and then you could change the chip to any socket 7 you wanted?? Just a thought. well if anyone has any input!!

--MeatHook

04-28-2000 19:39:18

New MessageRE:minor probs? (modified 0 times) Solder Boy
I've managed to the get the on board IDE to work, but I'm experiencing problems using the PCI slot for PCI-NICs. Please take a look at my thread 'Win98 Drivers for PCI bridge problem'. Maybe you guys will have a better idea?

Solder Boy

04-29-2000 07:17:01

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