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Archive-name: pc-hardware-faq/gateway2000/part2
Last-modified: March 1, 2000 Last-Posted: Febuary 1, 2000 Next-Posting: April 1, 2000 Posting-Frequency: the first of every month URL: http://come.to/alt.sys.pc-clone.gateway2000.faq Maintainer: Timothy S. Brannan (Tbrannan@usa.net) See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
Section 2: Hardware Information
2.1) Motherboard - CPU Questions
2.1.1) What Motherboard do I have?
2.1.1.1) What Kind of Memory do I have?
2.1.2) How do I get into the CMOS setup?
2.1.3) How do I upgrade my BIOS?
2.1.4) My system doesn't recognize more than 16M of RAM
2.1.5) How can I upgrade my 486 to a Pentium?
2.1.5.1) I bought my 486 when it was advertised as Pentium ready.
What
does/did that mean?
2.1.6) How can I upgrade my Pentium to a Pentium Pro?
2.1.6.1) How can I upgrade my Pentium to a MMX Pentium?
2.1.6.2) How can I upgrade my Pentium or Pro to a Pentium II?
+2.1.7) Is my Gw2k Y2k ready?
2.1.9) What are some other sources of information?
2.2) CD-ROM/DVD Questions
2.2.1) Why does my system "pause" when playing CDs?
2.2.2) How do I get Windows 95 to access all drives on the Sanyo
3-CD CD-
ROM?
2.2.2.1) Is there support for the Sanyo 3-CD CD-ROM in Windows NT?
2.2.3) My CD-ROM light blinks every few seconds under Windows 95 -
Why?
2.2.4) Why does the Mitsumi FX-400 CD-ROM make grinding noises?
2.2.4.1) Where can I get Mitsumi CD-ROM drivers and information?
2.2.4.2) Is there a problem with the Mitsumi 12x CD-ROM?
2.2.5) What can I do about the Wearnes CD-ROM pauses?
2.2.5.1) What other information is there about the Wearnes CD-ROM?
2.2.6) Will my NEC 260 CD-ROM run with Windows NT?
2.2.9) What are some other sources of information?
2.3) Keyboard and Mice Questions
2.3.1) How can I disable the programmability of the Anykey
keyboard?
2.3.2) My Anykey keyboard produces incorrect characters. How can I
fix it?
2.3.3) How can I program my AnyKey keyboard to act like a Windows95
Keyboard?
2.3.4) How can I change the repeat rate of my AnyKey keyboard?
2.4) Modem Questions
2.4.1) Why can't I connect with my (older) Telepath modem?
2.4.2) Why won't the 28.8 Telepath work with Delrina's Commsuite
95?
2.4.3) Why does my 28.8 Telepath insist on always answering?
2.4.4) Why can't I use a modem at COM4:?
2.4.5) How do I connect at 56k with my X2 Telepath?
2.4.6) Why I can't use my Telepath WinModem on NT/DOS/Linux?
2.4.9) What are some other sources of information?
2.5) Monitor and Video Questions
2.5.1) What about the missing 3 pixels on the left of my screen?
2.5.2) What are some common monitor problems?
2.5.3) Who makes the CrystalScan monitors?
2.5.4) What are the custom settings for the CS1572FS monitor?
2.5.5) Where can I get the latest drivers for my video card?
2.5.5.1) Can I use the regular Matrox drivers with Gateway's Matrox?
2.5.5.2) Where can I get Matrox BIOS and driver updates?
2.5.6) Who makes the Vivitron monitors?
2.5.6.1) What are the specs for the SONY Vivitron monitor made by
SONY?
2.5.6.2) What's the right way to set up a Vivitron 21 under Windows
95?
2.5.6.3) What are those horizontal black lines on my Sony monitor?
2.5.7) How can I use the capture features on my STB TV Pro card?
2.5.8) Why do I have video problems with my tower system and not my
desktop?
2.5.9) What are some other sources of information?
2.6) Soundcard and Speaker Questions
2.6.1) Why won't my SoundBlaster card work?
2.6.2) Why won't my Ensoniq card work with DOS games?
2.6.3) How do I setup my Aztech soundcard under Windows95?
2.6.4) Why can't I use two Sidewinder joysticks on my Ensoniq card?
2.6.5) Why do my Altec Lansing 450 speakers hiss so much?
2.6.9) What are some other sources of information?
2.7) Hard Drive Questions
2.7.1) How can I get my WD 540 hard drive to work correctly?
2.7.2) What is the problem with the Western Digital 1.6 Gig drive?
2.7.3) My Hard Drive/CD-ROM/IDE Controller is gone!
2.7.9) What are some other sources of information?
2.8) Other Hardware Questions
2.8.1) Why does my P5-60/P5-66/PCI486 machine lock up? (UART fix)
2.8.2) I can't access my COM 3 or COM 4 port?
2.8.3) How do I get my Bernoulli to work on the parallel port (P90
Tower)?
2.8.4) Why is there a 20-second delay during booting?
Section 2: Hardware Questions
2.1) Motherboard - CPU Questions
2.1.1) What Motherboard do I have?
Gateway has used a variety of motherboards over the years. Knowing
what motherboard you have is
helpfull when you are trying to upgrade things like memory, cache and
CPUs or overdrives.
The first thing to know is what CPU do you have now and what kind of
socket it is set in.
Gateway uses Intel CPU's exclusively, so this makes CPU identification
easier. Here are the sockets for
the 486 and Pentium motherboards.
Socket
Pins
Layout
Volts
CPUs
LIF
168
17x17 PGA
5 v
SX, SX2, DX, DX2*
ZIF 1
169
17x17 PGA
5 v
SX, SX2, DX, DX2*
ZIF 2
238
19x19 PGA
5 v
SX, SX2, DX, DX2*, POD63
ZIF 3
237
19x19 PGA
5/3.3
SX, SX2, DX, DX2, DX4, POD 60/63
ZIF 4
273
21x21 PGA
5 v
Pentium 60/66, POD60/66
ZIF 5
320
37x37 SPGA
3.3 v
Pentium 75/90/100/120, POD90/100
ZIF 6
235
19x19 PGA
3.3 v
DX4, DX4 Pentium Overdrive
ZIF 7
321
21x21 SPGA
VRM
Pentium 75/90/100/120/133/150/166/200
*DX4 also can be supported by an aftermarket voltage regulator.
PGA = Pin Grid Array
SPGA = Staggered Pin Grid Array
VRM = Voltage Regulator Module
POD = Pentium Overdrive
According to Ben Myers and to several posts to the newsgroup, all 486
motherboards made by
Micronics are 5 volt only. This restricts them to LIF, ZIF 1, 2, and 3
sockets only. This rules out the 3.3
volt DX4 or Pentium overdrive for many users.
Gateway has used the following 486 Micronics motherboards. (Thanks to
Ben Myers for filling the
blanks for me.)
Micronics
Other ID
Typical Gw2k
Phoenix BIOS
TYPE 3
25/33 MHz Bus
Board#
Info
Part#
ID#
ZIF?
Switch?
