Drive only accessable as "removable"

Is it your only drive?
If so are the jumpers set correctly.
Try going into safe mode and deleting the drives than cold boot to bios make sure it is the first drive set it to auto and reboot and let windows reinstall

Good Luck

Are you loading any device drivers on your Atuoexec.bat, and Config.sys files?  If so, they may be causing the conflict.  Either remark out these lines, or simply rename both of the above files, and try again.

If the problem continues, check your Device Manager, and see if you have any yellow exclamation points on your IDE controllers.

When you fdisk'd this drive and setup the partition(s), what was the default size showing up for the drive.
Dennis

This drive is my secondary drive on my primary ide.  It is replacing an older 2.xGB ide

The drive is showing 7.9GB in windows as a fat32 drive, it is not partitioned.

ide controllers are ok, no yellow and no apparent issues.

I have not fdisked the drive however.

It was blank, and I simply formatted it in 98 once I got it on line in "removable" mode.  

It is still empty, so I can fdisk it tonight when home.

You will of course need to Fdisk, and format the drive before Windows will recognize the drive.  If htis has not been done, then this may simply be the problem.

ok, let me ask this.  How does, and I am not saying it doesn't just looking for info on why, not running fdisk on the drive before formatting it under windows 98 make 98 no be able to use the drive as a standard IDE?

If I wasn't clear, 98 sees and accesses and can store stuff on the drive.  It simeply sees it as "removable", not like I expect it should as my other IDE.

Thanks

By fdisking the drive your setting up the flie allocation table and master boot record for Win98. By not doing this, Win98 does really know what kind of drive it is.

Be very careful to make sure the bios sees the size of the drive correctly BEFORE running Fdisk.

GrungyApe (creative name),  I'll post a couple of links with excerpt as to content, in case (in the hopes that) it complements your troubleshooting efforts:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q175/6/29.asp?LNG=ENG&SA=PER

-SYMPTOMS
If your computer contains an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) hard disk that is 8 gigabytes (GB) in size or larger, the Performance tab in System properties may show that the hard disk is using MS-DOS Compatibility mode. MS-DOS Compatibility mode may be in use for either the file system or for virtual memory. You may receive the following message:


   Compatibility Mode Paging reduces overall system performance
---

I've had good experiences with most ASUS motherboards I've had, as well as with their product technical support team via phone calls (they're on the West coast).  This is if your situation isn't already resolved (which I hope it is).

If the drive is not Fdisk'd, then 95/98 will not recognize it.  Your drive may have been Fdisk'd by the manufacturer.  I suggest removing, and recreating the single partition with Fdisk.  Then formatting it from either DOS mode, or from Windows.

Jason_S is right, you need to FDISK/FORMAT the drive with FAT16/32 before Windows 9x will see it properly, much less be able to store files on the drive.

If I may be so bold, Aleinss, it was Dennis who first proposed / mentioned Fdisk.


Listening for a positive outcomes.


Asta

Dennis comment was assuming he FDISKed it, Jason_S' comment does not.  Technicalities work both ways! ;)

Aleinss, I didn't assume anything. Proper setup of any hard drive, regardless of whether or not it is primary or secondary is a necessity, which is what prompted *my inital post*, and as you will note, I respond to just that issue in my follow-on comment. Does common sense escape you?

How is this helping GrungyApe?  It's not helping him at all.  Stick to the task at hand please.

Ok, had a chance to redo the drive at home last night, and the fdisk was the issue.  Even though 98 saw the drive and would format AND access the drive under 98, until it was fdisked with a 98 fdisk utility, it did not identify the drve as "local" and mainitained it as a "removable" drive.

Jason_S you deserve the points for the mention of fdisk, if you will please actually resubmit your comment as an answer I am more than happy to pass them on.

I must assume the default fdisk by the manufacture is why 98 saw it but without the fat32 fdisk, it did not see it properly.

There must have been another utility that set the drive up at the manufacturer.  Did you have to remove the partitions, or did you simply setup a new partition on the drive?

Due to the above controversy, I am not posting an answer.  You do have the option to accept a comment as an answer.  Please do so for one of the above comments.

astaec:  Yes, Dennis mentioned Fdisk first.  He of course knows how this is done as well.  His comment did trigger my subsequent comments, and I expanded on them.  Either way is fine with me.  Just glad to have helped.

I love the TEAMWORK here, one of the reasons I'm as active as I am.  Hats off to Jason, Dennis, et al.  

BTW, GrumpyApe, has the Asus motherboard been great otherwise?  I've been pleased with all the boards I've had from them.  Curious about your experience with this board (looking to upgrade soon).

I appreciate the effort everyone!

I have never had anything bad to say about ASUS boards and I have built quite a few systems with various boards.

The most important issue is that their support, for me, has always been helpful IF there ever were any issues.

Thanks GA!

ASUS has always made good boards on the whole, but the industry has been releasing a whole new generation of boards built around coppermine and rambus.

Astaec, checkout the Intel OR840 motherboard.

THANKS, GRUNGYAPE and DENNIS for your feedback.  I, too, had very good response from the ASUS folks.  Thanks, also Dennis for the information on MBs, I will definitely check it out!  I appreciate your input and your consideration.  How do you keep up with it all?

Asta
 

Honorable sole!!??  I guess I have you all fooled! ;-)  But seriously, thanks to you all.  It's a pleasure.

Well Asta, since Compaq bought Digital Equipment, they managed to kill the fastest motherboards and processor in the industry as a way of preserving their server market. DEC equipment ran MB's with a 1/2gig front side bus and processor in excess of 1000MHz. So now everyone in the speed dept is looking elsewhere, and since Intel makes the processor, I/O chips and has now partnered to make rambus memory 133+, they hold the keys right now.

Jason, your points are posted!
Den

1000Mhz .... Geez....  I believe that will facilitate all my artwork/video  and sound creations!  Whoopee!  Checking into the various possibilities as soon as I hit SUBMIT.  Thanks again.

Glad that this issue has been resolved and all is well.

Asta

PS, Jason_s, remember the old saying, "you can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool Mom"? ....   Tee hee, I'm the mom.  All kidding aside, GA found the fix, and I learned along the way - who can ask for more?