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DOS.TXT
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INSTALLATION GUIDE FOR THE SDMS 4.0 DOS DRIVERS
This file describes the features and use of the Symbios Logic SDMS device
drivers for the DOS/Windows operating system environment. It is divided
into the following sections:
Introduction
When you need to load drivers
Automatic Installation of SDMS for DOS/Windows
Using the DOS Installation Utility
About Your ASPI8XX.SYS Driver
Features
Description
Installing Your ASPI8XX.SYS Driver
Command Line Options
Troubleshooting
About Your SYMDISK.SYS Driver
Features
Description
Installing Your SYMDISK.SYS Driver
Command Line Options
Troubleshooting
About Your SYMCD.SYS Driver
Features
Description
Installing Your SYMCD.SYS Driver
Command Line Options
Troubleshooting
About Your WIN8XX.386 Driver
Features
Description
Installing Your WIN8XX.386 Driver
Command Line Options
Troubleshooting
Important Additional Information For Windows Users
Enabling 32-bit Disk and File Access
Important Additional Information For DOS Users
Assignment of Drive Letters
Using the SDMS DOS Utilities
SCSI Low-Level Format Utility
Host Adapter Flash Utility
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********************** Introduction *************************
In SDMS 4.0, the SCSI BIOS for the Symbios Logic family of PCI SCSI
chips is capable of mapping SCSI hard disk drives behind any non-SCSI
hard disk drives (IDE, ESDI, etc.) within the same system. A driverless
solution will allow connection of up to 24 hard drives (SCSI and non-SCSI)
under DOS 5.0 and above.
Full Virtual DMA Services (VDS), including features such as scatter-gather,
are also supported by the SCSI BIOS. Therefore, to gain maximum
performance, you should disable any double buffer option provided by disk
caching software (such as Microsoft's SMARTDRV.EXE) for all drives
handled through SDMS.
* When You Need to Load Drivers *
Connecting peripherals other than hard disk drives requires loading the
appropriate driver. Some of the drivers work together, and some are
capable of direct communication with a Symbios Logic PCI/SCSI
controller.
ASPI8XX.SYS
is an ASPI (Advanced SCSI Programming Interface) manager which
provides standard ASPI compatibility between your SCSI host adapter
hardware and ASPI compatible applications.
SYMDISK.SYS
is a device driver for SCSI disk drives, and works through the
ASPI manager.
SYMCD.SYS
is a device driver for CD-ROM drives, and works through the ASPI
manager.
The following sections list these drivers, their features, and their
loading requirements.
*********** Automatic Installation of SDMS for DOS ***********
* Using the DOS Installation Utility *
The Symbios Logic SDMS DOS installation utility provides a quick
and easy method for performing either an automatic or custom
installation of the SCSI device drivers in a DOS/Windows environment.
It works with any system using an SDMS supported Symbios Logic
SCSI chip. The installation utility identifies the system, scans the SCSI
bus, and properly installs the needed SCSI device drivers.
The SDMS Drivers diskette containing the DOS device drivers also
holds the DOS installation utility. To use the utility, insert the disk into
your floppy drive while in the DOS environment, and type:
INSTALL
Then follow the directions presented on the screen.
When performing a custom installation, an understanding of the
information presented in the following sections for manual installation
may prove useful.
*************** About Your ASPI8XX.SYS Driver *************
* Features *
Supports Advanced SCSI Programming Interface (ASPI) applications
Supports single-threaded I/O
Supports up to four host adapters
Releases initialization code for smaller runtime size
Performs synchronous negotiation (including Fast-20)
Performs Wide SCSI negotiation
Full VDS (Virtual DMA Services) support, including scatter-gather
Allows Disconnect/Reselect
Supports adapter exclusion
Allows shared interrupts
* Description *
ASPI8XX.SYS is an ASPI manager which provides an interface to
popular ASPI applications. It is required when you want to use
SYMDISK.SYS or SYMCD.SYS, or whenever you want to run an
ASPI application.
ASPI8XX.SYS replaces an SDMS BIOS (if present), and fully supports
all devices supported by the BIOS. If an SDMS BIOS is not present,
only an ASPI interface is provided.
************** Installing Your ASPI8XX.SYS Driver ************
1. Use the COPY command to copy the ASPI8XX.SYS driver from the
SDMS SCSI Drivers disk to your boot disk.
2. Add this line to your system's CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:[path]ASPI8XX.SYS
This line must appear before any line loading other ASPI drivers
(like SYMCD.SYS, SYMDISK.SYS, or any other ASPI compliant
driver/application).
* Command Line Options *
The ASPI8XX.SYS driver has several configurable features which are
set via switches on the command line in your CONFIG.SYS file.
In the following descriptions, 'path' refers to the adapter number
(boot order designation), and 'id' refers to the SCSI ID. The
following conventions are also used:
[ ] items in brackets are optional
* means repeat item 0 or more times
IMPORTANT:
No spaces are allowed in specifying these command line options.
Spaces are required between different command line options.
Using the /ASK Option
This option prompts you at system boot-up time whether to load the
ASPI8XX.SYS driver.
Option Syntax: /ASK
For example, to activate this option, the line in your CONFIG.SYS
file that loads ASPI8XX.SYS should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /ASK
Using the /WIDTH (or /W) Option
The width parameter defines the maximum data width negotiated with
a device. This is used with host adapters capable of 16-bit data transfers.
Valid settings are 8 or 16.
Option Syntax: /WIDTH=n<path[:id]>[,n<path[:id]>]*
For example, if your first host adapter (boot order designation = 0) is a
16-bit adapter, and you wish to force 8-bit transfers to a device at
SCSI ID 2, the line in your CONFIG.SYS file that loads ASPI8XX.SYS
should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /WIDTH=8<0:2>
Using the /DISCONNECT (or /DC) Option
SCSI devices have the ability to disconnect from the bus during an
I/O transfer. This option is used to allow a device to disconnect. If a
particular host adapter has parity checking disabled, all devices
attached to it must have disconnects disabled, since parity is required
during the reselection phase. Valid options are ON (allow disconnects)
or OFF (do not allow disconnects). The default for all devices is ON.
Option Syntax: /DISCONNECT=n<path[:id]>[,n<path[:id]>]*
For example, to disable disconnects on the device attached to the first
host adapter (boot order designation = 0) at SCSI ID 2, the line in your
CONFIG.SYS file that loads ASPI8XX.SYS should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /DISCONNECT=OFF<0:2>
Using the /SYNCH_RATE (or /SR) Option
This option sets the maximum synchronous transfer rate (in mega
transfers per second) to negotiate with a particular device. The
allowable values are 0, 5, 10, and 20, providing the host adapter is
capable of the specified speed. To turn off synchronous transfers for a
particular device, you should specify 0. The default value is the fastest
rate supported by your host adapter.
Option Syntax: /SYNCH_RATE=n<path[:id]>[,n<path[:id]>]*
For example, to turn off synchronous transfers to the device attached to
the first host adapter (boot order designation = 0) at SCSI ID 3, the line
in your CONFIG.SYS file that loads ASPI8XX.SYS should look like
this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /SYNCH_RATE=0<0:3>
Using the /PARITY (or /P) Option
This option tells your host adapter to disable the SCSI bus data integrity
checking feature known as parity. Some SCSI devices do not generate
parity. Valid options are ON (check parity) or OFF (do not check parity).
The default for all devices is ON.
Warning:
When disabling parity checking, it is necessary to disable disconnects
for that adapter since you cannot disable parity checking for reselection.
If a device does not generate parity, and it disconnects, the I/O will
never complete.
Option Syntax: /PARITY=n<path[,path]*>[,n<path[,path]*>]*
For example, to turn off parity checking on the first host adapter
(boot order designation = 0), the line in your CONFIG.SYS file that
loads ASPI8XX.SYS should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /PARITY=OFF<0>
Using the /EXCLUDE (or /X) Option
This option allows you to exclude support for an adapter that does not
currently have BIOS support. You may not exclude an adapter that is
supported (included) by the BIOS when you boot your system. This
option has three required parameters:
a. PCI Device ID
b. PCI Bus Number
c. PCI Device/Function Number
These parameters identify the specific adapter you want to exclude. To
obtain these parameters, boot your system using the /VERBOSE
command line option (explained later in this section). The parameters
for the adapter or path you wish to exclude will display on your
monitor.
Option Syntax: /EXCLUDE<a:b:c>[,<a;b;c>]*
For example, if you found the adapter you wish to exclude to have PCI
Device ID 3, PCI Bus Number 0, and PCI Device/Function Number 68,
then the line in your CONFIG.SYS file that loads ASPI8XX.SYS
should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /EXCLUDE<3:0:68>
Using the /HOST_ID (or /ID) Option
This option lets you alter the SCSI ID for a host adapter. On an 8-bit
adapter, the SCSI IDs are 0-7. On a 16-bit adapter, the SCSI IDs are
0-15 (it is suggested that IDs 8-15 are not used for your adapter). This
option will not allow you to select a SCSI ID already in use.
Note:
You are not allowed to change the SCSI ID of any adapter currently
supported by the BIOS.
Option Syntax: /HOST_ID=n<path>[,n<path>]*
For example, to change the SCSI ID of your second host adapter (path=1)
to ID=6 (providing that adapter is not controlled by the BIOS), the line
in your CONFIG.SYS file that loads ASPI8XX.SYS should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /HOST_ID=6<1>
Using the /SCAM Option
This option allows you to disable support for the SCSI Plug and Play
protocol called SCAM (SCSI Configured AutoMatically). SCAM
support is ON by default. You may change the SCAM setting only if
the path (adapter) specified is not controlled by the BIOS.
Option Syntax: /SCAM=n<path>[,n<path>]*
For example, to turn off SCAM support on the second host adapter
(boot order designation = 1), the line in your CONFIG.SYS file that
loads ASPI8XX.SYS should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /SCAM=OFF<1>
Using the /TIMEOUT (or /T) Option
The ASPI8XX.SYS driver uses a time-out mechanism to detect certain
errors. When the driver issues a command to a SCSI device, a timer is
started. If the timer expires before the command completes, the driver
assumes something has gone wrong, and takes steps to recover. The
default for this option is 10 seconds, if the device is BIOS controlled. If
the device is not BIOS controlled, the default is 0 seconds. Also, non-volatile
memory settings can alter these defaults. The maximum setting is 0, which
is no time-out. The range of allowable values is 0-65535 seconds.
Option Syntax: /TIMEOUT=n<path[:id]>[,n<path[:id]>]*
For example, you might have a particularly slow device (with SCSI ID 3)
on the first host adapter (boot order designation = 0). If you wish to
extend the time-out for this device to 60 seconds, the line in your
CONFIG.SYS file that loads ASPI8XX.SYS should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /TIMEOUT=60<0:3>
Using the /VERBOSE (or /V) Option
This Option causes more detailed information to appear on your
monitor, after the ASPI8XX.SYS driver is initialized, during a system
boot. This is useful if you have multiple adapters in your system and
need to know the PCI Device ID, the PCI Bus number, and the PCI
Device/Function number for each adapter. For example, this
information is required to use the /EXCLUDE option already
described in this section.
Option Syntax: /VERBOSE
For example, to see more detailed adapter information displayed when
you boot, the line in your CONFIG.SYS file that loads ASPI8XX.SYS
should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS /VERBOSE
* Troubleshooting *
SYSTEM LOCKS UP AT BOOT TIME.
a. Check for conflicts with other ASPI managers.
b. Check for correct loading sequence in the CONFIG.SYS file.
c. Boot the system.
THE DEVICE DRIVER DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ONE OF THE
NON-BOOT SCSI PERIPHERALS (system may lock up).
a. Make sure the drivers were installed in the correct sequence.
b. Make sure the driver's CONFIG.SYS line has the correct path to the drivers.
c. Power down all units in the system.
d. Make sure all SCSI devices have unique ID numbers.
e. Make sure both ends of the SCSI bus are terminated.
f. Check all cable and power connections.
g. Boot the system.
************** About Your SYMDISK.SYS Driver ************
* Features *
Supports removable media devices
Supports magneto optical devices
Supports non-512-byte sectors (1024, 2048, 4096)
Supports multiple logical unit number (LUN) support
Supports multiple host adapters (with ASPI8XX.SYS)
Can reserve drive letters for installed devices without media present
in the device (see /UNITS under Command Line Options)
Can add drive letters
Supports power management (to spin down drives)
* Description *
SYMDISK.SYS is needed when connecting drives with non-512-byte
sectors, and when connecting removable drives if the user wants to
change the media. It is also required to obtain drive letters for devices
(adapters) that are not supported by a BIOS. SYMDISK.SYS
communicates through ASPI8XX.SYS. To use the SYMDISK.SYS
driver you must load ASPI8XX.SYS also.
************ Installing Your SYMDISK.SYS Driver ************
1. Use the COPY command to copy the appropriate drivers from the
SDMS SCSI Drivers disk to your boot disk.
2. Add the lines shown below to your system's CONFIG.SYS file.
The ASPI8XX.SYS driver is also required. List the drivers in this
sequence:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS
* Command Line Options *
The SYMDISK.SYS device driver has several embedded functions
which are accessed via switches on the command line. These options
are described below, and use the following conventions:
[ ] items in brackets are optional
* items in brackets followed by an * means repeat 0 or
more times
| choose one of the given items
IMPORTANT:
No spaces are allowed in specifying these command line options.
Spaces are required between different command line options.
Using the /ASK Option
This option prompts the user at system boot-up whether to load
SYMDISK.SYS or not. To use this option, the line in CONFIG.SYS
that loads SYMDISK.SYS should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /ASK
Using the /UNITS= Option
Note:
It is strongly suggested that you use this option when using removable
media with more than one partition.
SYMDISK.SYS allows the use of removable media, such as cartridge
hard drives, each of which might have a different number of partitions.