09-00192
JX30WB
(none)
JX30WB-02
Y
N
09-00189
JX30G
MBDLOC001Ax
US
JX30G-12
Y
Y
09-00189
JX30GP
JX30GPS2
JX30GP-04
Y
Y
09-00183
JX30
MLB-P24T
JX30-06
Y
Y
09-00169
GeminiVL/ZIF
486DXLBP24TR
GLB05
Y
Y
09-00144
GeminiVL/LIF
486DXLB
GLB05
N
Y
09-00054
80486ASICISA
(unknown)
G14
N
33 MHz fixed
09-00081
BabyGeminiISA
(unknown)
G22-2
N
N (25 or 33 MHz)
09-00117
EISAASIC
(none)
1.01.22.2
N
N
09-00173
EISAVL
EISA486LBW
G24-2
Y
Y
For Pentium based computers Gateway has used Intel motherboards. The
following Pentium boards
can be checked against the BIOS revision number at boot-up. (Once
again, thanks to Ben Myers.)
The BIOS revision numbers listed are the LATEST ones available from
Intel as of it's release date. Intel
keeps revising and updating the various BIOSes. It is always best to
check directly with Gateway or
Intel.
Note: All Gateway BIOS versions have the suffix of "T". For example,
an Intel Plato BIOS from
Gateway might be 1.00.12.AX1T.
Bios Rev
Official Intelname
Codename/CPU Socket
1.00.19.R0
XpressServers
1.00.19.V0
XpressServers
1.00.19.AK0
XpressServers
1.00.19.AM0
XpressServers
1.00.07.S0
ProfessionalWorkstation
1.00.09.W0
ClassicS-Series
1.00.08.Y3
Professional/GX
1.00.05.AB0
ClassicE-Series
1.00.09.AC0
ClassicR/R-Plus
(LPX486)
1.00.08.AF1
Premiere/PCIExpandableDesktop
Batman(Baby-ATSocket4)
1.00.13.AF2
Premiere/PCIED
Batman'sRevenge(Baby-ATSocket4)
1.00.10.AQ0
Classic/PCIExpandableDesktop
Alfredo(Baby-AT486)
1.00.10.AU0
Premiere/PCILowProfile
1.00.16.AX1
Premiere/PCIIIExpandable
Plato(Baby-ATSocket5)
1.00.08.AY0
Classic/PCIED
Ninja
1.00.08.AZ0
Classic/PCILP
Entrada
1.00.08.BB0
Premiere/PCILXLowProfile
Socrates
1.00.05.BC0
Premiere/PCILCLowProfile
RobinLC
1.00.07.BG0
XtendedXpressServers
1.00.18.BI0
ALTServer/CS
Columbus(DualSocket5)
1.00.03.BJ0
LANDesk(r)
ServerMonitorModule
1.00.06.BR0
Advanced/ZE
Aladdin
1.00.04.BS0
Advanced/ZP
Zappa(Baby-ATSocket5)
1.00.09.BT0
Advanced/MN
Morrison(LPXSocket5)
1.00.07.BU0
Advanced/MA
Monaco
1.00.05.CB0
Advanced/EV
Endeavor(Baby-ATSocket5/7)
1.00.08.CG0
Performance/AU
Aurora(ATXSocket8)
1.00.07.CL0
Advanced/AS
Atlantis(Baby-ATSocket7)
1.00.06.CN0
Advanced/ATX
Thor(ATXSocket7)
1.00.09.CS1
VS440FX
Venus(ATXSocket8)
1.00.05.CT1
AP440FX
Apollo/Krakatoa(LPXSocket8)
1.00.09.CV2
Advanced/RH
Rhinestone(LPXSocket7)
1.00.07.DB0
Advanced/ML
Marl(ATXSocket7)
1.00.04.DH0
TC430HX
Tuscon(ATXSocket7)
1.00.02.DI0
PR440FX
Providence(ATXSocket8)
1.00.0x.CY
E430VX
1.00.0x.CW0
RU430H
Ruby(LPXSocket7)
1.00.0x.DE0
NP430HX
Newport(APXSocket7)
1.00.0x.DK0
CU430HX
Cumberland(LPXSocket7)
1.00.0x.DD0
AG430HX
Agate(ATXSocket7)
????
NV430VX
Orlando/Tampa(LPXSocket7)
2.1.1.1) What Kind of Memory do I have?
What memory you need to buy will be dependent on your motherboard.
Gateway has a listing on their website by BIOS number at,
http://www.gw2k.com/home/support/cs_techdocs/mbref/
Kingston Memory also has a site for finding what memory you need for
your computer at,
http://kyra.pcorder.com/Kepler/Asp/FrameKepler.asp
Sky-Line Engineering also has parts, including memory for Gateway
Computers. They are at
http://skyline-eng.com/products.htm and
http://skyline-eng.com/memory.htm for memory.
Another good source is BuyingGuide.com. There memory section is at
http://www.buyinguide.com/memory/.
Most Gateway models are listed there as well.
And finally, R&J Technology also has a memory finder for you Gateway
computer, try
http://www.rjtech.com/gw2000.htm.
2.1.2) How do I get into the CMOS Setup?
After the system is booted to DOS, typing CTRL-ALT-ESC will bring up
the CMOS screens for
Micronics motherboards with the original Gateway or Micronics BIOS.
On Anigma motherboards (some mini-desktops and all 486-PCI systems)
use CTRL-ALT-S. What
you see on the screens varies with the motherboard you have but most
of the general settings are on the
first page. You can use the "page up" and "page down" keys to move
between CMOS pages.
(Thanks to Albert Crosby and Ben Myers)
One common problem with the CMOS setup is that if you are using the
"highscan" option to emm386,
you will not be able to enter the CMOS setup (you will lock up the
system). If this happens, you should
boot clean (i.e. hit F5 after you see the "starting MS-DOS" or
"Starting Windows95" prompt). Then
you can enter the CMOS setup normally.
If you have a newer Phoenix or Microfirmware BIOS then pressing F2
will bring up the CMOS setup
screens, but only prior to booting into the operating system. On
Microfirmware BIOS, pressing F3 will
also bring up extra information.
American Megatrends, or AMI, BIOSes on older 486 computers may be
entered by pressing DEL
after booting.
2.1.3) How do I upgrade my BIOS?
Generally speaking you will not be updating your BIOS very often.
Usually it will be for a specific
purpose, such as gaining access to larger hard drives or correcting a
Year2000 problem.
First you need to find out what motherboard you have. All older 286
and 386 and some 486
motherboards require you to replace the ROM BIOS chip. You will need
to purchase the chip from
MicroFirmware.
Most 486es and all Pentiums (Normal, MMX, II, Pro) you can "flash" a
new BIOS. The Flash BIOS
can be downloaded from the net or purchased on disk. Either way you
will follow the same steps.
1. Backup your computer! Very important.
NOTE: If you received your BIOS on floppy you can ignore steps 2 to 4.
2. Create a bootable diskette.
3. Download BIOS and BIOS recovery program off web.
4. Unzip BIOS file and copy files to bootable diskette.
5. Shut down machine.
6. Put floppy in A drive, boot up, and BIOS upgrade will happen.
Check the web site for updates to your BIOS.
Gateway's page for BIOS updates:
http://www.gw2k.com/home/support/hardware/8/
Micro FirmWare's Page for BIOS updates: http://www.firmware.com
2.1.4) My system doesn't recognize more than 16M of RAM.
