CompuServe Thread

#XM3301B DRVRS ANYONE????

12 messages in this thread
#41547From: Roger W. FauldsMar 1, 1993 1:14 PM
I am now desperately seeking drivers which work with ICOM Simulations Sherlock Holmes Consulting Dective (Version: 3) for a Toshiba XM3301B. The following message was sent to both COREL and TOSHIBA trying to get working drivers. I have been trying since November, 1992, to get a working CD Rom device driver for my Toshiba XM3301B CD Rom drive just purchased in November of last year. The following is a PLEA sent to COREL which I forward to TOSHIBA for comment. This message was sent to COREL following a disturbing discussion with Toshiba Tech Support. ————————————————————————- Bryan (Of Corel Tech Support Forum), I currently have the same drive as Guenther (Toshiba XM-3301B) with an Adaptec 1542b, and I have their ASPI packages, ASPI4DOS, ASW-410 (CD Rom driver pack), and EZSCSI. I also recently purchased Sherlock Holmes (Volume 1) from ICOM simulations and find that the Adaptec 1542b with Adaptec's drivers is alledged by ICOM to be passing GARBAGE through the drivers to the game. When I purchased the 1542b, I purchased the "KIT" including all drivers except CD Rom. I was told the CD Rom was included, but it turned out not to be included. I had to pay $59 more for the CD drivers. Then Feb 14, I found out the $59 CD driver pack was alledged to be the cause of Sherlock Holmes not working, and Adaptec told me I had to upgrade to EZSCSI for another $29 + $9 s&h. The EZSCSI not only did not fix the CD problem, but it now caused my IOMEGA OAD drivers not to function making it impossible to process data on my Bernoulli's. ICOM tells me that the Corel SCSI drivers WILL fix my problem because Corel develops their own drivers from scratch, but an end user tells me that the Corel CD Driver for Toshiba writes over the MOUSE.SYS device driver when running Sherlock. Toshiba tells me that their driver will work with Adaptec ASPI, but will not permit a return of the product if the drivers don't work. What's a person to do — can no one produce a WORKING driver for this CD Drive???? Can you please shed some light on how I can get my XM3301B working short of sending it back to Toshiba and replacing it with another brand?? Respectfully, Roger W. Faulds ————————————————————————- If anyone has drivers actually working with an Adaptec 1542B and a Toshiba XM3301B, please let me know what software you are using. Please include Versions, and if possible byte counts, and date and time stamps of the files. Thanks, Roger
#41574From: Ken BrownMar 1, 1993 6:51 PM
I have the adaptec 1542b. I am using the Corel drivers withe the Toshiba xm3301b and I have had no problems. I would suspect your Sherlock Holmes package. I have not used it. Everything I have tried to read with the Toshiba xm3301b and the Corel scsi has worked beautifully. Ken Brown
#41640From: Roger W. FauldsMar 2, 1993 7:52 AM
Ken, That was my experience until I purchased Sherlock Holmes. ICOM Simulations uses a feature of the CD Drives not too many producers are using: CONTINUOUS READ. According to THEM, this stresses the drivers to their peak of throughput, and in the case of the Adaptec Software Drivers, also the breaking point. Thanks, Roger
#41848From: Christian VitrolerMar 4, 1993 12:10 AM
PMJI, I am sorry to agree with you. I thought, too, that my 1542B + XM3301B work fine and was going to report you that. Just to be sure, I got a Sherlock Holmes CD and wtached my PC crash then. Adaptec + Toshiba should get a copy of this CD to test their products! If you find a solution, PLEASE let me know, too! Good luck, Christian
#42047From: ICOM SupportMar 5, 1993 5:58 PM
Roger, Continuous Read merely refers to the type of technology that the drive hardware uses to transfer the data to the computer. Another method is called Bundle-, or Packet-Read, which we can't be compatible with (there's only two drives on the market currently which use that method, both by NEC). All that Sherlock Holmes is doing is to continually stream data off the CD, which shouldn't be anything unusual. If there's a bug in the software driver which is going to occasionally send invalid data, then the problem will appear more often in SH than in your average reference work because of the amount of data we're pulling through. Michael O'Connell Online Support ICOM Simulations 708/520-4440
#41776From: Roger W. FauldsMar 3, 1993 10:46 AM