If media with more than one partition are used, set this option to the
maximum number of partitions on any one media. To use this option,
the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads SYMDISK.SYS should look like
this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /UNITS=path:id:lun:num_units
[,path:id:lun:num_units]*
For example, if there is a removable media drive at the first host adapter
set to SCSI ID 2, and you need to reserve three partitions, the command
line should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /UNITS=0:2:0:3
When SYMDISK.SYS initializes, it will default to either:
a. One drive letter for a removable media device with no media present.
b. The number of partitions found on the media in the removable media
device.
Note:
The full path, id, lun, and num_units values are required for this option.
Also, there is a limit of 24 devices.
Using the /EXCLUDE= Option
This option allows a user to exclude a 'path:id:lun' combination from
being scanned or controlled by SYMDISK.SYS. The path parameter is
mandatory with all ids and luns for that path excluded by default if just
the path is specified. To use this option, the line in CONFIG.SYS that
loads SYMDISK.SYS should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /EXCLUDE=path[:id[:lun]]
[,path[:id[:lun]]]*
As an example, for path 0, id 2, and lun 0 the command line should look
like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /EXCLUDE=0:2:0
Note:
There is a limit of 24 'path:id:lun' combinations allowed.
Using the /SSIZE= Option
SYMDISK.SYS will default to the largest sector size found during boot,
handling all different sector sizes found. In the case of removable media,
SYMDISK.SYS will assume a 512 byte sector size when no media is
present. This option overcomes this limitation. To use this option, the
line in CONFIG.SYS that loads SYMDISK.SYS should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /SSIZE=512|1024|2048|4096
For example, if a removable media drive is used that has a sector size
of 2048 bytes, the command line should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /SSIZE=2048
Note:
If SYMDISK.SYS comes across a sector size larger than the one
specified in this option, or if it finds a sector larger than the default,
it will refuse to read/write to that media. It will report an invalid
media error to DOS.
Using the /SPINDOWN= Option
This is a power management feature that can automatically spin down
a disk when the disk is not accessed for a specified amount of time. The
default spindown time is 15 minutes. You can specify a new spindown
time in hours and minutes (hh:mm) with a minimum time of 1 minute.
To use this option, the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads SYMDISK.SYS
should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /SPINDOWN=hh:mm<path[:id[:lun]]>
[,hh:mm<path[:id[:lun]]>]
For example, if you wish to spindown a device on path 0, id 2, and lun 0,
after one hour and five minutes of inactivity, the command line should
look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /SPINDOWN=1:5<0:2:0>
Or, if you wish to spindown all devices after the default time-out of 15
minutes, the command line should look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS /SPINDOWN=<>
Remember, the <> are required when you specify a path:id:lun in this
option.
* Troubleshooting *
THE COMPUTER LOCKS UP AND WILL NOT COMPLETE
BOOTING FROM A NON-SCSI HARD DISK DRIVE.
a. Refer to the drive manufacturer's user manual.
THE COMPUTER LOCKS UP AND WILL NOT COMPLETE
BOOTING FROM A SCSI HARD DISK DRIVE.
a. Is the SCSI BIOS seen during boot?
Note:
If the SCSI BIOS is seen during boot, a banner similar to the following
appears:
Symbios Logic SDMS (TM) v4.0 PCI SCSI BIOS, PCI Rev. 2.0, 2.1
Copyright 1995 Symbios Logic
PCI-4.02.00
YES Go to b.
NO Power down all units in the system.
Remove all SCSI cables.
Boot system.
Is the SCSI BIOS seen during boot?
YES Power down all units in the
system.?
Reconnect and check all
cable and power
connections.
Boot system.
Go to a.
NO Power down all units in the
system.
Reseat the host bus adapter.
Check CMOS setup.
Boot system.
Go to a.
b. Does the SCSI BIOS see the bootable SCSI drive?
Note:
When the computer boots, SDMS scans the SCSI bus. Devices
found on the SCSI bus are identified as in the following lines:
HA ID LUN VENDOR PRODUCT REV
-------------------------------------------------------------
0 2 0 SEAGATE ST31230N 0060
0 7 0 Symbios SYM53C815 0003
YES Go to c.
NO Power down all units in the system.
Make sure the hard drives have different
ID numbers (boot drive should have
lowest ID).
Make sure both ends of the SCSI bus are
terminated.
Check all cable and power connections.
Check CMOS setup.
Boot system.
Go to a.
c. If boot is still unsuccessful, go to the following item.
THE DEVICE DRIVER DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ONE OF THE
NON-BOOT SCSI PERIPHERALS (system may lock up).
a. Make sure the drivers were installed in the correct sequence.
b. Make sure the drivers' CONFIG.SYS line has the correct path to
the drivers.
c. Power down all units in the system.
d. Make sure the hard drives have different ID numbers (boot drive
should have lowest ID).
e. Make sure both ends of the SCSI bus are terminated.
f. Check all cable and power connections.
g. Boot the system.
