VT83C461 VLB IDE Device Driver Installation Guide
Date: June 22, 1994
Objects
This application note is used to provide the information to use the "VTSETUP.EXE" utility to
setup your system and to install the device drivers for the VIAIDE card. There are DOS, OS2,
Microsoft Windows, NetWare 3.11 or 4.0x , SCO UNIX, Windows NT device drivers supported
by VIA.
If your boot disk drive is not the same size as the floppy (3.5") released from VIA then you
could copy this release floppy to another floppy according to the size of the boot disk drive and
continue to the rest of the installation procedure.
Note: Some BIOS have an option to turn on IDE drive block transfer mode. This may cause
inconsistent problem if used with VIA IDE driver. Please turn off this option before using VIA
IDE driver.
Utility
"VTSETUP.EXE" is used after you have plugged the VIAIDE card in your system. The utility
provide two kinds of methods to install the device driver to your system, that is "full" and
"customized" installation. "VTSETUP" could be running only on the Floppy Drive and the
floppy diskette must not be write protected. For the performance issue, you should execute
the "VTSETUP.EXE" again after you install a new hard disk model in order to get the
optimal active time and cycle time for that new disk drive. Under the dos prompt type the
"VTSETUP" to execute the utility,
A> VTSETUP
and the screen will be displayed :
Main
[F1].. Help
[Enter].. Continue
[ESC].. Quit
Type [F1] to get the help message and [ESC] to exit this setup utility. Type [Enter] to
continue the setup utility, and the following screen will be shown.
Installation
[F1].. Help
[F2].. Full Installation
[F3].. Customized Installation
[ESC].. Quit
Type [F1] to get the help message and [ESC] to exit this setup utility. Type [F2], then the
setup utility will install all of the VIA device drivers for you which include the DOS, Windows
and NetWare drivers. Type [F3], the setup utility will provide a customized installation method
for you.
Full Installation
The full installation will automatically install all of the device drivers for you except you type
[ESC] to quit the installation procedure in the middle of the installation. This setup utility
provides the DOS, Windows and NetWare drivers. If you want to install the OS2 driver for your
system, please refer the "OS/2 Installation" section. If you want to install the SCO UNIX driver
for your system, please refer the "SCO Unix Installation" section on this Application Note. SCO
Unix driver and OS/2 driver could not be installed though this setup utility, and you should follow
the procedure described in the "SCO Unix Installation" and "OS/2 Installation" sections.
Full Installation will show you the transfer rate of your hard disk(s) if the model of your
disk(s) is supported in the VIA/IDE driver. Otherwise, the setup utility will analyze the speed of
disk(s) and to select the transfer rate to optimize the disk performance. This analysis will spend
several minutes depending the size of your disk(s). And the result of the analysis will display on
the screen.
After the analysis, the DOS, Windows and NetWare drivers will install sequentially to your
hard disk. When the NetWare driver is installed completely, you could type [ESC] to quit from
this setup utility and all of the drivers are installed successfully. You also could type [ESC] to exit
in the middle of the install procedure. Then the install procedure will not be completed. If you
want to install the driver again, you could select the manual installation to complete the
installation. For the detail information you could refer the "Customized installation" section.
Customized Installation
The customized installation provides a method that you could install the device driver
customized. The screen will be displayed when you select the customized installation.
Customized Installation
[F1].. Analyze Hard Drive(s)
[F2].. Install DOS Driver
[F3].. Install Windows Driver
[F4].. Install NetWare 3.1x Driver
[ESC].. Quit
Analysis
When you select the [F1], the following menu will be displayed. Type [F1] get the help
message and [ESC] you could return to the previous menu.
[F1].. Help
[0/1].. Drive Number
[ESC] Previous Menu
Type "0" or "1" to select the drive number which you want to analyze. The model name of the
drive will be displayed. The default cycle time, active time and transfer rate will be displayed on
the default column if the model of the drive is supported by VIA/IDE drivers. Otherwise the
default column will display zeros.
