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
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
 * 1) Obtain the file ontrac.zip from your favourite fix repository. zip contents:
 * 1) BACK UP!!!
 * 2) Read the instructions supplied in the zip file (readme.os2)
 * 3) 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