*************** About Your SYMCD.SYS Driver **************
* Features *
Compatible with Microsoft's CD-ROM Extension 2.21 and above
Multi-session Photo CD support
Support for reading CCDA disks
* Description *
SYMCD.SYS is needed whenever a CD-ROM device is connected on
the SCSI bus. You must load it in conjunction with Microsoft's
CD-ROM Extension 2.21 or above (MSCDEX.EXE). SYMCD.SYS
communicates through ASPI8XX.SYS, so you must load ASPI8XX.SYS
to use SYMCD.SYS.
************* Installing Your SYMCD.SYS Driver *************
1. Use the COPY command to copy the appropriate driver(s) from the
SDMS SCSI Drivers disk to your boot disk.
2. Add SYMCD.SYS to your CONFIG.SYS file. It goes in after
ASPI8XX.SYS and SYMDISK.SYS (if this driver is also being used),
in this order:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /D:NAME
Note:
The /D: is not a drive letter designation; it indicates the name you wish
assigned to your CD-ROM. You must include the NAME, which can
use any combination of up to 8 characters.
3. To insure that sufficient drive letters are available to identify all
devices connected to the SCSI bus, add the MS-DOS LASTDRIVE
command to the CONFIG.SYS file:
LASTDRIVE=x
with x specifying a drive letter in the range C through Z. The letter
assigned to LASTDRIVE represents the last valid drive MS-DOS is
able to recognize and also represents the maximum number of drives
available. For example, LASTDRIVE=K allows access to eleven (11)
logical drives. For further details about LASTDRIVE, consult your
MS-DOS manual.
4. Unless your CD-ROM access software specifies otherwise,
Microsoft's CD-ROM Extension (MSCDEX.EXE) should execute
from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in order to access your drive. Add
the following line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
[PATH]MSCDEX /D:NAME
For example, if:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /D:MY_CD
is in CONFIG.SYS, then:
[PATH]MSCDEX /D:MY_CD
should exist in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
5. Check installation instructions for the CD-ROM drive itself for
other parameters necessary to include with MSCDEX.
6. When MSCDEX is loaded during the AUTOEXEC.BAT file
execution, a message is returned assigning a drive letter to the
CD-ROM drive. For example:
DRIVE E = DRIVER MY_CD UNIT 0
This informs you that the CD-ROM drive is recognized and ready
for use.
* Command Line Options *
The SYMCD.SYS device driver has several embedded functions available,
which are accessed via switches on the command line. An explanation of
these options follows:
IMPORTANT:
No spaces are allowed in specifying these command line options.
Spaces are required between different command line options.
Using the /ASK Option
This option prompts the user at initialization time whether to load
SYMCD.SYS or not. For example, the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads
SYMCD.SYS would look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /D:MY_CD /ASK
Using the /UPTOLUN= Option
This option is used to support multiple LUNs per Target ID on the
SCSI bus. It is needed to support CD-ROM changers that hold several
CDs at one time, such as the Pioneer DRM604x. For example, the line
in CONFIG.SYS that loads SYMCD.SYS would look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /D:MY_CD /UPTOLUN=x
where 'x' is in the range of 0 to 7. It uses LUN 0 through LUN x to
assign a separate drive letter for each of the x+1 CDs in the CD
magazine. The SYMCD.SYS driver defaults to supporting LUN 0 only.
Using the /NOBCD Option
This Option is used to support the Trantor Music Box CD audio
application. Using this option prevents the track numbers from being
converted to BCD (Binary Coded Decimal). If this option is used
with CD audio applications such as Adaptec's cdplayer, Corel's
cd-audio, or Future Domain's cdaudio, track numbers >16 are not
reported correctly because these applications require binary track
numbers.For example, the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads
SYMCD.SYS would look like this:
DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /NOBCD
* Troubleshooting *
THE CD-ROM DRIVE IS NOT SEEN AT BOOT TIME, OR THE
SYSTEM LOCKS UP.
a. Make sure the required drivers are installed and in the correct sequence.
b. Make sure the driver's CONFIG.SYS line has the correct path to
the driver.
c. Make sure MSCDEX, in the AUTOEXEC.BAT, has the same drive
name as the CD-ROM driver in the CONFIG.SYS file.
d. Make sure there is no ID or drive letter designation conflict.
e. Power down all units in the system.
f. Check the cable and power connections.
g. Make sure the SCSI bus is properly terminated.
h. Make sure sufficient drive letters are specified (through the MS-DOS
lastdrive= command) to include your CD-ROM. A CD-ROM which
uses multiple disks requires a letter for each disk.