You could type the cycle time and active time on the defined column. After the confirm, the
speed test will be running. When the speed test is over, it will display the message to respond
whether the user defined values are suitable or not. If the values is suitable then it will update all
of the drivers on the floppy. If the values is not suitable then please retry others.
Type [F1] the automatic speed test will start. The final values will be displayed on the defined
value column. After the speed test, all of the VIA/IDE drivers will be updated to take the tested
values in order to drive the hard disk(s) with the new values.
You should re-install the device drivers through the customized screen such that the updated
drivers on the floppy could be copied to the hard disk. The updated driver will use the test values
to drive the hard disk.
DOS
When you select [F2], the DOS driver will be installed to your disk. It will prompt you to type
the directory where the DOS driver will be. If you enter [ENTER] then it will take the default
directory.
It also prompts you to type the file name which the original "config.sys" saves as. If you do not
type the file name then the default file name will be used. It will add a new line
"DEVICE=VIAIDE.EXE" into the "CONFIG.SYS" file and move the DOS driver from the floppy
to the destination directory. Type [ESC] to complete the installation.
For the performance issue, you could add the argument "/0", "/1", "/2" or "/3" after
"VIAIDE.EXE" to tune the best performance for your environment. For example,
DEVICE=VIAIDE.EXE /1
This is a parameter to adjust block size, /0 means hard drive default block size, /1 means half
block size, and /2 is divided by four, /3 is divide by eight. Sometimes smaller block size will get
better performance.
Note: Conner CP30544 is recommended to use /1 parameter.
Windows
When you select [F3], the Windows driver will be installed to your disk. The setup utility will
prompt you to type the directory where the Windows driver will be. If you enter [ENTER] then it
will take the default directory.
It also prompt you to type the file name which the original "system.ini " saves as. If you do not
type the file name then the default file name will be used. It will add one or more lines into the
"SYSTEM.INI" file, that is "device=c:\windows\system\viaide.386", "32BitDiskAccess=ON" if
you have not turn on the 32bits disk access mode. Then it will move the Windows driver from the
floppy to the destination directory. Type [ESC] to complete the installation. This Windows driver
could support the 32bits disk access mode if you want to optimize your access speed.
NetWare
When you select the [F4], the NetWare driver will be installed to your disk. The setup utility
will prompt you to type the directory where the NetWare driver will be. If you enter [ENTER]
then it will take the default directory.
After the installation, you could type the "load" command to load the driver into the NetWare.
OS2
If you want to execute the "VTSETUP.EXE" to find the disk speed. You should boot from
DOS first. Otherwise, the "VTSETUP.EXE" will run abnormally.
First, after you executing the speed test, you boot from the OS2. Type the "DDINSTAL"
command under the OS2 command prompt. For example :
C> DDINSTAL
Type the source floppy drive and the destination disk drive which the OS2 boot from. Then the
VIAIDE.ADD will be copy to the destination drive and append a line "BASEDEV=VIAIDE.ADD" to
the "CONFIG.SYS" file.
Second, modify the "CONFIG.SYS' file to move the line "BASEDEV=VIAIDE.ADD" before
the default OS2 hard disk driver named "BASEDEV=IBM1S506.ADD". Otherwise the default
"IBM1S506.ADD" device driver will be executed but not the "VIAIDE.ADD".
After these two procedures you could boot from the OS/2 and the VIA/IDE device driver will
be running.
SCO Unix
In this section it will provide the information how to install the VIA/IDE device driver to your
SCO UNIX Operation System. Please follow these steps listed below to install the VIA/IDE device
driver.
The following steps are used to convert the "VT83C461 VLB IDE Device Drivers" diskette
which is prepared with DOS format to a SCO UNIX "custom" installable diskette. You should
prepare an extra blank diskette, 1.2MB (5.25") or 1.44MB (3.5"), to complete the installation.
