OSINAERO - WARP INSTALLATION PROBLEMS ON COMPAQ AERO NOTEBOOKS
01/13/95

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   OS/2 WARP INSTALLATION PROBLEMS ON COMPAQ AERO NOTEBOOKS
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Please Read Entire Document for Full Explanation of Procedures
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SYMPTOM:

 OS/2 Warp has problems installing and using the diskette drive on
 all Compaq Aero 33 MHz notebooks and some Compaq Aero 25 MHz
 notebooks.

 You can start the system from the installation diskette and copy
 diskettes 1 through 6. When you start the system from the hard
 disk for the first time the diskette drive cannot be accessed,
 so intalltion fails when you try to copy diskette 7.


RESOLUTION:

 The Compaq Aero 33 MHz and Compaq Aero 25 MHz have a plug in
 diskette drive that connects to one of the PCMCIA slots, not an
 integrated diskette drive.

 The diskette drive is not setup during the boot because it is an
 external device.  In DOS, the PCMCIA support can manage the
 device if it is attached later, except if the diskette drive is
 the boot device.  The ROM BIOS handles this as a special case
 and sets up the device so it can be used as the boot media.
 Due to this, OS/2 Warp can start from the diskette drive,
 but cannot access the drive after starting from the hard disk.

 Because the device setup concerns speed of the device, a 33
 MHz Aero fails, but a 25 MHz Aero may work.


 A new ROM is available from Compaq, the 11.01.94 level, that
 sets up the diskette drive at boot time, whether it is the boot
 media or not.  The ROM is "flash" technology so you can upgrade
 the system.

 Note: This setup is only done at boot time.

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