This is probably the most frequently asked question in the newsgroup!
In order to use more than 16M of RAM, you need to disable shadowing in
the BIOS. Go into your
CMOS setup and disable the BIOS shadowing option. When you reboot,
your system should see all
the RAM.
Note that disabling the shadow RAM may slow down your system somewhat.
You may also notice that
the initial "beep" at startup sounds funny. This is normal when
shadowing is disabled.
2.1.5) How can I upgrade my 486 to a Pentium?
I think this should qualify as the second most asked question in the
newsgroup.
Make sure you know which motherboard you have and which Pentium
upgrade, or motherboard
replacement will be needed. Gateway only supports the Intel Overdrive
chips for their computers.
These are the only ones they have tested. To get more information on
the Intel Pentium Overdrives, see
Intel's page, http://www.intel.com.
There are also 5x86 CPUs out there that provide Pentium power for 486
users. Check out these
companies,
- AMD: http://www.amd.com/products/cpg/5x86/5x86.html,
- Cyrix: http://www.cyrix.com/process/prodinfo/legacy/legacy.htm,
- Evergreen: http://www.evertech.com,
- ICS: http://www.interwb.com/memory.html (847) 823-2779 sells
processors and complete
upgrade kits featuring the Cyrix 5x86.
- Kingston Turbo Chip:
http://www.kingston.com/prod/procesor/tc133wpa.htm.
Different Gateway users have also worked with this problem and have
shared their results on the net.
- John Navas has an information page for 5v motherboard users
upgrading to a 5x86.
- An article in PCWeek about two types of Cyrix 5x86s.
- There are files and drivers that support the Cyrix 5x86. Courtesy of
Peter Moss.
- Other places to get the Cyrix driver files.
- Cyrix 5x86 drivers for DOS.
- Cyrix 5x86 drivers for Windows.
- My Benchmarks after my Evergreen 586 upgrade.
- To see some other benchmarks of 5x86 style chips click here,
486bench.txt.
- Ben Myers' FAQs for Gateway Motherboards.
2.1.5.1) I bought my 486 when it was advertised as Pentium ready. What
does/did that mean?
This is also an issue with quite a few Gateway owners. Here is what I
know.
The design specifications vary between the various versions of the 486
chip. It mostly because of the
design difference between the LIF, ZIF 1, ZIF 2 and ZIF 3 sockets.
Check item 2.1.1. to find out
which mother board and socket you have.
The design changes resulted in changes in the proposed P24T chip that
became the Pentium Overdrive.
So if you have an older 486 with a LIF or ZIF 1 or 2 socket, then you
are out of luck. The 83 MHz
Pentium Overdrive, will not work. If you have a 25 or 50 MHz 486 with
a ZIF 2, then you can upgrade
to the 63 MHz Pentium Overdrive.
Now if you have a 33/66 MHz 486 with a ZIF 3 Socket, then you can use
the Pentium Overdrives.
Of course the big question is, "Whose fault is this?"
To receive Gateway's legal disclosure on the matter then call
1-800-555-2070.
You can also write to Gateway's Legal Department at:
Gateway Legal Department
P.O. Box 2000
610 Gateway Dr.
North Sioux City, SD 57049-2000
Don't call Technical Support, unless you enjoy exercises in futility.
I personally believe the problem lies with Intel, for changing the
design of the P24T Overdrive and not
supporting the existing 486 design, AND to Gateway for advertising
"Vapor-Ware", when no such
product existed.
Here is what happened according to Ben Myers,
One of Intel's dirty little secrets is the Pentium OverDrive (POD) for
the
Type 3 ZIF socket.
The story goes as follows, more or less, confirmed by several
unofficial
sources inside Intel
and at least one motherboard manufacturer that I can remember...
Chapter I.
Intel issues a preliminary spec for the POD and makes up sample
prototype
chips for
motherboard manufacturers. The manufacturers design and manufacture
millions
of boards
with Type 3 ZIF sockets required for the POD. And the boards adhere
to the
preliminary
spec, and run just fine with the proto chips.
Chapter II.
Intel decides to change the POD spec, issues a final one, and begins
manufacturing PODs
that meet the FINAL spec. The final spec adds a write-back internal
cache for
better
performance, and maybe some other things.
Chapter III.
All heck breaks loose because the POD is incompatible with millions of
boards,
very few
consumers know which boards are and aren't compatible. So lots of
PODs don't
work
right, or don't work at all.
Chapter IV.
Motherboard manufacturers revise designs to be compatible with final
POD
specification,
and produce more boards. In the meantime, the POD has gotten a bad
rep.
It's amazing that Intel continues to use the name for other
Pentium-class
chips!
2.1.6) How can I upgrade my Pentium to a Pentium Pro?
In a word or two, you can't. Neither Gateway nor Intel has ever made
this claim. But don't let that stop
you. Now you can upgrade your Pentium to a 6x86. This is similar to
the above procedures for 486
owners, save I know less about it. Currently the only 6x86's on the
market are by Cyrix,
http://www.cyrix.com and AMD, http://www.amd.com.
Gandalf's upgrading your Pentium to a 6x86 page,
http://www.together.net/~gandalf/index.htm.
Keep in mind that Gateway does support any other CPU than Intel.
Cyrix, in fact, is now in direct
competition with Gateway for the home PC market. If this is something
you decide on doing, you could
find yourself without any tech support from Gateway.
2.1.6.1) How can I upgrade my Pentium to a MMX Pentium?
I got this information from some tech support people at Intel.
Intel plans to introduce a family of Pentium(R) OverDrive(R)
processors with MMX(TM) technology in
1997 for upgradiale Pentium processor-based systems. There will be
Pentium OverDrive processors
with MMX technology available for Pentium processor based - systems
with Socket 5 or 7 available in
speeds up to 166 MHz in the first half of 1997. There will be Pentium
OverDrive processors with
MMX technology available for Pentium processor based - systems with
Socket 7 available in speeds
up to 200 MHz in the second half of 1997. There will not be a Pentium
OverDrive processor with
MMX technology for 60 or 66 MHz Pentium processor - based systems.
More specific product detail
or compatibility information is not available until product
introduction. For now, see Intel's website at
http://www.intel.com/overdrive/mmx.htm
or
http://cs.intel.com/Intel/microprocessors/overdrive_processors/
Also a company called Powerleap sells upgrades for Gateway (an other)
Pentium computers. Their
URL is http://www.powerleap.com/gateway.htm.
2.1.6.2) How can I upgrade my Pentium or Pro to a Pentium II?
This one is going to be a real pain in the neck.
The motherboards for the new Pentium II are completely different. The
Pentium II uses a slot
configuration instead of the Pentium's socket style. Currently you can
only do a motherboard swap.
Although it is much more desirable to get a new Pentium II system.
+2.1.7) Is my Gw2k Y2k ready?
To check if you computer's BIOS and motherboard is Year 2000 ready go
through these steps.
1. Change your system clock to 11:50 pm, December 31, 1999. Use the
DATE command or
Right-Click on the system tray.
2. Shut down and turn off your computer.
3. Wait about 15 minutes.
4. Turn on your computer and check the system date and time.
5. If it says anything besides Sunday, Jan 1, 2000, you will have Y2K
problems.
Also you should created a new file, doesn't matter what, and save it.