1. Login to the SCO UNIX with "root" supper user account.
login : root
2. Insert the "VT83C461 VLB IDE Device Drivers diskette" into the 3.5" disk drive.
3. Type the following commands under the SCO UNIX prompt "#":
# doscp /dev/fd0135ds18:/unix/install /tmp
# sh /tmp/install
You could change the device name where the 3.5" diskette is according to your system
configuration. You could also copy the "VT83C461 VLB IDE Device Drivers" to 5 1/4" diskette
and install from it.
In this installation, it will require you to insert a new blank diskette. After this "install"
command, you will get a SCO UNIX "custom" installable diskette.
Now you can use the "custom" installable diskette to install "VIA/IDE Device Driver" to your
SCO UNIX by the "custom" command. Please insert the "custom" installable diskette to the disk
drive and type the as follows :
# custom
Follow the installation instruction and rebuild the kernel.
Windows NT
There are two kinds of methods to install the VIA/IDE Windows NT device driver. One is to
install the VIA/IDE Windows NT driver at the Windows NT setup time. The other is to install the
VIA/IDE Windows NT driver after the system setup. But the first method is recommended because
if you do not install the VIA/IDE Windows NT at the Windows NT setup time then the Windows
NT system will not boot normally. In this circumstance, you must replace the VIA/IDE with a
non-enhance IDE card to boot the Windows NT then install the VIA/IDE Windows NT driver
with the second method and plug the VIA/IDE again.
The first install method is described as follows. The VIA/IDE Windows NT device driver
should be installed at the system setup time otherwise the system will startup abnormally. After
the booting from the Windows NT setup floppy the "Windows NT Setup" screen will be displayed.
In this "Welcome to Setup" screen type "ENTER" key to continue the setup procedure.
After typing the "ENTER" key, the Windows NT setup procedure will prompt you to choose the
setup methods. There are two setup methods provided by Windows NT. One is "Express Setup"
and the other is "Custom Setup". Type "C" to choose the "Custom Setup" method to setup your
Windows NT system.
After the scanning for SCSI adapters,a SCSI adapters will be displayed on the screen if there is
a SCSI adapter found in your system otherwise no SCSI adapter will be displayed. In this screen
type "S" to configure additional SCSI adapters. Then you will be asked to configure an additional
SCSI adapter for use with Windows NT. To navigate the light bar to select the "Other (Requires
disk provided by a hardware manufacturer)". Then insert the "VIA/IDE Device Driver" into driver
A and press ENTER.
The "VIA VT83C461" will be recognized by Windows NT and press "ENTER' to continue the
setup. After the "VIA VT83C461" device driver setup, the device driver will be displayed on the
previous SCSI Adapters screen and type "ENTER" to continue Windows NT setup. After this
"VIA VT83C461" device driver installation, you could follow the Windows NT procedure to
install the rest of Windows NT.
The second method is to install the VIA/IDE Windows NT driver after the system is setup.
Select the "Windows NT Setup" icon on the Main windows. You should choose the "Options"
menu when the "Windows NT Setup" is pop up. Navigate the light bar to select the "Add/Remove
SCSI Adapters" option to install the VIA/IDE Windows NT driver. Push the "Add" button then
the "Setup Message" message box will be displayed and you select the "OK" button to continue
this installation.
Poll down the "Adapter" menu and navigate the light bar to select the "Other [Requires a disk
from a hardware manufacturer]". Then insert the "VIA/IDE Device Driver" diskette into the
floppy drive and change the path to "A:\nt". Push the "OK" button when you already ready. After
you push the "OK" button then the "Select OEM Option" message box will be displayed and the
"VIA VT83C461" item will be displayed and you push the "OK" button again.
At the "Select SCSI Adapter Option" message box you push the "Install" button to continue this
installation and then push "Continue" button to complete this installation. After the copy the
VIA/IDE Windows NT is installed successfully. After the reboot, the VIA/IDE Windows NT will
work.
