Western Digital Corporation
Field Applications Engineering
Document for TYPES.EXE Utility
This document is intended to accompany the TYPES.EXE utility
placed on this BBS for your convenience. First our disclaimer:
Western Digital assumes no liability for the fitness, operation
or results of this program. It was created solely for systems
integrators' use in configuring an AT compatible computer.
Now that that's out of the way, we shall go on ...
This utility is intended to aid beginners or those stuck with
undocumented equipment in the installation of Western Digital's
hard disk controllers and / or drives in most AT compatible
computers.
When loaded, the utility will scan the entire 64K page of BIOS
memory for a configuration that matches the original AT's
drive type #1. This drive was defined as follows :
306 cylinders
4 heads
17 sectors per track
This specific signature is searched throughout the BIOS area.
If found, the utility calls this a drive type 1, and proceeds
to display all other valid drive type tables. Many BIOS
companies have nonsensical ones included in a string of valid
configurations. The program is trained to ignore those types
that have zero heads or cylinders, and to stop the search when
a larger than 2047 cylinder or 16 head type is found.
In the event a match for the 10 Megabyte drive test fails, the
program will search for a 20 Megabyte drive of the following
configuration :
615 cylinders
4 heads
17 sectors per track
Several versions of BIOS were distributed with this configuration
as the first drive type.
IN CASE OF DIFFICULTY ...
To verify the findings of this utility, run your system's
SETUP utility and define a hard drive type 1. Your hard drive
can then be installed ( ... if it has at least 4 heads and 306
cylinders ...) and it should function as a 10 Megabyte hard
drive. The DOS utility FDISK should report 305 ( or 304 )
cylinders.
REMEMBER ...
You can only use a drive type that meets the following :
1) LESS than or EQUAL TO the actual number of
CYLINDERS on the drive you are trying to
install.
2) EQUAL TO the actual number of HEADS on the
drive you are trying to install.
3) EQUAL to the SECTORS PER TRACK of BOTH THE
DRIVE AND CONTROLLER !!
ST-506 MFM DRIVES & CONTROLLERS HAVE 17 SECTORS
ST-506 RLL DRIVES & CONTROLLERS HAVE 26-31 SECTORS *
ESDI DRIVES AND CONTROLLERS HAVE 17-54 SECTORS *
* Western Digital manufactures controllers that have ON-BOARD
BIOS ROMS to accept other than motherboard BIOS drive
configurations. Contact your dealer.
Below is an example of the program in operation:
Scanning system BIOS for an AT drive type 1 ... PLEASE STAND BY ...
TYPE CYLINDERS HEADS PRECOMP LAND ZONE SECTORS MEG
1 306 4 128 305 17 10
2 615 4 300 615 17 20
3 615 6 300 615 17 30
4 940 8 512 940 17 62
5 940 6 512 940 17 46
6 615 4 65535 615 17 20
7 462 8 256 511 17 30
8 733 5 65535 733 17 30
9 900 15 65535 901 17 112
10 820 3 65535 820 17 20
11 855 5 65535 855 17 35
12 855 7 65535 855 17 49
13 306 8 128 319 17 20
14 733 7 65535 733 17 42
Press space bar to see other drive types ...
TYPE CYLINDERS HEADS PRECOMP LAND ZONE SECTORS MEG
15 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 612 4 0 663 17 20
17 977 5 300 977 17 40
18 977 7 65535 977 17 56
19 1024 7 512 1023 17 59
20 733 5 300 732 17 30
21 733 7 300 732 17 42
22 733 5 300 733 17 30
23 306 4 0 336 17 10
24 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 615 4 0 615 17 20
26 1024 4 65535 1023 17 34
27 1024 5 65535 1023 17 42
28 1024 8 65535 1023 17 68
29 512 8 256 512 17 34
30 615 2 615 615 17 10
Press space bar to see other drive types ...
TYPE CYLINDERS HEADS PRECOMP LAND ZONE SECTORS MEG
31 989 5 0 989 17 41
32 1020 15 65535 1024 17 127
33 0 0 0 0 0 0
34 0 0 0 0 0 0
35 1024 9 1024 1024 17 76
36 1024 5 512 1024 17 42
37 830 10 1792 830 17 68
38 820 10 65535 821 17 68
39 615 4 128 664 17 20
40 615 8 128 664 17 40
41 917 15 65535 918 17 114
42 1023 15 65535 1024 17 127
43 823 10 512 823 17 68
44 820 6 65535 820 17 40
45 1024 8 65535 1024 17 68
46 925 9 65535 925 17 69
Press space bar to see other drive types ...
TYPE CYLINDERS HEADS PRECOMP LAND ZONE SECTORS MEG
47 699 7 256 700 17 40
End of drive tables ... press space bar to return to system ...
You merely select the type number that best matches your
hard drive, and run your manufacturer's SETUP program.
The next step is to run a LOW-LEVEL FORMAT utility. If one
is needed, we recommend the WD utility WDFMT, located
elsewhere on this BBS. The WDFMT utility will prompt you for
the ACTUAL parameters of the hard drive you are installing.
If you are unsure of your drive's parameters, a file called
DRIVES.LST is available on this TBBS to assist you in most
of the popular (and some unpopular) hard drives.
If you still need assistance ...
WESTERN DIGITAL 24 HOUR TECH SUPPORT ==> 1-800-777-4787