Check it's properties. It should
read "Last Modified Sunday, Jan 1, 2000."
Remember this only checks your system's BIOS and the Operating
System's Y2k compliance. You
will need to test other software as well. Check the companies web
pages for details; check Microsoft
for Access or Excel problems.
You can also test your PC's Y2K compliance and get more information
from,
- http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/special/y2k/index.html
- http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/pctech/download/swcol.y2k.html
- http://www.y2k.com/
- http://www.zdnet.com/vlabs/y2k/testy2k.html
- http://www.microsoft.com/technet/topics/year2k/default.htm -
-
http://www.gateway.com/frameset2.asp?s=corp&p=support&a=&url=/corp/y2k/y2k/default.html
- http://www.runser.com/2000/compliance.htm
*Remember, 2000 is a LEAP year. Normally years that are divisible by
100 are not, but 2000 is an
exception.
* You also need to check 1/1/11 and 9/9/99. Some programmers used
1111 and 9999 as place
holders for anything.
You can also get Microsoft's Y2k tester at
http//microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wurecommended/s_wufeatured/win95y2k/default.asp
Another important site for Y2k concerns is
http//www.microsoft.com/y2k/hoax/y2khoax.htm
2.1.9) What are some other sources of information?
There are plenty sources of information for motherboards, chips and
their problems. Try the following
resources.
Newsgroups,
- news://comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips
- news://comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.systems
- news://customernews.gateway.com/gw.desktop-tower.motherboards
Web pages,
- http://www.computercraft.com/docs/old486.html
- http://www.intel.com/
- http://www.randomc.com/~dperr/pc_hdwe.htm
- http://www.sysopt.com/
2.2) CD-ROM/DVD Questions
2.2.1) Why does my system "pause" when playing CDs?
Some people have noticed that when they are playing CD's there system
will pause every time the HD
light blinks. This is usually found on P5-90 systems with the NEC IDE
CD-ROM drives. The answer is:
The NEC is connected to the IDE interface and this will cause the
drive light to blink. If you are doing
any hard drive accesses or reads at the same time as the NEC is being
accessed, this can cause the
"jumps." What you can do to check this is to make sure the CD drive
and the hard drive are on
separate interfaces. With your system, the hard drives should be
connected to the PCI IDE interface
which is the farthest toward the back of the system. The CD drive
should be on the ISA IDE interface
which is just behind the floppy drive interface on the motherboard.
Also, some people have noted that the AudioStation CD audio player
that comes with the Ensoniq
sound card can cause these kinds of system problems -- you can try the
CD audio player from the
Corel CD-ROM sampler or get one of the shareware players from one of
the many anonymous FTP
sites and try it.
(Thanks to Seth Tisue for this additional note!)
2.2.2) How do I get Windows 95 to access all drives on the Sanyo 3-CD
CD-
ROM?
From Lori Nagel, Gateway tech support:
Here's the steps you need to get access to all three drives with the
3-disk changer under Windows 95:
1. Right click on the MY COMPUTER icon. Then on PROPERTIES.
2. Click on the DEVICE MANAGER tab.
3. Double-click on HARD DISK CONTROLLERS.
4. Then double-click on the SECOND listing for "Standard IDE/ESDI Hard
Disk Controller."
5. Uncheck Original Configuration (current).
6. Click OK until it closes and then restart Win 95.
You should now be able to use all three of the drives.
The Sanyo 3-CD Changer driver for Windows95 can be found on Frank's
Driver Page,
http://windows.rust.net/sanyo.zip.
2.2.2.1) Is there support for the Sanyo 3-CD CD-ROM in Windows NT?
Using atapi.sys, you can use it as a single drive.
Windows NT 4.0 does support the drive also using atapi.sys.
2.2.3) My CD-ROM light blinks every few seconds under Windows 95 -
Why?
This is due to the Windows 95 automatic CD-ROM detection. This allows
you to put in a CD and
Windows 95 will automatically mount it (if it is a data CD) or start
the music player (if it is an audio
CD).
If the blinking annoys you (or causes your system to pause or stutter)
you can turn it off by opening the
System control panel. Open the Device Manager tab and select your
CD-ROM device. Click
Properties and under the Settings tab turn off Auto insert
notification. That will take care of it!
2.2.4) Why does the Mitsumi FX-400 CD-ROM make grinding noises?
There have been reports of this drive making grinding noises while
accessing CDs. Some users have
also reported that several key presses were needed to eject the disks
and that they sometimes came out
spinning. The fix is to contact Gateway and ask for a replacement
model FX-400D. There have been
several postings that this replacement drive does not have these
problems.
(Thanks to Alan Briggs!)
2.2.4.1) Where can I get Mitsumi CD-ROM drivers and information?
http://www.eciusa.com/cdrom.html has drivers for Mitsumi CD-ROMs, a
FAQ, jumper settings, tech
support (via a form) and guidance on determining what driver you need.
(Thanks to Ken Salerno!)
Here are some other sites,
- Mitsumi's official site,
ECI,http://www.eciusa.com/mitsumiproducts.html.
- David Elfstrom excellent site on Mitsumi information,
http://qlink.queensu.ca/~3dre/mitsumi.html.
- The OS/2 fix at
ftp://ftp.sei.cmu.edu/pub/gateway2000/Mitsumi/MITFIX.EXE.
- and a Windows NT 3.x fix,
ftp://ftp.sei.cmu.edu/pub/gateway2000/Mitsumi/MITSU.EXE.
2.2.4.2) Is there a problem with the Mitsumi 12x CD-ROM?
There has been some discussion of late of problems with the Mitsumi
12x CD-ROM drive. The drives
do make a loud vibrating sound.
The Gateway tech person I spoke to said that while the drives are loud
(she compared it to a blow
dryer) they have not had any reported problems.
Any more information on this subject would be very helpful.
2.2.5) What can I do about the Wearnes CD-ROM pauses?
Many have reported irritating pauses with this CD-ROM. There have been
three models vended by
Gateway, AAWW, ABWW, and ACWW. The last one will show a great deal of
improvement but will
not eliminate the problem for everybody. Call tech support at Gateway
and get a replacement and be
sure to specify the ACWW. There is no ADWW -- that's just a rumor at
this time, per Lori Nagel of
Gateway. The whole part number for the ACWW is CDRIDE011ACWW.
2.2.5.1) What other information is there about the Wearnes CD-ROM?
If you have problems with the Wearnes CD-ROM drive then contact
Gateway 2000. Customers that
call in for problems with a Wearnes CD ROM will receive a replacement
Toshiba. The Wearnes are
not shipped due to multiple replacement issues.
2.2.6) Will my NEC 260 CD-ROM run with Windows NT?
The 260 is not compatible; the 260R is. The 260, which was sold by
Gateway for a while, ended up not
compliant with the emerging ATAPI 1.2 standard. For a while, Gateway
replaced the 260s with 260Rs
for those customers using Windows NT. You can install NT from an
unsupported CD (use winnt.exe
from the install disk, type winnt /? for the list of options). Or you
can install NT from your hard drive
(see the NT installation documentation for details).
(Thanks to Walter Arnold and Edmond Underwood!)
2.2.9) What are some other sources of information?
There are plenty sources of information for CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. Try
the following resources.
