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Deibit's Retro PC - Year 1997 - DOS - Voodoo1

I believe the partition size of FAT32 is 32GB. I "hate" multiple partitions for Windows 98 PC's (only want a C-Drive; C:\APPS; C:\GAMES; C:\DOS; C:\WINDOWS), so I use 8GB (16GB is better :) ) which is enough for me.
 
DLX said:
I believe the partition size of FAT32 is 32GB. I "hate" multiple partitions for Windows 98 PC's (only want a C-Drive; C:\APPS; C:\GAMES; C:\DOS; C:\WINDOWS), so I use 8GB (16GB is better :) ) which is enough for me.
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I should be good with a 16GB card then, they are cheaper than 4GB or 8GB cards, so that's why I picked that one :)

Found this on the Win98 Wikipedia page btw;
Both Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE have problems running on hard drives bigger than 32 GB and certain Phoenix BIOS settings.
 
many things here to consider... :)

- The 32GB BIOS *bug* (because it's a bug) can be fixed with a BIOS patch (Win's is your friend)

- If you want to setup a pure late-DOS system, I would advice not to go with DOS6.22, go to DOS7.1 https://winworldpc.com/product/ms-dos/7x, you *NEED* FAT32 at least if you want to deal with big HDDs in DOS. If you use WIN98 then you are good to go. But I would start to consider Windows98 starting with PII or PIII (my personal view)

- Never format the HDD during the installation process (of Windows for example), preformat the HD using external tools (using one of those universal boot cd's with preinstalled HDD preparation tools working in Linux). Format it to FAT32 (you need pure-DOS7.1 or Windows95/98 to support that). Format tools included in the installation processes (for example the ones in Windows) are *CRAP* and they might not let you format a FAT32 HDD bigger than 32GB (again a Bug)

- The maximum size of a FAT32 partition is 8TB

- The maximum size of a single file in FAT32 is 4GB.
 
hd-cost-graph-small.png


Oh, to have a 32GB card in my 1997 machine... usd$4k?

Then on your 1995 build... usd$32,000?
 
One issue I discovered with compact flash cards and their adapter is that they not amm support UDMA. Fast compact flash cards support UDMA, but sometimes the cf to ide adapter doesn't. It has to do with the dma wires that aren't always connected to the cf card. Using dma can improve drive speed dramatically under windows. No idea if the bios and dos also can benefit from UDMA transfer modes. (You need an 80 conductor cable from UDMA2 and up.)
 
UDMA support is a good point (probably more relevant for Windows than for DOS I guess)

Actually, I think that UDMA33 started with the 430TX chipset, like the MoBo in the original post (late pentium 1 era)
 
Got a roland sc-55 synth today. Fired up dosbox and played some lucas arts games. I grew up on dos games of this era and let me tell you, I'll be replaying a LOT of games.

If you have any interest in better midi music than SB or AbLib maybe consider a sc55 for the general midi era (and/or MT32 for older dos games)
 
First time boot... success!

I love it when a plan comes together...

I need to switch the IDE cables, and try to get 80-wires non keyed cables. The Mobo IDE ports are not keyed so I could only use 40 wire IDE cables :(

@edit: I have unkeyed myself the 80wire IDE cables with a small nail, I also switched the IDE ports so that the CF is in the Primary Master and the DVD-ROM in the Secondary master. I have also updated the hardware in the first post with the final hardware.


aAQHLLC.jpg
 
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I've been working a bit more on this project..

I installed DOS7.1 and formated the SD to FAT32, I copied some games and tested DOOM2, all perfect!

I bought a bunch of self-adhesive 28x28x15 Heatsinks to cool the 3dfx graphic chips, Vodooo1 and Voodoo2 are now to run very hot, so it's always a good idea to help them.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2PC...703.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.68444c4dyHumS2

Additionally I installed a double 80mm slot fan holder to drive air to the heatsinks:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...7278-49e2-8290-48d10d45b563&priceBeautifyAB=0

Simple and cheap, I now have two 80mm noctuas cooling the card + 1 exhaust fan.

I also upgraded the AWE32 memory with two 16MB SIMMs (for a total of 32, 28 useable)

Overdimensioned? yes, so what? :)

I need to bend the fan holder a bit so that it goes parallel to the cards, but you get the idea.

nfoZItj.jpg
 
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annnd finished..

I decided to remove the slot cooler because took the slot dedicated to the ethernet card.

So i installed an intake front fan down and an exhaust fan at the rear back. This with the heatsinks should be enough for the Voodoo1.

That's how it looks like before I close it "forever" :)

Y1W2s5d.jpg
 
i prefer to use CF in old systems. CF cards use IDE natively, the CF to IDE adapter are nothing more than passive devices that directly connect the pins on the CF with the pins on the IDE port

You could of course use a IDE SSD (expensive), or a SATA to IDE device.. but it's not as straight forward as using CF cards, and it might have compatibility issues..

But yes, it could work as well :)
 
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hi there, I have successfully used a 32GB CF in FAT32, howeve when I copy files from W10 to the card, some succed but others get corrupted for invalid filename as soon as MSDOS tries to read them, this resulting on substantial loss of data.

Is there any safe way to copy from W10 to W98 without having this naming convention problem ? The files are also on a NAS, I've already had this problem with the PSIO which wasn't complying with files coming from my NAS, or W10.

I know it's a naming problem, but I don't know what it should be and how it should be copied or converted before getting into MSDOS/W98.
 
I used to have a simple *.com file that when run in a directory it would shorten all file names in said directory to 8.3 format.
It was that old "funkey" 8.3 conversion tho like Windows 95 would display "exampl~1.doc"

Must be a similar tool available today?
 
I am sure it should exist, but actually all my filenames are short... when msdos scandisk launches it randomly swipes some folders away because of filenames, even if short, so there must be something with the way files are done... scandisk also marked defective clusters on my CF card, which I don't believe is true, I hate these kind of behaviour as I don't totally understand filesystems
 
thanks PascalP this looks neat I'm going to use it, if anything like the old warez menus with screenshots/covers it would be fantastic if someone can share !
 
Would love to see that as well @archimage!
I just used Power Menu before moving to Windows 3.1

Started out with Power Menu on our first PC which was a monochrome 8088, and was blown away when I first saw it in color on our new 286 :thumbup:
 
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