SpeedStor

On offer here are two versions of SpeedStor, versions 6.03 and 6.5

I usually tell people that version 6.03 be used for PCs and XTs, and that version 6.5 be used for ATs.
Why is that?
In the early 90s, I was using version 6.03 successfully. At some time, I received version 6.5 and consequently stopped using version 6.03
But then I noticed that in some XT clones, version 6.5 didn't work properly but version 6.03 did.

From then on, I just used the rule of: 6.03 for PCs and XTs; 6.5 for ATs

SpeedStor 6.03   (dated 1989) (copy ZIP contents to a bootable 360K or 1.2M floppy)
SpeedStor 6.5   (dated 1991) (copy ZIP contents to a bootable 1.2M floppy)


LOW-LEVEL FORMAT

SpeedStor uses the term 'initialize' instead of low-level format.

If you intend to use SpeedStor to low-level format the hard drive in a PC or XT, and the hard disk controller in that machine has low-level format functionality built into its expansion BIOS, then you should be using that functionality instead of Speedstor. In some cases, you'll have no choice but to use the formatter built into the controller's BIOS (because of the way the controller works).


KNOWN PROBLEMS

1.
SpeedStor uses its own code to interact with the controller. In the case of an XT, that means that the controller's ROM BIOS is being bypassed. So I would expect a problem, for example, if the hard drive only works when stepped at 3 ms, but SpeedStor is stepping the hard drive at a faster rate.
 
 
2.
When used on an AT-class machine, and you specify the drive make/model within SpeedStor, SpeedStor will set the drive type number in the CMOS setup to one that matches the drive. This could be a problem for some people. The behaviour can be stopped by starting SpeedStor with the /NOCMOS switch.