***************About Your WIN8XX.386 Driver***************
* Features *
- Supports Windows Advanced SCSI Programming Interface (ASPI) applications
- Supports 32-bit Disk Access in Windows 3.1 and Windows for
Workgroups 3.11 via the FastDisk interface
- Processes all I/O requests, including ASPI requests, using 32-bit
protected-mode code for the highest possible performance
* Description *
WIN8XX.386 is both a Windows FastDisk driver and an ASPI Manager
for Windows which provides an interface to popular ASPI applications.
It is required when you want to use 32-bit Disk Access in Windows.
Even though WIN8XX.386 controls all SCSI drives on your Symbios
Logic host adapter, Windows allows 32-bit Disk Access on the first two
drives only.
************ Installing Your WIN8XX.386 Driver ************
1. Use the COPY command to copy the WIN8XX.386 driver from the
SDMS SCSI Drivers disk to your boot disk. For example, to
copy the driver to your system's Windows SYSTEM directory,
use the command shown below:
copy a:\WIN8XX.386 c:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM
2. Add an entry in the [386Enh] section of your Windows SYSTEM.INI
file, as shown below:
device=WIN8XX.386
In the example shown above, the driver is in the Windows SYSTEM
directory. If you choose to place the driver in another location, simply
specify the complete path along with the filename shown in the example.
3. Add an entry in the [386Enh] section of your Windows SYSTEM.INI
file, as shown below:
device=*int13
This entry may or may not already exist in your SYSTEM.INI file,
depending on the hardware present when you installed Windows.
Check to make sure that it appears only once in your SYSTEM.INI file.
4. Add an entry in the [386Enh] section of your Windows SYSTEM.INI
file, as shown below:
32BitDiskAccess=off
This entry may or may not already exist in your SYSTEM.INI file,
depending on the hardware present when you installed Windows.
Check to make sure that it appears only once in your SYSTEM.INI file.
5. Remove an entry from the [386Enh] section of your Windows
SYSTEM.INI file, either by removing the line completely, or by
placing a semicolon in column one of the line so it is treated as a
comment, as shown below:
;device=*wdctrl
This entry may or may not already exist in your SYSTEM.INI file,
depending on the hardware present when you installed Windows.
This entry controls the loading of the standard FastDisk driver that
ships with Windows for the purpose of providing 32-bit Disk Access to
an IDE drive. This driver is not compatible with vendor-supplied
FastDisk drivers, such as WIN8XX.386.
6. Use the COPY command to copy the WIN8XX.DLL driver from the
SDMS SCSI Drivers disk to your boot disk. For example, to
copy the driver to your system's Windows SYSTEM directory,
use the command shown below:
copy a:\WIN8XX.DLL c:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WINASPI.DLL
NOTE: In the above statement the file name is changed. This is important.
7. Add profile switches to your SYSTEM.INI file, as necessary. See
below for a detailed description.
* Command Line Options *
Profile settings are the Windows equivalent of DOS command line options.
They are entered into a particular section of your SYSTEM.INI file which
resides in your Windows directory. Edit SYSTEM.INI and add a section anywhere
(except in the middle of another section like [386Enh]) called [Win8xx].
For example, the section might look like this:
[Win8xx]
Synchronous=on
Wide=off
Disconnect=on
SCAM=off
ParityChecking=on
Timeout=0<>
Verbose=OFF
In the following descriptions, 'ha_num' refers to the adapter number
(boot order designation). Please note that this version of the driver only
supports one adapter, so the host adapter number is always zero. In the
following descriptions 'id' refers to the SCSI device ID.
These conventions are also used:
[ ] items in brackets are optional
* means repeat 0 or more times
IMPORTANT:
No spaces are allowed in specifying any of these options.
Spaces are required between different options.
Using the SYNCHRONOUS Option
Synchronous=ON or OFF (Default = ON)
This option allows you to turn off SCSI synchronous transfers. By default
they are on, which is faster. However, if you are having problems with your
system you might want to try turning synchronous off.
Using the WIDE Option
Wide=ON or OFF (Default = ON)
This option allows you to turn off SCSI wide transfers. By default
they are on, which is faster if you have a wide disk drive. However,
if you are having problems with your system you might want to try
turning wide off.
Using the DISCONNECT Option
Disconnect=ON or OFF (Default = ON)
This option allows you to turn off SCSI disconnects. By default
they are on, which is sometimes faster. However,
if you are having problems with your system you might want to try
turning disconnects off.
Using the SCAM Option
SCAM=ON or OFF (Default = ON)
This option allows you to turn off SCAM (SCSI Configured Auto-Matically).
By default SCAM is on. If you have a SCAM capable SCSI peripheral,
SCAM automatically assigns SCSI device ID's to avoid conflicts. If
if you are having problems with your system you might want to try
turning SCAM off.
Using the PARITYCHECKING Option
ParityChecking=ON or OFF (Default = ON)
This option allows you to turn off SCSI parity checking. By default
it is on. Parity is a mandatory part of SCSI-2, however some old
peripherals may not support parity. If you are having problems with your
system you might want to try turning parity checking off. Typically
this is necessary only if you add a new peripheral that doesn't
support parity. CD-ROM drives sometimes do not support parity.
