Drive overlay on non boot drive?

[listerofsmeg]

Hi all,

I have an old PC with a 4GB boot drive (WinXP).
This works fine.

I want to add a second, 60GB drive. I know that my BIOS won't see
drives over 4GB, but I am reluctant to install drive overlay software
on my boot drive after I had a boot sector virus trash the drive
previously because of it.

So my question is, can I install the second 60GB drive, but somehow
use overlay software on that drive only? I'm not fussed about losing
anything on the second drive if the worst did happen.

Thanks,
Lister.

 

[Zvi Netiv]

Hi all,

I have an old PC with a 4GB boot drive (WinXP).
This works fine.

I want to add a second, 60GB drive. I know that my BIOS won't see
drives over 4GB, but I am reluctant to install drive overlay software
on my boot drive after I had a boot sector virus trash the drive
previously because of it.

BIOS limits are 8 and 32 GB, depending on the BIOS version you have..

So my question is, can I install the second 60GB drive, but somehow
use overlay software on that drive only? I'm not fussed about losing
anything on the second drive if the worst did happen.

Install the second drive not configured, without installing an overlay. XP
should see the drive in device manager and let you partition the drive to its
full capacity. XP uses its own API to access the drive and doesn't depend on
BIOS limitations. This setup works properly as long as your first drive can
boot to XP.

A better solution, short of replacing the board, is to use a PCI EIDE controller
card to which you attach the drives. You should then be able to use the large
drive as boot too, without overlay software. I found on the web Promise Ultra
100 and 133 cards that sell for $35, and even $27.

Regards, Zvi

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Hi all,

I have an old PC with a 4GB boot drive (WinXP).
This works fine.

I want to add a second, 60GB drive. I know that my BIOS won't see
drives over 4GB,

but I am reluctant to install drive overlay software on my boot drive
after I had a boot sector virus trash the drive previously because of it.

What bootvirus only infects drives that have an overlay installed?

So my question is, can I install the second 60GB drive, but somehow
use overlay software on that drive only?

No, but if you install the overlay on the bootdrive when it has
already been partitioned then that is what you effectively get.

 

[listerofsmeg]

Install the second drive not configured, without installing an overlay. XP
should see the drive in device manager and let you partition the drive to its
full capacity.

Great! Thanks. That's just what I was hoping. What quick question
though, what do you mean by "not configured". Just set to "none" in
the BIOS?

A better solution, short of replacing the board, is to use a PCI EIDE controller card to which you attach the drives.

Unfortunately PCI slots are at a premium in this machine so this is
not an option. :-(

 

[listerofsmeg]

What bootvirus only infects drives that have an overlay installed?

None as far as I know. the problem occured because I got a boot sector
virus and the overlay seemed to confuse my virus software so that it
couldn't remove the virus.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

None as far as I know. the problem occured because I got a boot sector
virus and the overlay seemed to confuse my virus software so that it
couldn't remove the virus.

But the overlay setup software likely can.
Btw, doesn't that virus problem still exist if you put it on the other drive?
It isn't a problem there in practice (not that it will work either) but your virus
software may still think different and you won't have accomplished anything.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Great! Thanks.

Maybe not so great. Anything that works through DOS has a problem.

That's just what I was hoping. Quick question though, what do
you mean by "not configured". Just set to "none" in the BIOS?

Only if it causes a hang on POST (or causing other problems in DOS).

 

[Zvi Netiv]

None as far as I know. the problem occured because I got a boot sector
virus and the overlay seemed to confuse my virus software so that it
couldn't remove the virus.

Almost all boot viruses knock out boot overlay software by modifying the loader
program in the MBR and punching the overlay program itself by overwriting part
of its sectors on track 0.

Regards, Zvi

 

[Zvi Netiv]

Great! Thanks. That's just what I was hoping. What quick question
though, what do you mean by "not configured". Just set to "none" in
the BIOS?

Nope. I meant the *drive* itself isn't partitioned (no partition is defined).
If there is a partition already defined then delete it with FDISK. If FDISK
can't do it then use RESQDISK /2 /KILL (RESQ is available from
www.resq.co.il/resq.php).

Set the drive type as auto and mode as LBA for both drives, in the BIOS setup.

Unfortunately PCI slots are at a premium in this machine so this is
not an option. :-(

Your board must still be running on charcoal. ;-) I still have a Rhino 6 board
as test rig for old drives, and it has four PCI slots!

Regards, Zvi

 

[listerofsmeg]

Set the drive type as auto and mode as LBA for both drives, in the BIOS setup.

Tried that but it locked up on boot. I'd actually already set it to
"none" before reading your reply, and xp found it fine (even though
already partitioned), and let me format it.
The format did eventually fail, but I'm presuming this is because the
drive I tried (40GB Maxtor) is knackered (drive heads resetting every
3 seconds), and I was just using it as a test before I spent any
money.

Your board must still be running on charcoal. ;-) I still have a Rhino 6 board
as test rig for old drives, and it has four PCI slots!

This is an old intel mini board (PIII-500) and it only has 3 slots
which are all in use. (TV-out, LAN and video grabber). I am using this
old machine as a server for my CCTV system, but it would be nice to be
able to archive some footage, hence the need for a high capacity
drive.

Anyway, hopefully I can just pop in a nice new drive now and it will
all be hunky dorey. Thanks!