NEC POWERMATE ES 5200 - SERVICE, Service Manual

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Release Notes A-13
PIIX4 Limitations
The following operating limitations apply to PIIX4 (PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator).
Reconfiguring Ultra DMA Support
The PCI IDE interface on the PowerMate ES 5200 Series system supports the
latest ATA ULTRA DMA/33 interface. In order to do so, the PIIX4 component
that was recently released from Intel Corporation was incorporated in the
system. However, standard versions of Windows
®
95 were released prior to the
release of PIIX4; these versions do not recognize the PIIX4 as capable of
supporting ULTRA DMA/33.
Several information files (.INF files) need to be added to standard versions of
Windows 95 so the operating system can incorporate PIIX4 features. NEC CSD
already includes these .INF files in the preinstalled software that comes with
your system. NEC CSD recommends that customers use the version of
Windows 95 that is included with their system.
Note:
NEC CSD recommends that customers use the
version of Windows 95 that is included with their system
because this version is already configured for Ultra DMA/33.
When users install their own version of Windows 95, ULTRA DMA/33 does
not function without the addition of these files. These .INF files can be added to
a new install of Windows 95 by using the NEC OS Restore CD. This results in
full ULTRA DMA/33 support.
Determining IDE Device Compatibility
The new PIIX4 component contains a small change in the IDE interface. This
change to lower voltage levels on one signal has no effect on most of the IDE
hard drives on the market. A small number of older drives fail to function with
this new setting. If you have a concern about an older drive that you would like
to use with your PowerMate ES 5200 Series system, NEC CSD Technical
Support Services can help you determine if there might be a problem.
Intel Processor Serial Number Control Utility
The Intel
®
Processor Serial Number Control utility is a Windows
®
program that
enables or disables the reading of the Pentium
®
III processor serial number by
software. This function lets you control which software programs or websites
have permission to read the processor serial number. When installed, the utility
runs automatically each time the system powers on.
This utility places an icon in the Windows system tray. The icon provides a
visual status of the processor serial number. You have the option of hiding the
system tray icon. You can disable the processor serial number at any time.
However, enabling the serial number requires restarting the system.