Ken, That was my experience until I purchased Sherlock Holmes. ICOM Simulations uses a feature of the CD Drives not too many producers are using: CONTINUOUS READ. According to THEM, this stresses the drivers to their peak of throughput, and in the case of the Adaptec Software Drivers, also the breaking point. Thanks, Roger
#41652From: Bryan ShearerMar 2, 1993 9:08 AM
Roger… I'll be posting an answer to you in the Corel forum as well, but suffice it to say that I have a Toshiba 3301B, an LS-2000 SCSI card (8-bit), and am using ICOM's Sherlock II with no problems at all. It sounds to me as if there's a potential conflict in your setup. By the way, did you get the SCSI Master Plus kit? If so, our CD-ROM drivers should have been included. Yours, Bryan
#41777From: Roger W. FauldsMar 3, 1993 10:49 AM
Bryan, I purchased the Adaptec 1542B ahead of the purchase of the Toshiba, and the 1542B was purchased as a "KIT" with all drivers. Follow-up upgrade to EZSCSI of Adaptec did nothing to resolve the problem I am experiencing. As for conflicts in hardware/software/drivers, etc., there are none. Each machine I have built is very well documented with a matrix of memory maps, and adapter configurations. There are no conflicts in hardware — software (drivers) are configure per documentation — but since I did not develop them myself I can only assume that if the documentation (and README's) are correct, the drivers are configured correctly. Roger
#41847From: Christian VitrolerMar 4, 1993 12:10 AM
PMJI, I bought the 1542B with the Master Kit, but there was NO CD-ROM driver included. There was a (VERY) obsolete OS/2 driver, a DOS disk driver (how nice!) and a Netware driver (very usefull for a home computer). I consider ADAPTEC's policy on drivers a gigantic rip-off!!!! Have you ever heard of a video adapter where you have pay for the drivers. Any other product? Only adaptec sells their hardware w/o any drivers and demands money for drivers piecemeal! Christian
#42117From: Roscoe ThomasMar 6, 1993 12:24 PM
I disagree with you on drivers being supplied free with various products. We have bought CD-ROM drives, NEC, Sony and Hitachi without drivers, video cards without Win 3.1 drivers and sound cards without Win 3.1 drivers, and Future Domain SCSI cards and others which have no CD-ROM drivers, only the BIOS on the card supports hard drives. Most products are available bundled or un- bundled. Not long ago, a computer with no DOS or OS. The big issue on free drivers is where does the money come from to develop new drivers if they have to be given away. I rather pay a few bucks, and have new drivers available, than have no or poor drivers for free. I can think of hardware we have now that we must replace since new drivers are not available that work well.
#42258From: Christian VitrolerMar 8, 1993 12:53 AM
Bill, there's a BIG difference between computers without OS and hardware without drivers. It's no use to have a bundled DOS when you are running UNIX or OS/2. Anyway, I have paid quite a lot for drivers and they DON'T work (see the message on CONTINOUS read on Sherlock Holmes), which is rather unpleasing. Finally, what's the use of bare hardware w/o drivers. You can't use them. The common procedure then is to by a couple of drives and one set of drivers. This is NOT correct! Having hardware and software bundled would avoid this semi-automatic software piracy. And again, have you EVER seen a video card w/o drivers? Why do you think DO they include drivers? Christian
#42420From: PAUL WOLFMar 9, 1993 9:08 AM
Greetings, Please allow my butting in. I wholeheartedly disagree with having to pay "again" . Yes again for a deficient driver for my toshiba 3301 cdrom. The money to develop new drivers or support existing products should be incorporated into the original purchase price (as is always the case). Why is it that video card mfrs. can send out new drivers on aregular basis without charge. Why is it that modem companies can send out firmware (actual chips) without charge?. what about Novell and their modules? what about hp drivers? the list goes on… The fact of the matter is that only the CDROM mfrs and their associated controller manufacturers are the only industry trying to pull this sort of crap. they are getting greedy. I f you make a product, then stand behind it all the way!!! I Just payed $20 to get a new driver for my toshiba 3301 to allow it to read Photo-CD. Now they (Toshiba) tells me I need an upgrade of the CDROM itself if I want to use it for multisession ($99 +S&H both ways). All of a sudden my CDROM was not such a bargain!!!