Using the VERBOSE Option
Verbose=ON or OFF (Default = OFF)
This option allows you to turn on verbose mode for the driver.
This displays a message with the version of the driver each time the
driver is loaded. This is a good way to make sure the driver is loaded.
Typically you want to set this ON once, then turn it off until
you need it again so the message is not displayed each time
the driver loads.
Using the FASTDISK Option
Fastdisk=ON or OFF (Default = ON)
This option allows you to turn off the FASTDISK portion of this
driver. The FASTDISK portion allows 32-Bit Disk Access
on a SCSI drive at C: or D:. Since Windows only allows 32-Bit
Disk Access on one kind of drive at a time, you may want to disable
it for your SCSI drive so you can use it on an IDE drive you have in
your system. This allows the ASPI portion of the driver to continue to
function, while the FASTDISK (32-Bit Disk Access) portion is disabled.
Using the TIMEOUT Option
Timeout=n (Default = 0, which disables time-outs)
Option Syntax:
Timeout=n<ha_num[:id]>[,n<ha_num[:id]>]*
(n = time-out value in seconds for device, n=(0..65535), 0=infinite)
WIN8XX.386 uses a time-out mechanism to detect certain errors.
When WIN8XX.386 issues a command to a SCSI device, a timer is
started. If the timer expires before the command completes,
WIN8XX.386 assumes that something has gone wrong with the
device, and takes steps to recover. The default value for this is zero,
which means time-outs are disabled by default. It is recommended
that you use time-out values of at least 10 minutes (600 seconds) for
SCSI tape devices, since they have many commands which take much
longer to complete. The SYMDISK.SYS and SYMCD.SYS drivers
use time-outs of their own (typically 10 to 30 seconds). A time-out value
of up to 65535 seconds (over 18.2 hours) is possible.
For example, if you have a particularly slow device on your host adapter
(ha_num=0) at id=3, and you wish to extend the time-out on this device to
60 seconds, the line in SYSTEM.INI should look like this:
[Win8xx]
Timeout=60<0:3>
As another example, suppose you have a tape drive on your host adapter
(ha_num=0) at id=3, and you wish to set the time-out on this device to 600
seconds. Suppose you also have a scanner on your host adapter (ha_num=0)
at id=2, and you wish to set the time-out on this device to 30 minutes
(1800 seconds). The line in SYSTEM.INI should look like this:
Timeout=1800<0:2>,60<0:3>
* Troubleshooting *
WINDOWS DISPLAYS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE
WHILE BOOTING
The Microsoft Windows 32-bit disk driver (WDCTRL) cannot be loaded.
There is unrecognizable disk software installed on this computer.
a. Make sure the line controlling WDCTRL in your SYSTEM.INI is
either removed or commented out, as explained in the driver installation
instructions.
b. Re-boot the system.
THE DRIVER DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ONE OF THE
NON-BOOT SCSI PERIPHERALS (system may lock up)
a. Make sure the driver is installed properly according to the
driver installation instructions.
b. Power down all devices in the system.
c. Make sure all SCSI devices have unique ID numbers.
d. Make sure the SCSI bus is properly terminated.
e. Check all cable and power connections.
f. Boot the system.
A MESSAGE SAYING ASPI8XX.SYS IS NOT LOADED IS DISPLAYED
a. Load ASPI8XX.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS.
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED WHEN YOU TRY TO
ENTER THE VIRTUAL MEMORY SETTINGS IN THE 386 ENHANCED
SECTION OF THE CONTROL PANEL
32-bit File Access was unable to run. This may be because you started
the network before starting Windows, because Windows could not find
the IFSHLP.SYS driver, or your hard disk(s) may be incompatible with
32-bit File Access.
a. Make sure IFSHLP.SYS is being loaded in your CONFIG.SYS. It should
appear there when Windows For Workgroups 3.11 is installed, but
sometimes it does not.
A WINDOWS ASPI APPLICATION SUCH AS COLORADO BACKUP
FOR WINDOWS SAYS IT CAN'T FIND AN ASPI MANAGER
a. Colorado Backup for Windows, and possibly other programs, leave a
copy of WINASPI.DLL for another vendor's host adapter in the
directory in which it is installed. When WINASPI.DLL is looked for,
it is found in that directory before looking in your Windows
system directory. To fix the problem, delete or rename WINASPI.DLL
in the Colorado Backup For Windows directory.
WIN8XX.386 DISPLAYS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE WHILE LOADING
Win8xx VxD Initialization Error:
FastDisk registration failed for drive
80h (C:) (or 81h (D:)). Please check the settings in your
SYSTEM.INI file.
a. In this case, check the [386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file to
make sure you have the line: device=*int13.
