Win 95 Common Questions And Answers Document #40040 Q: What are the steps to installing a non PnP Adaptec host adapter into my PC? A: Open the CONTROL PANELand select "Add New Hardware". Then select "No" when you are prompted if you want to automatically search for new hardware. Select "SCSI controllers" and select the Adaptec host adapter you want to install. The install program will ask for the driver source if it is not already on your PC system. You must have access to the distribution disks or CD-Rom in order for the installation to proceed. Verify that the resources that 95 choose are the same as the card settings. Change the card if necessary. Shut down the system when 95 prompts you. Install the new host adapter, making sure the end devices are terminated, cable lengths are as short as possible ,and that you are using high quality SCSI II compliant cables. Q: After installing a driver, my system just hangs with the Windows logo displayed. How can I get the system to boot, so I can check the setting of the driver? A: Press the "F8" function key when you see "Starting Windows 95". Select "Safe mode". Go into the CONTROL PANEL / SYSTEM / and select "device manager. Scroll down to SCSI and double click on the AHA. Make sure that the settings on the controller card match the settings under RESOURCES. Q: I am having problems getting my AHA154xCP card working with other cards that are non Plug and Play. A: When installing legacy cards (non Plug and Play) into a system with an AHA154xCP, it is recommended that you disable the Plug and Play support on the AHA154xCP card and configure the card manually. Q: How can I tell if another card in my system is using an IRQ, DMA, or PORT I/O that I want to use ? A: In the CONTROL PANEL, double click on the SYSTEM icon. Select device manager tab. Double click the computer icon at the top of the list. All currently used resources will be listed . Q: How can I tell if my Adaptec driver is loading properly ? A: Make sure there is no yellow exclamation mark or red X present over the adapter icon in device manager. Q: I have a red X in front of the driver line for my Adaptec controller. How do I get rid of it? A: The X means the driver has been disabled and isn't loading. To enable the drive go into the DEVICE MANAGER and double click on the Adaptec driver under SCSI controllers. Under the GENERAL tab, at the bottom of the screen in the "Device Usage" section, check the box in front of "Original Configuration (current)". Q: If my real mode ASPI drivers load but the protected mode drivers do not, what can I check? A: Make sure the resources for the driver under the DEVICE MANAGER are set same as the card. Also check the "Performance Tab" in the SYSTEM PROPERTIES to see if the system is infected with a virus. Win 95 will not load any protected mode drivers if the system is infected. Make sure you are using the latest drivers. If you need to download the latest drivers, they re available from CompuServe ( Go Adaptec ), through the Internet (www.Adaptec.com ), or from our BBS ( 408-945-7727 ). Q: What Version of EZ-SCSI can I use in Win 95 ? A: Version 4.0 or later. All other versions are not supported. Q: How can I enable 32 Bit disk and file access ? A: The 32 bit disk and file access is built into Win 95. It is enabled by default when you install Win 95. To check this, go into SYSTEM under CONTROL PANEL and click on the PERFORMANCE tab. If "File System" is set to 32-bit, then 32-bit disk access and the driver for the Adaptec host adapter is enabled. Q: Should I continue to use my ASPI drivers in Win 95 ? A: No. All Adaptec drivers are now 32 bit protected mode drivers. For optimal performance remove all real mode drivers from the CONFIG.SYS file and use the embedded drivers that come with Win 95. Q: Do I need to have a CONFIG.SYS or a AUTOEXEC.BAT in Win 95? A: No. Since Win 95 has support for most devices built in(including all Adaptec controllers) it's recommended not to have these files. Q: Does Win 95 have an ASPI layer built in ? A: Yes. Win 95 comes with two DLL files that provide an ASPI layer that will allow you to use an ASPI compliant application. For example, you could use a tape back up program that was written to work with an ASPI manager. Q: I can not see my SCSI hard drives when I use FDISK or only can create a 1 gig partition. A: FDISK is used for BIOS and Win 95 controlled SCSI drives. If you are loading the real mode drivers or can only see 1 gig on a drive larger than 1 gig then try using the AFDISK utility from EZ-SCSI 4.0. Q: Can I speed up my SCSI CD-Rom drive? A: Win 95 has the ability to cache CD-Rom drives. To enable, click on the "file system tab, under DEVICE MANAGER, then click on "performance". Go to the CD-ROM tab to choose the speed of CD- Rom drive you have and how large of a cache Win 95 will use. Q: Why does my CD-Rom light flicker every 10 - 15 sec? A: Win 95 has a new feature called "Auto Insert Notification". With it enabled (default), Win 95 will keep checking your CD-Rom to make sure the disk hasn't been changed. It will also automatically run any CD's that were written for 95 when you insert them. To disable this feature, open up the CD-Rom section under Device Manager. Double click on your CD-Rom. Under the SETTING tab, de- select the "Auto Insert Notification". Q: The 95 driver for my Adaptec card loads OK but I can not "see" all the devices attached, but when I load my ASPI drivers all the devices work fine. A: All device specific drivers (like CD-Rom, scanner and hard disk drivers) load automatically after the controller driver loads. The Adaptec driver simply passes to 95 what devices are attached. Win 95 responds by installing the appropriate driver for that device. If 95 doesn't have a driver for the device then it places it under the "Other Devices" section in the DEVICE MANAGER and doesn't load any driver for it. To get a 95 driver contact the device manufacturer. Revised on 4/1/96