Newsgroups,
- news://alt.video.dvd
- news://comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.cd-rom
- news://rec.video.dvd.*
- news://customernews.gateway.com/gw.desktop-tower.multimedia
Web pages,
- Hitachi Download,
http://www.hitachi.com/Specs/Cdrom/Docs/download.html.
- Hitachi Data Systems, http://www.hdshq.com/.
- Sony's web page,
http://www.ita.sel.sony.com/support/storage/drivers.html.
- DVD FAQ, http://www.videodiscovery.com/vdyweb/dvd/dvdfaq.html.
2.3) Keyboard and Mice Questions
2.3.1) How can I disable the programmability of the Anykey keyboard?
Sometimes (especially if you have young children who like to play with
your computer) you can get the
Anykey keyboard programmed into a strange state. While you can reset
the keyboard to the default
configuration by pressing the Control and Alt keys and the pressing
Suspend Macro, a better way to
"fix" the problem is by disabling the program feature. You can do this
by using the command ANYKEY
T ANYKEY in your autoexec.bat, adding the path if needed.
(Thanks to Dave Grabowski for this information!)
2.3.2) My Anykey keyboard produces incorrect characters. How can I fix
it?
It may have been accidentally remapped. First try the key combination:
[Ctrl-Alt-SuspndMacro].
If that doesn't work, try this, which will destroy all macros you have
stored:
[Remap] - [Ctrl] - [Ctrl] - [Alt] - [Alt] - [Remap]
then, as before,
[Ctrl-Alt-SuspndMacro].
Note: on newer models, it may be [Ctrl-Remap] in the above sequence
instead of just [Remap].
2.3.3) How can I program my AnyKey keyboard to act like a Windows95
Keyboard?
To make your Anykey Keyboard into a Windows95 keyboard.
Program a blank key as the Windows logo key.
The windows logo key is <CTRL><ESC>
" " and e to run explorer
" " and r for run
" " and f for find
The other key is rightclick. Which can be programmed as <SHIFT><F10>
2.3.4) How can I change the repeat rate of my AnyKey keyboard?
To change the refesh rate of your Gateway Anykey keyboard do the
following in DOS mode or a DOS
shell.
1. Press the Repeat Rate Key (found in the upper-right corner of the
keyboard). The Program
LED should begin to flash.
2. Function keys F1 through F8 produce the following repeat rates:
Press
Characters per Second
(CPS)
F1
2
F2
3
F3
5
F4
7
F5
10
F6
15
F7
20
F8
30
3. Press the function key that produces the rate you want, then press
the Repeat Rate key again.
The Program LED stops flashing and the new repeat rate is set.
This setting overides anything in the Control Panel or the DOS MODE
setting.
Note: This will also work for the MaxiSwitch MaxiKey keyboard. I
have tested this on both.
2.4) Modem Questions
2.4.1) Why can't I connect with my (older) Telepath modem?
There have been many reported problems with the older Telepath modems
shipped with Gateway
systems. So many, in fact, that Gateway is now shipping modems made by
US Robotics which are
much better than the old ones. These modems are still called Telepath
(the new ones are model 550), so
you have to check the exact model numbers to see if your model is a
problem one.
In general, the older Telepath modems have problems in connecting.
Some people have few problems,
while other people have lots. The problem doesn't have an easy fix,
but you can often connect by
fiddling with the modem init strings. One set of strings that has been
successful in connecting to many
systems is this:
AT&FW1&C1&D2S7=60S11=55S95=3
(This string was provided by Tom Grelinger.) If this doesn't work,
turn off compression using AT%C0
and if the connection still fails, turn off both error correction and
compression using AT&Q6. If the
modems still fail to connect, try reducing the speed of the connection
by setting the N code to 0
(ATN0) and setting S37 to one of the following values:
Speed
S37 value
12000
10
9600
9
7200
12
4800
8
2400
6
1200
5
300
3
Obviously, you want to start at the highest speed and work down until
you find a value that allows you
to connect. If you are forced to connect at slower speeds, this
indicates that you may have a noisy
phone line. You may want to contact your local telephone company to
have them check your line.
One good hint to try when using Crosstalk for Windows (the software
shipped with the modems from
Gateway 2000) is to set the box to show modem commands, and also set
the S95 value to 44 on the
modem (ATS95=44). This will display the DCE speed (the actual speed
the modem connected at), the
protocol (either LAPM or alt), compression (v.42bis or MNP5) and the
DTE speed (speed between
the modem and computer).
Gateway also recommends that you check the voltage between your
neutral and ground wires on the
outlet you plug the system into. Apparently the older Telepath modems
need a very good ground to
work correctly.
(If anyone has more ideas, I'll include them in the FAQ - editor)
2.4.2) Why won't the 28.8 Telepath work with Delrina's Commsuite?
The 28.8 Telepath is an OEM version of the US Robotics Sportster and
as such uses the TI chipset.
Delrina's Commsuite supports only with the Rockwell chipset. Also, the
28.8 Telepath uses fax class
2.0 (different from just "2") and this is also not supported by WinFax
7.0. Talkworks will not work
reliably with the Telepath, although there is now a patch at
http://www.delrina.com/ for modems
manufactured by US Robotics (USR).
Note: Delrina has been purchased by Symantec. This link is still
active though.
2.4.3) Why does my 28.8 Telepath insist on picking up the phone?
Some of the earlier ones wouldn't accept an S0=0 command (two zeroes
there). The workaround is to
type these two lines to the modem:
ATS0=255 then [Enter] (that's a zero after the "s")
AT&W then [Enter]
The first line tells the modem to answer on the 255th ring, the second
to write the new setting to non-
volatile RAM (NVRAM).
2.4.4) Why can't I use a modem at COM4:?
Most video boards, including the ATI, use the address space for COM4:.
You can't get around it,
sorry.
2.4.5) How do I connect at 56k with my X2 Telepath?
Some users have reported problems connecting or maintaining a 56k
connection. This of course is
dependent on your phone lines.
John Navas, of the Navas Group, suggests turning off V.42.
For more information please see his FAQ,
http://web.aimnet.com/~jnavas/modem/faq.html.
2.4.6) Why I can't use my Telepath WinModem on NT/DOS/Linux?
The Telepath WinModem (or any USR/3Com Winmodem) cannot be used under
operating systems
other than Windows. This means Windows NT, DOS, OS/2 or Linux cannot
use the Winmodem. The
modem works by moving what had been hardware components to software,
namely to Windows
virtural device drivers, VxDs. The advantages are upgradebilty of the
modems and cheaper hardware
costs.
There have been some patches to use Winmodems under Windows NT. I have
not used any of these
files myself.
Gateway's pages of drivers for Telepath winmodems is at,
http://www.gateway.com/support/product/drivers/modem/ and for V90
upgrades,
http://www.gateway.com/support/product/drivers/modem/v90.html.
2.4.9) What are some other sources of information?
There are plenty sources of information for Modems. Try the following
resources.
Newsgroups,
- news://comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm
- news://customernews.gateway.com/gw.desktop-tower.telecomm
Web Pages,
- Modem information about Gateway modems in Mike Lewis' most helpful
Telepath-IIv and
Windows 95 FAQ http://www.uic.edu/~tbrann1/Gateway2000/ModemFAQ.html.