****** Important Additional Information For Windows Users ******
* Enabling 32-bit Disk and File Access in Windows *
Only Windows for Workgroups 3.11 offers both 32-bit Disk and File access.
To enable these features, make sure your system is backed up, then do the
following:
1. Select the Control Panel applet in the Main program group.
2. Select the 386 Enhanced icon.
3. Select the Virtual Memory settings.
4. Select the Change button.
5. Check the two boxes at the bottom of the screen to enable
32-Bit Disk Access and 32-Bit File Access. Make sure the swapfile
is set to permanent.
6. Click OK.
7. Click Restart Computer.
* Restrictions *
This version of the driver has the following restrictions:
- This version only supports one host adapter.
- The NVRAM settings in the Configuration Utility for the
SDMS 4.0 BIOS are not yet supported by this driver.
********* Important Additional Information For DOS Users ********
* Assignment of Drive Letters *
The MS-DOS operating system assigns drive letters to primary partitions
first. After the primary partitions have been assigned drive letters the
logical partitions are assigned drive letters. Do not assume that the drive
letter designations will follow consecutively from device to device
within a PC system.
An Example:
A PC system is configured with an IDE hard disk as the boot drive, a
SCSI hard disk, and a CD-ROM drive. The IDE drive has three partitions:
one primary and two logical. The SCSI hard disk has two partitions: one
primary and one logical. The SCSI hard disk is assigned ID one, and the
CD-ROM is ID four. The distribution of the drive letters is:
A: 3 1/2" floppy drive
B: 5 1/4" floppy drive
C: IDE primary partition
D: SCSI primary partition
E: IDE first logical partition
F: IDE second logical partition
G: SCSI logical partition
H: CD-ROM
************ Using the SCSI Low-level Format Utility ************
* Features *
Works with any ASPI host adapter
Provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Supports multiple adapter/drive selection
Supports multiple LUNs
Supports Wide SCSI
Provides automatic error retry
Provides on-screen display of time elapsed
* Description *
This utility allows you to low-level format SCSI hard disk drives
connected to Symbios Logic PCI to SCSI host adapters. It provides a
friendly graphical user interface (GUI), and help is available for any
decision screen by pressing F1 or selecting Help in the window.
Three files, located on your Symbios Logic SDMS drivers diskette,
are required to run this utility. They are labeled ASPIFMT.EXE,
ASPIINF.DAT, and ASPI8XX.SYS (you may use another ASPI manager).
It is recommended that you place these files on a DOS bootable diskette, and
run the executable file from this diskette rather than from a hard disk drive.
This minimizes the possibility of interfering with your system.
Because a hard drive remains unusable after a low-level format until you
execute the DOS FDISK and FORMAT command procedures, the
CONFIG.SYS file on this bootable diskette must also contain the DOS
files FDISK.EXE and FORMAT.COM. If you are formatting magneto optical
or other removable media drives you also need the SYMDISK.SYS driver
from your Symbios Logic SDMS drivers diskette in the CONFIG.SYS file.
The recommended minimum memory requirement for this utility is 2 MB.
At least 500 KB of conventional DOS memory, and the remainder in
extended memory.
When you run the format utility, it scans the SCSI bus for all hard disk
and removable media drives. Then it generates a display showing the devices
found. You may select devices from this display for the utility to format.
It can take from several minutes to several hours, depending on the size of
the drive, to complete the format. If the format procedure is aborted for any
reason, the drive remains unusable until an entire format cycle is completed.
WARNING:
Use extreme caution when selecting a drive for formatting. The
format process completely removes all information on a drive.
* Troubleshooting *
FORMAT DOES NOT COMPLETE AND SYSTEM IS FROZEN
a. Check to see if the drive still has power.
b. The only way to terminate the program is to reboot.
If the format did not complete, the drive remains unusable until a low-level
format is completed.
AN UNKNOWN STATUS CODE IS RECEIVED FOR A
MAGNETO OPTICAL DRIVE
a. Check to see if the media is present.
THE UTILITY SCREENS ARE UNREADABLE
a. Check that your graphics card and your monitor match.
For example, an SVGA card, and a VGA monitor may not deliver
the screens.
************* Using the Host Adapter Flash Utility ****************
* Features *
Supports host adapter selection for updating with a specific BIOS image
Supports 64K flash parts
* Description *
This utility allows you to update the BIOS image for the Diamond FirePort
family of PCI SCSI BIOS host adapters.
The utility is labeled FLASHDMD.EXE, and is located on your
FirePort drivers installation diskette. It is necessary that you place
this utility on a DOS bootable diskette, and execute it from this diskette
rather than from a hard disk drive. Power down any hard disk drives
attached to the host adapter you are updating.
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.