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Q77400: Incompatible XENIX Partition Detected with SMARTDrive

Article: Q77400
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:5.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 22-NOV-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system version 5.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

If you attempt to load SMARTDRV.SYS on a computer with both MS-DOS and XENIX
partitions, or MS-DOS and UNIX partitions, the following error message will be
displayed:

  Incompatible Partition Detected

If the hard drive contains less than 1024 cylinders, you can use the /P switch to
eliminate the error message and allow SMARTDrive to load.

MORE INFORMATION
================

SMARTDrive will detect an incompatible partition if a XENIX or UNIX partition
has been allocated on the hard disk, and will not load. This is because the
partitioning utility SpeedStor, from Storage Dimensions, sometimes uses the same
partition identifier as XENIX and UNIX. SMARTDrive cannot tell a XENIX or UNIX
partition from a SpeedStor partition.

To force SMARTDRV.SYS to load, add the /P switch to the device statement for
SMARTDrive in the CONFIG.SYS file as follows:

  device=[drive]:\[path]\smartdrv.sys /p

(Where [drive] is the drive containing SMARTDRV.SYS and [path] is the
subdirectory in which it is located.)

WARNING: If the hard drive has more than 1024 cylinders, do not use the /P
switch. A severe loss of data may occur.


Additional query words: 5.00

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS500
Version           : MS-DOS:5.0

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