- General modem information in John Navas' excellent 28800 Modem FAQ,
http://web.aimnet.com/~jnavas/modem/faq.html.
2.5) Monitor and Video Questions
2.5.1) What about the missing 3 pixels on the left of my screen?
(This is the Georgh Mah memorial question)
Several people have reported that with certain versions of the ATI
Graphics Ultra Pro video board they
are experiencing a condition where 3 pixels are missing from the left
side of their screen. The conditions
appear to be:
ATI GUP boards with 1MB of video memory and a certain BIOS Windows
640x480 video mode with
65K colors.
Any applications run at full screen will be missing the three pixels
from the left side of the screen. If you
have this configuration and experience this problem, you can request a
fix for your ATI board at no cost
(regardless of the age of your system) through Gateway. The best bet
is to send an e-mail message to
gwjohn@gw2kbbs.com with the request - he is handling most of these
reports on the Internet.
ATI has admitted this condition exists on versions of their GUP board,
and is providing support through
Gateway 2000.
2.5.2) What are some common monitor problems?
This is a common problem reported with ATI boards and many different
monitors. It usually shows up
as a bright line or band running along the left side of the monitor --
if you have a light or white
background it is most visible. This problem is often caused by the
monitor overscanning on the left side
of the screen.
The fix is to remove the overscanning. First you should use your
normal monitor controls to try to center
the image on the screen as best as you can. This will often help some,
but not completely remove the
problem. Next, you should use the ATI setup programs to center the
board's idea of the screen. To do
this, exit to DOS and cd to your ATI driver directory. Now run install
and select Set Power-up
configuration. Select your monitor type and the resolution you
normally run at. Now you should be
in the monitor adjustment mode, and should notice that the screen is
(apparently) shifted way to the left.
Use the controls to center the screen, and save the settings. This
should fix the problem.
Other people have stated that the video extension cable provided with
the Gateway tower systems have
caused this problem. You can test this by running the monitor with
just the short cable provided with the
monitor. If the bright line goes away, you've found the problem. You
can either get a new cable from
Gateway, or just run the system on the shorter one if it reaches.
There are also reports that problems with wavy displays can be caused
by the power supply of the
computer. In this case, the user had replaced everything in the system
without correcting the problem,
and replacing the power supply fixed it. One way to isolate this would
be to move the monitor away
from the system as far as the video cable will allow and see if the
problem goes away or changes. You
can also try to put some shielding between the system and monitor to
see if the problem is reduced.
2.5.3) Who makes the CrystalScan monitors?
Gateway gets the CrystalScan monitors from Samsung. Gateway did get
them from Mag Innovison.
Look on the back for the letters "SAM" in the part number. The
CrystalScan 1572 DG model,
however, is made by GoldStar and has digital controls. Some of the
larger (i.e., 17") CrystalScan
monitors now have tubes made by Sony.
Thanks to Rich Rauch!
2.5.4) What are the custom settings for the CS1572FS monitor?
If you want to adjust the screen position and size, you can use the
following settings in the ATI setup
program:
640x480
72 Hz
800x600
72 Hz
1024x768
60 Hz
1280x1024
87 Hz
2.5.5) Where can I get the latest drivers for my video card?
ATI Video Cards
The best location for ATI drivers is ATI itself. You can connect to
their internet sites or bulletin board
system for drivers. You can also call ATI and the will send you
floppies.
WWW: http://www.atitech.ca/drivers/drivers.html
FTP: ftp://ftp.atitech.ca/pub/support/
BBS: 905-764-9404
Fax: 905-882-2620
Sales: 905-882-2600
Tech Support: 905-882-2626
Diamond Video Cards
ftp://ftp.diamondmm.com/pub/display/viper/
- Diamond BBS 2400/14400 baud: 408-325-7080
- Diamond BBS 9600/28800 baud: 408-325-7175
- Diamond Main number: 408-325-7000
- Diamond Tech Support: 408-325-7100
Also, if you have Internet access, the larger FTP sites such as
ftp.winsite.com (formerly CICA) and
wuarchive.wustl.edu generally have current drivers for many of the
popular boards. For example, on
ftp.winsite.com, you can look in /pub/pc/win3/drivers/video.
The Diamond Viper is unsupported under Windows95. Diamond is offering
a trade in program for
Viper owners.
2.5.5.1) Can I use the regular Matrox drivers with Gateway's Matrox?
According to Eanna Lennon, GW2k Sysop, Europe: "The Drivers are
Exactly the same, there is no
difference whatsoever."
2.5.5.2) Where can I get Matrox BIOS and driver updates?
From the Matrox WWW site: http://www.matrox.com/mgaweb/ftp_mill.htm
2.5.6) Who makes Vivitron monitors?
MAG Innovision and Sony.
MAGs are made in Taiwan by MAG Innovision (of CrystalScan fame) using
Sony Trinitron tubes
Sonys are assembled by Sony and tested by Sony and the back panel says
"Made by Sony" . You
should also find a back-panel plate with something like "Model CPD -
xxxxxx", in Sony tradition.
Both the MAG and Sony products use a Trinitron tube, which has
horizontal curvature -- but no vertical
curvature. And the damper wires are visible with some backgrounds (see
2.5.9, below).
(Thanks to John Lewis and Martin Basil for making this clear!)
2.5.6.1) What are the specs for the SONY Vivitron monitor made by
SONY?
From the SONY Vivitron 1776 CPD-17F13 user's guide:
CRT - 17-inch diagonal (16 inches visual), 0.25mm aperture grille
pitch, 90 deg deflection
Resolution - 1280 dots max horizontal; 1024 lines max vertical
Display colors - Unlimited
Scanning frequency - Horizontal 31.5 to 64 kHz; Vertical 50 to 120 Hz.
Display area - 328 x 242 mm (w/h) typical
Standard picture size - Approx. 300 x 225 mm (w/h)
Power input - 100 to 120 VAC, 50/60 Hz 1.8 A; 220 to 240 VAC, 50-60 Hz
1 A
Dimensions - Approx. 406 x 426.5 x 453 mm (w/h/d)
Weight - Approx. 19 Kg [about 42 pounds]
Certifications - UL, CSA, DHHS, TUV, FCC Class B, BZT, MPR-II, VCCI
Power Management - Meets Energy Star requirements.
(Thanks to Bev =^.^= Parks!)
2.5.6.2) What's the right way to set up a Vivitron 21 under Windows
95?
The Vivitron 21, under Windows 95, should be set up as a Mitsubishi
DiamondScan Pro 21. So,
under your Display, and Settings, click on Change Display Type, and
then on Change under the
monitor settings. Click on Show all devices and then choose Mitsubishi
on the left, and
DiamondScan Pro 21 on the right.
(Thanks to Lori Nagel of Gateway 2000.)
2.5.6.3) What are those horizontal black lines on my Sony monitor?
This is becoming a frequent question now that Gateway is using
monitors with Sony tubes in them. Sony
monitors (and OEM monitors that use Sony tubes) have a different way
of setting up their phosphor
masks. While most monitors use a metal sheet with holes in it, Sony
uses a sheet with thin vertical slots.
