From: Andrew Bros <bros@convex.COM>
Subject: Re: OS/2 slower that dos 5.0?
Summary: known bug - there is a patch available
Originator: bros@neptune.convex.com
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 14:47:37 GMT
Reply-To: bros@convex.COM (Andrew Bros)
Organization: Convex Computer Corporation, Richardson, TX
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In article <Dec16.043537.70478@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> ws523669@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu (William Speiser) writes:
>Can any of you pc gurus give me a hand?
>I have an i386dx25 with 8megs.
>I recently tried to install OS/2 and noticed a few minutes into the
>installation that my hard disk started to sound weird. (Buzing intead
>of clicking? What else can I say?) After it was completely installed
>(taking 4 hours). I noticed that my machine was running much, much
>slower than with dos. It took 15+ minutes to boot.
>
>It was painfully slow the DIR command took longer to acess my hard
>disk than it takes for floppies.
>
>I set my OPTI chipset to enable A20 fast gate (or whatever) but that
>didn't help.
>
>I finally decided to reformat my hard disk under dos 5.0 again and it
>works fine now.
>
>Does anybody know what the problem could be?
>
>ws523669@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu (William Speiser)

  This is a known bug with the standard release of OS/2 (Mar '92), and
there is a fix available.  The best thing to do before you try
installing again is to get the OS/2 FAQ available via anonymous ftp
from ftp-os2.nmsu.edu (128.123.35.151), file
/pub/os2/all/info/faq/faq20g.zip.  Also check out the comp.os.os2.*
newsgroups.  If your question isn't answered in the FAQ, the people
reading those newsgroups can.

  Here's a couple relevant excerpts from the FAQ regarding your
problem:

(9)     I am having trouble installing OS/2 2.0.  What should I do?

[...]

Certain PC compatibles have difficulty accepting OS/2 2.0 (CSD level 
02000 only; see Question 23), particularly AT bus systems with RLL, MFM, 
or ESDI adapters.  The problem usually appears in the form of FDISK 
errors, extremely slow copying to the hard disk, or a whining/grating 
noise emanating from the hard disk.  A replacement IBM1S506.ADD file, 
available from sources listed in Question 8, alleviates the problem.

(8)     Where can I obtain OS/2 shareware and freeware?

Many BBSes, including Fernwood (203-483-0348), OS/2 Shareware (703-385-
4325), Bay Area OS/2 (510-657-7948), Gateway/2 (314-554-9313), Greater 
Chicago Online (708-895-4042), OS/2 San Diego (619-558-9475), IBM 
Germany (049-711-785-7777), IBM Denmark (45-42-88-72-22), OS/2 UK (0454-
633197), and OS/2 Australia (61-2-241-2466) hold large OS/2 libraries.  
(The monthly Worldwide OS/2 BBS Listing, available from these BBSes, 
lists others.)  The IBM NSC BBS has some shareware/freeware as well, 
along with CSDs (see Question 23) and the PS/2 Assistant (an invaluable 
resource for locating almost any sort of information on OS/2).  For 
information on IBM's new OS/2 BBS call 800-547-1283.  IBM Canada 
maintains several support BBSes (416-946-4255, 514-938-3022, 604-664-
6464, and 416-946-4244).

The Usenet conference comp.binaries.os2 carries OS/2 software.  And 
several sites are available via anonymous ftp.  (No ftp?  Send a single 
line message with the word HELP to bitftp@pucc.bitnet or 
ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com to learn about ftp mail servers.)  They include 
(with Internet node numbers and subdirectories):

ftp-os2.nmsu.edu           128.123.35.151   pub/os2
software.watson.ibm.com    129.34.139.5     pub/os2
mtsg.ubc.ca                137.82.27.1      os2:
access.usask.ca            128.233.3.1      pub/archives/os2
luga.latrobe.edu.au        131.172.2.2      pub/os2
funic.funet.fi             128.214.6.100    pub/os2
pdsoft.lancs.ac.uk         148.88.64.2      micros/ibmpc/os2
ftp.uni-stuttgart.de       129.69.1.12      soft/os2
src.doc.ic.ac.uk           [?]              computing/systems/os2
-- 
Andrew Bros                             bros@convex.com
System Integration Group                Convex Computer Corporation
It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations,
if you live near him.  - JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit.