Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.soyo (
More info?)
Sorry, you had a reply to this that's not showing up for me and I can't read it. (Cheap newsserver my ISP is using..)
TB
"ThunderBob" <thunderbob@msn.com> wrote in message news:409d861f_2@127.0.0.1...
You're welcome, Linea.
EZ-BIOS installs into the boot sector of your hard-drive.
Which is why I suggested using the WD Data Lifeguard tools to remove it.
LOL.. EZ-BIOS was supposed to be easy. I had to use it back when I was running a 4.3gig drive on a 486 with Win95.
It worked ok, but trying to boot from a floppy was usually a pain.
Once I didn't need it after upgrades, I removed EZ-BIOS and reformatted the drive.
I did that because it was a Maxtor drive and Maxtor recommended formatting after removing EZ-BIOS to avoid a chance of severe data corruption.
I got hit with that chance once, and ended up redoing the drive.<g>
Information on EZ-BIOS would not be at the Soyo website because it's not their software.
You need to go to the hard-drive manufacturer for support on that.
Both Maxtor and Western Digital included EZ-BIOS in their hard-drive utilities.
Only other consideration is that if it turns out you need EZ-BIOS, is best to use the Data Lifeguard tools to format it.
As long as your BIOS recognizes the full amount of the 20gig drive, you should be ok.
Otherwise you'll need EZ-BIOS on it too if there's no BIOS update for large drives for that motherboard, or an add-on IDE controller card.
With the other drive being a Maxtor, you can also use MaxBlast to format. Maxblast can also remove or install EZ-BIOS.
Good luck, hope you get it straightened out.
TB
"Linea Recta" <mccm.vos@abc.net> wrote in message news:2g45n8F49mdqU1@uni-berlin.de...
> Hi ThunderBob,
>
>
> Now this sounds like some help, thanks very much!
> The involved PC is my fathers (who has no internet access). I'll print your
> message and take it with me when I go there monday.
>
> Since I notice MSOE doesn't generete quotes for your text, I won't type in
> between the lines.
> Personally I have no experience with Soyo nor with EZ-BIOS, but I began
> suspecting some hardware specific trick like this. I was surprised though
> that I couldn't find any relevant information on the Soyo web site.
>
> There are some other considerations: where is this EZ-BIOS installed? The
> hard drive is empty now since I started off removing all partitions (I
> remember being surprised that FDISK prompted "NON DOS partition"!) and made
> a new partition the normal MS DOS way. Then I formatted the drive and this
> was completed successfully. From then on we couldn't boot anymore.
>
> I had concluded to hold CTRL for booting from floppy so I have tried that.
> This results in a screen with options for A and C. So I have tried pressing
> the key for booting from the inserted Windows 98SE floppy, but I'm afraid
> this didn't work... I'm beginning to understand this EZ-BIOS makes thing
> real EZ...
>
> I'll check out the WD web site for the tools you mention.
> We were also going to install an aditional bigger hard drive (which I
> disconnected temporarily):
> Maxtor Model 32049H2 size: 20.4 Gb AT. Is this going to be a problem? I've
> been told by previous owner it has worked OK in this system...
>
>
> --
> regards,
>
> |\ /|
> | \/ |@rk
> \../
> \/os
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "ThunderBob" <thunderbob@msn.com> schreef in bericht
> news:409c7409$1_2@127.0.0.1...
> Hello.
> You have EZ-BIOS installed. EZ-BIOS is a software BIOS overlay that allows
> you to use larger hard-drives on systems that don't support it.
> To boot from floppy with EZ-BIOS installed, set your boot sequence to boot
> from floppy first. Insert your boot floppy. When you reach the point during
> boot where the EZ message is "Hold CTRL down for status screen or to boot
> from floppy", do so. Follow the instructions you'll get next. I forget
> exactly how it goes because it's been a very long time since I was running a
> system that needed EZ-BIOS on it.<g> If you don't hold down the CTRL key at
> the proper time, you won't boot from the floppy.
> The "No PT" error means there was no Partition Table detected. The PT on
> your hard-drive is probably corrupt, or a virus got to it. You need to FDISK
> the drive and reformat it.
> Or
> Since you have EZ-BIOS installed already, you might want to go to the
> Western Digital website and download their Data Lifeguard tools. You'll need
> the DOS version. of it. You can use it to remove EZ-BIOS if you don't really
> need it, plus redo the hard-drive. I don't think you need EZ-BIOS with this
> system, and things will be better if you can get by without it.
>
> Typing Enter wasn't what was needed, it was actually asking what to boot
> with. With no OS installed, and without holding the CTRL key down while
> booting, it couldn't find an OS to boot with. And even if you did have an OS
> on the hard-drive, if the Partition Table is messed up then it won't be
> finding it then either, since the drive won't be accessible.
>
> HTH,
> TB
>
> "Linea Recta" <mccm.vos@abc.net> wrote in message
> news:2g225tF3jq0nU1@uni-berlin.de...
> >
> >
> > As I stated in my initial message it won't boot NOR from floppy, NOR from
> > either CD-ROM drive.
> > It displays a message 'CDROM boot failed...'
> >
> >
> > After switching on system and floppy boot option I get:
> >
> > Verifying DMI pool data...
> > EZ-BIOS: Initializing...
> > EZ-BIOS: Hold CTRL down for status screen or to boot from floppy...
> > EZ-BIOS: Continuing start up...
> > (translated) Enter name of the MS-DOS-prompt (e.g. C:\windows\command.com)
> >
> > What the heck is expected? I can type Enter, but this last line is
> repeated
> > each time.
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > regards,
> >
> > |\ /|
> > | \/ |@rk
> > \../
> > \/os
> >
> >
>
>
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