This allows Sony tubes to have a brighter and sharper picture, but
this design forces them to put one (or
two, depending on the size of the tube) reinforcing wires that run
horizontally across the mask. The
shadow from these wires are what you see as black lines across the
screen.
This behavior is most noticeable when you have a light background, and
is totally normal for Sony
monitors and tubes.
2.5.7) How can I use the capture features on my STB TV Pro card?
OK, this program is not the best thing for capturing still images, but
with a little work it can be done. If
you bring up the remote and click the "capture" button, it will bring
up an option to capture video or
audio. Choose "video" and it should open an image of the screen. Then
if you click "options" then
"preview", the image will update and start moving the frames again.
When you get to the frame you
want, click the "capture a single frame" button, which is the 5th
button from the left, or the 1st button in
the group of four buttons. After that, click on "file" then "save
single frame", which will pop up a box to
allow you to give the frame a name and a location to save it to. The
program will only save the file as a
.dib file.
You can then convert the .dib file to a .bmp file with the Windows
Imaging program (simply open
Windows Imaging, then open the .dib file, then click on "file" and
"save as" and choose to save it as a
.bmp file). Anyone with Windows can view a .bmp image, but it's not
the best format around. If you
want to convert the file to a .jpg, I don't know of anything in
Windows that will do that, but there are
several decent shareware programs available to convert images from
almost any format to almost any
other.
Now, if you got all that and you happen to have the Intel Intercast
Software (which came with my
system and I imagine comes with all the systems with the TV card),
capturing images with it is VERY
EASY. If you just open the Intercast program it will have an icon of a
camera to the left of the picture.
To capture single frames, simply click that camera icon and it will
get the frame, assign it a name (based
on the channel and the time) and save it as a .bmp in an Intercast
subdirectory. MUCH easier.
Thanks to Darren <darrenc@crl.com> for writing the bulk of this
information.
2.5.8) Why do I have video problems with my tower system and not my
desktop?
Users have reported that the extension video cable provided by Gateway
with their tower systems can
sometimes cause video problems such as a wavy display. If your system
is close enough to your
monitor, just take out the extension cable and use the regular one
provided with the monitor. If this fixes
the problem, call Gateway for a new cable.
2.5.9) What are some other sources of information?
There are plenty sources of information for monitors and their
problems. Try the following resources.
First, a warning: There are potentially lethal voltages inside a
monitor, even after it's been
turned off for sometime. So, I am certainly not recommending anyone
open up their monitor.
Newsgroups,
- news://comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video
- news://customernews.gateway.com/gw.desktop-tower.video
Web pages,
- There is a monitor repair FAQ written by Chris Biow that is posted
to the newsgroup from time
to time and a permanent copy of which is available at
http://www.uic.edu/~tbrann1/Gateway2000/MonitorFAQ.html
(Thanks to Chris Biow!)
- A more general but very thorough one is found at
http://www.paranoia.com/~filipg/HTML/REPAIR/F_mon_repair.html
(Thanks to Clint Winstead!)
2.6) Soundcard Questions
2.6.1) Why won't my SoundBlaster card work?
The Gateway CD-ROM uses IRQ5 (interrupt 5) by default, and so does the
SoundBlaster card. Thus,
you need to configure your SoundBlaster card to use a different
interrupt. Most people have had
success using IRQ7 for their SoundBlaster card even though that is
supposedly reserved for the printer.
Set the jumpers on the card as shown in the SB manual, then use the
sequence [Ctrl-Alt-Esc] to go into
the CMOS setup and disable the LPT1 IRQ. Make sure you use interrupt 7
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
driver setup line for the SoundBlaster also.
(Thanks to Mike Doel for this information!)
Also note that if you are using a program such as LapLink, using IRQ7
for the SoundBlaster will force
LapLink into polling mode. You can get around this problem by turning
the IRQ on just before using
LapLink and then turning it back off when you are done. Since you
probably won't be using LapLink
and the SoundBlaster at the same time, this shouldn't cause problems,
but it is inconvenient.
(Thanks to Chaim Frenkel for the information on disabling IRQ7 and
LapLink!)
Creative Labs also has an FTP site on the Internet which has
information about SoundBlaster Cards
and other Creative Labs products. The address is
- ftp://ftp.creaf.com/
- ftp://creative.creaf.com/
There are also Web sites at,
- http://www.creaf.com/.
- http://www.soundblaster.com/.
2.6.2 Why won't my Ensoniq card work with DOS games?
Win95 set up will REM the lines for the sound card in the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file. Open the file with a
text editor or Notepad and delete REM to activate them again.
Thanks to Ed Pawlowski!
2.6.3) How do I setup my Aztech soundcard under Windows95?
After you install the support software for a Gateway Aztech sound
card, the installation program
displays a message stating that it is restarting Windows 95. The
installation program then reports that it
can be installed only in Windows 3.1, and restarts the computer. You
may also receive an error
message concerning the DMA channel used by the sound card.
The support software for this sound card was designed for Windows 3.1
and fails to correctly identify
Windows 95.
The drivers for the sound card should be installed correctly, even
though you received the error
message stated above. If you received an error message concerning the
DMA channel, follow these
steps to verify or adjust the DMA setting:
1. In Control Panel, double-click the System icon.
2. On the Device Manager tab, double-click the Sound, Video, And Game
Controllers branch.
3. Click the Aztech sound card, and then click Properties.
4. On the Resources tab, check the DMA setting. If you think the
setting may be incorrect for the
sound card, consult the sound card's documentation for the correct
setting.
2.6.4) Why can't I use two Sidewinder joysticks on my Ensoniq card?
If you have a Gateway computer with an Ensoniq Soundscape VIVO sound
card, and you're trying to
connect two Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro joysticks with a Y-cable, you
might have problems.
Specifically, when you try to calibrate the joysticks, you may get the
message in the Control Panel,
Joystick Properties that the second joystick is not connected
properly. Gateway says to change the
Joystick 1 selection to 2-axis, 2-button joystick, and calibrate. Then
do the same for Joystick 2.
2.6.5) Why do my Altec Lansing 450 speakers hiss so much?
There is a known defect with some of the 450s. You can call Altec
Lansing at 1-800-258-3288 and
make arrangements for them to add more shielding which will help some
or you can call Gateway and
get a downgrade to other speakers plus a small rebate or get an RMA to
return the speakers.
2.6.9) What are some other sources of information?
There are plenty sources of information for sound cards and their
problems. Try the following resources.
Newsgroups,
- comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.misc
- news://comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.tech
- news://customernews.gateway.com/gw.desktop-tower.multimedia
Web pages,
- http://www.soundblaster.com/
- http://www.ensoniq.com/
- http://www.faqs.org/faqs/games/incompatibility/cirrus-soundblaster/
2.6) Hard Drive Questions
2.7.1) How can I get my WD 540 hard drive to work correctly?
(This section mainly refers to people who have older (i.e., 486)
systems with a BIOS that does not
allow for disks with more than 1023 cylinders. If you have a later
system (i.e. Pentium) you probably
want to look into the section on setting up 32-bit disk access.)
