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Vaio (PCG-505EX) CD-ROM does not work in realmode

This concerns a Sony Vaio (superslim) Laptop Model PCG 505EX.

I cannot get my Vaio to recognize the Sony PCGA-CD5 CD-ROM in DOS Mode. This CD-ROM is connected via a PCMCA card. I have downloaded and installed all the drivers as described on the Sony web site.

The ATAMGR Interface Card Driver (v. 1.04) exits with "Card not installed."

The CD-ROM Device Driver KMEATACD (v. 3.06) exits with "Not found Client Driver."

Please tell me how to solve this problem.

Thanks!
Greg
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kneea

Do you really need it to work in DOS mode?  I have seen plenty of stuff that won't.  It sounds like it should work, but it will require a lot of effort.

I use a dos window to get around that problem.  In fact if you have ME I don't think you can even start the computer in DOS mode.

...all this doesn't mean to say that you can't get it to work in dos mode though.

I have found that pcmcia is one of the most difficult interfaces to get working from dos mode.  What with drivers, socket services, card services, yet more drivers and configuration it is a real nightmare which can take a whole day to sort out - even for an expert.  The only time that I have seen the same solution twice is when we buy several portable at the same time.  Buy two identical portables six months apart and everything can change.

I have used parallel port cd rom drivers on portables which need a cdrom instead.  Then you only need a device driver in config.sys and mscdex in autoexec.bat. In fact, I have a win98 boot disk with msdos parallel port drivers that I keep as a spare - just in case I have problems accessing the cdrom of a portable. (esp useful if the portable doesn't have a cd) Booting from such a disc lets me see the c drive, gives me access to a cdrom and then I can format c, copy the win98, win95, winme, etc to portable and install stuff and/or fix it.

If you really want to solve this problem you are going to need someone who has already done this on this type of machine, and with the same software.
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ASKER

Thanks for your words. However, I really need it to work in DOS mode for the simple reason that I have to install Windows 98 SE from scratch on it. At the moment there is no OS besides DOS on it.

In case you should have any other idea how I can install Windows 98 SE (sits on a CD) without using the CD-ROM or network interface, please don't hesitate to let me know. I don't posess a CD-ROM that uses the parallel port.
I thought that was the problem.

I'm guessing that the net interface is also pcmcia.

alternatives....

1)

Do you know anyone with a parallel port zip drive?  It installs onto dos quite easily with a floppy disc and the tools zip disc.  Even better, is to make a win98 system disc with the guest.exe file on it.  Once you have run guest you should have access to the zip drive.  win98 is 121mb so to zip discs should be enought for the whole lot.  (on zip 250, it would all fit on one disc)

2)

Another option is laplink.  You will need another computer though.

3)

At a push, you could put the win98 directory onto floppy, but 80 discs is not really a good idea!

4)

Another option is to install 95 so that you can access the cd rom, copy the win98 folder into the pc and then delete everything (except the win98 folder) and then install from the win98 folder.   (This is how I upgrade portables - I also put the user data somwhere safe and use partition magic to convert to fat32 if need be)

Win 95b on floppy would be 34 discs (without aol, compuserve, etc)

win 95 or 95a on floppy is about 20-25 discs

I would favour the pp zip drive option.  It is worth buying one and sharing it with friends for backups etc.  USB is better for the new machines, but pp and guest.exe works on all machines from dos 3 to win me.
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ASKER

Ok, we are getting closer to the kitchen. I happen to have a parallel port zip drive, yet it is a 100 MB version. I also happen to have several other computers (win95, NT, ME).

I don't mind to go the detour via win95. However, would prefer to install win98SE directly if possible. I would need instructions mainly on how to get the ZIP drive recognized by the Vaio and how to make a win98 system ZIP disk from a win98SE CD. FYI, I don't have an active win98 system but I have a NT machine with the ZIP drive connected that also has a CD-ROM drive installed.
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ASKER

Forgot to confirm that the Vaio's network interface would als be via the one PCMCIA slot.
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Go to the Iomega site and get the DOS drivers for the ZIP.

Use 2 ZIP disks to copy the entire \win98 directory to the ZIp disks.

Copy both disks into a \win98 dir on the laptop and then run setup.exe.

I hope this helps !
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kneea

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Thanks! The main objective has been achieved. Win98SE is installed and running and I have perfect network access. That helps a lot.

However, I am facing a number of new problems, i.e. the CD-ROM still does not work on that system (it works fine on a ME system), the keyboard has a Japanese layout (bought the machine in Hong Kong) and I cannot install the right driver because a file 'kbdjp101.kbd' is nowhere to be found ..... I shall ask new questions about all of this.
Hi I am really glad you've started to get somewhere.  Now that the biggest problem has been solved, the rest should be quite easy.

Drivers can probably be found from Sony's site and you will need to make a couple of configuration changes for the keyboard.  I won't say any more here because as you say it is a different problem.

All the best,

Anthony
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ASKER

Thanks anyway. Please take a look at the "different problem". The Sony sites are terrible they don't keep a history of downloadable "old" stuff. I have surfed them for days.

As I said, there are more points to earn at the "different problem". I have posted the new problems already. A fairly simple problem should be the configuration changes regarding the jap. keyboard. However, I have no experience with that.

Greg