Installing OS/2 On Hard Drives With OnTrack DiskManager

Last update: 10th February, 1996

Symptoms
OS/2 will not install on hard drives with OnTrack Disk Manager installed.

Hardware
Large (> 1024 cylinder ~= 500MB) hard disks which have the OnTrack DiskManager software installed.

Problem
OnTrack DiskManager is a program that is designed to break the so-called "FAT Barrier", a BIOS limitation which normally restricts DOS to using FAT partitions of less than 1024 cylinders in size.

The problem is that OnTrack DiskManager is designed to work with DOS. Without the fix described below, OS/2 cannot make use of OnTrack DiskManager partitions.

Fix

 * 1) Obtain the file ontrac.zip from your favourite fix respository.  zip contents:    Length  Method   Size  Ratio   Date    Time   CRC-32     Name ("^" ==> case  --  --     -          --        conversion)    2943  Implode   1136  61%  18-12-94  11:06  961be138  ^readme.os2    4038  Implode   2406  40%  02-12-94  12:00  4ad70644  ^ontrack.flt   16564  Implode  10294  38%  02-12-94  12:00  77f1b650  ^dmos2.exe  --          --  ---                              ---   23545           13836  41%                              3
 * 2) BACK UP!!!
 * 3) Read the instructions supplied in the zip file (readme.os2)
 * 4) TAKE THE PLUNGE!!!

Disclaimer
THE AUTHOR ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LOSS THAT MAY RESULT FROM APPLYING IN PART OR IN WHOLE ANY OF THE PROCEDURES DESCRIBED ABOVE.

USE THESE PROCEDURES AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Jon Seymour