Many people with the new WD 540 Meg hard drives are experiencing
problems when configuring their
drives. The basic problem is that almost all pre-1994 BIOSs do not
allow drives with a number of
cylinders >= 1024. If you use the auto configure BIOS settings for a
WD 540 drive, it will
autoconfigure to a value > 1023 cylinders, which will cause format and
other DOS programs to fail. The
"solution" is to manually configure your drive as follows:
Cyl = 1023 Hd = 16 Sec = 63
You will not be able to use the entire 540 meg capacity of your drive,
but it will be usable under DOS
and Windows. Note that OS/2 versions before Warp 3.0 probably ARE
affected by this problem as
well. Also, you probably won't run into this problem if your drive is
preformatted and pre-configured
(i.e., you don't need to run fdisk or format on the drive). You will,
however, not be able to have 32bit
disk and file access enabled in Windows if your drive is > 1023
Cylinders.
Thanks to Richard Leonetti of Micro Firmware for pointing out that the
problematic limitation is in the
older BIOSs, not DOS itself!
2.7.2) What is the problem with the Western Digital 1.6 Gig drive?
Western Digital has announced that there is a problem with some of the
WDC AC31600H 1.6 Gig
EIDE hard drives. They provide a test utility, WD31600.EXE, to test
your drive, but it is currently not
availible at their site. It still is (was) on AOL's Western Digital
site and it can be found on David S.
Eitelbach's FTP site. Just FTP to
ftp.crl.com/users/ds/dseitel/gateway/wd_diag.exe, use at your own
risk of course!
It can also be found in England, courtesy of Michael Humberston at
http://www.philomel.demon.co.uk/Diagnostic/wd31600.exe
The official information can be found at
http://www.wdc.com/products/ac31600-quality.html
The technical specs for this drive are at
http://www.wdc.com/products/drives/drive-
specs/AC31600.html
2.7.3) My Hard Drive/CD-ROM/IDE Controller is gone!
Many on the newsgroup will remember that this happened to me recently!
This problem manifests itself in various ways, all of which end up
with you IDE controller "disapearing"
from your Windows system properties. Any IDE device such as a Hard
Drive or CD-ROM attached
to this device will also disappear.
Common errors will occur, like a "blue-screen-of-death" saying,
"An exception 0E has occurred at 0028:C100824C in VxD ---. This was
called from 0028:C557D9DA in VxD CDVSD(01)+000001C6."
Common solutions are a bad controller card, a bad hard drive, or even
a bad IDE cable. In my case
this was an on board IDE controller.
The solution that worked came from (no surprise) Ben Myers.
If your system has a MicroFirmware BIOS, then it's a PnP BIOS, no? As
such, it is susceptible to incorrect updating of the ESCD by Windows
95. The Extended System Configuration Data is where all the PnP info
is stored for use by an operating system. I don't recall whether the
MFI BIOS has a function to clear the ESCD, but, if it does, use it.
Things will get remarkably better real quick. If your version of BIOS
does not have a function to clear the ESCD, then you need to download
CLRESCSD.EXE from the gw2k website, and follow the instructions inside
to make up a bootable diskette that executes the program that actually
clears the ESCD. In any event, after clearing the ESCD and getting
your Windows 95 hardware configuration stable again, go into Windows
95 Device Mangler (oops! That's Manager) and check the box that stops
Win 95 from updating the ESCD.
The Gateway website is at
http://www.gateway2000.se/support/techsupt/fb/3100/3124.htm
Thanks again to Ben Myers and Carol Horton (who sent me pretty much
the same information a few
minutes later.)
Another solution can be found on Intel's site at
http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/ideinfup.htm
2.7.9) What are some other sources of information?
There are plenty sources of information for hard drives and their
problems. Try the following resources.
Newsgroups,
- comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage
- news://customernews.gateway.com/gw.desktop-tower.storage-devices
Web pages,
Peter den Haan maintains the official Enhanced IDE/Fast ATA/ATA2 FAQ.
It answers several
questions about IDE drives, including IDE vs. SCSI and installing a
hard drive in Windows95.
This is a very useful resource.
Information can be read online or downloaded in text, html, or Adobe
format.
It is located at,
- http://come.to/eide or
- http://thef-nym.sci.kun.nl/~pieterh/storage.html
le of Contents
2.8) Other Hardware Questions
2.8.1) Why does my P5-60/P5-66/PCI486 machine lock up? (UART fix)
Several people have reported this condition when using communications
programs on their P5-60 or
P5-66 machines (I have also received reports that this has happened on
PCI bus 486 machines). This
problem is caused by a defective chip provided by Intel on their
motherboards. There is a software "fix"
that works with Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (available from Microsoft
and Gateway on their BBS),
but this works only with WfWG.
Bob Nick (bnick@HiWAAY.NET) has written a program (uart.com) which
will prevent the machine
from locking up under DOS, Windows, and OS/2, but it must be run
between each communications
session to be effective. This program is available from the Gateway
BBS as uartfix.exe or by FTP on
ftp.sei.cmu.edu along with an accompanying text file.
Intel and SMC have admitted the problem exists and that it is generic
to many P5 machines. Recent
machines (after August, 1994) probably do not exhibit the problem.
2.8.2) I can't access my COM 3 or COM 4 port?
Some Gateway computers do not release the IRQ when they are finished
using COM1 or COM2. This
prevents Windows95 from using COM3 or COM4. To fix this Microsoft
suggests that you change the
IRQ on the extended COM ports to 2, 5, or 7.
In Windows95 use the Device Manager to change the COM port settings.
2.8.3) How do I get my Bernoulli to work on the parallel port (P90
Tower)?
This applies to the Gateway P90 Tower and the Bernoulli 90 -- it may
give clues to other systems. Go
into CMOS at boot-up and change the parallel address to 378 under
peripherals -- then go into System
and change STARTUP CPU SPEED to Low. After you are finished return
both settings to the original.
(This hint is from Marilyn Shea - Thanks!)
2.8.4) Why is there a 20-second delay during booting?
This is caused by a conflict between your hard drive and CD-ROM drive.
Check the jumpers on your
CD-ROM drive - your CD-ROM drive should be configured in CS (cable
select) mode, rather than
Master. Changing the jumper to CS should get rid of the delay.
A couple other things to try as well:
Reboot the computer and press F1 to enter setup.
1. Highlight Hard Disk C (the model number should be in the box).
Choose it and see if the delay
options for boot-up are there. It may be under "Boot Options", then
"Hard Disk Pre-delay". If
so, set to 5 seconds.
2. Go to boot options. Hit enter and you can now set parameters for
boot-up of the machine.
Make sure that boot options are set to Turbo.
(Thanks to Ted Northrop and Bob Mitchell!)
--
This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is Copyright 2000
Timothy S. Brannan.
All rights reserved.
Information has been checked to the best of my ability, but is not
guarantied or warrantied in any manner. Unless specificly noted all
information has been authored by Tod Pike, David S. Eitelbach, or
Timothy S. Brannan.
Gateway & Gateway 2000 are Copyright 2000 Gateway Inc.
All rights reserved.
All other images are copyrights owned by their respective companies.
This page does not represent the opinions of Gateway2000 or the
University of Illinois at Chicago.
-
Timothy S. Brannan, MS. Ed., Ph.D (ABD)
University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Medical Education
tbrann1@uic.edu tbrannan@usa.net tbrannan@iname.com
The alt.sys.pc-clone.Gateway2000 FAQ http://www.uic.edu/~tbrann1/gateway.html
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