Backup Hard Drive Assistance

[MMVOX]

Hi Bryan,

Thank you for getting back to me last week concerning the new hard drive that I bought for my MicroEditor system. Let me first give you details regarding my system.

Serial #MS99-0125.
Windows 98 SE
MicroSound Krystal 1200
350MHz Intel Pentium II processor with 128 MB RAM.
11GB EIDE hard drive, 5400 rpm.
Motherboard says "ASUS PIIB"

I wanted to set up a backup for my system in the event of a main drive crash. Doug Cox recommended a 120GB hard drive with Drive Image 7 software, which I purchased from MTU.

Upon installation (note: I had it professionally installed) the tech informed me that my system was not recognizing the new drive. He said it does not recognize it as a slave, master or cable select. The tech felt that there may be a possibility that the BIOS for my system may be too old to recognize the new drive. Upon doing some research, he said that my current BIOS is version 1006 and that the latest available version is 1012. He wasn't sure if this is, in fact, the problem. Also, he mentioned that there is a possibility that installing a new version of the BIOS may result in problems for my system's motherboard and perhaps cascading problems elsewhere, including the Krystal 1200 DSP board. So before proceeding any further, it seemed prudent that I get in touch with MTU about this situation.

It's still important to me to have a back-up for my system. The reason by I purchased these items from MTU is to be sure that I am purchasing the correct and compatible items for my system. Doug said I could send the drive and software back, but that still leaves me without a backup, so I'd like to see what you can suggest to me. (By the way, the drive I bought is by Western Digital). My questions are:

1) Is it, in fact, the older BIOS that is responsible for the non-recognition of the new backup drive?

2) If it is, can the BIOS be safely updated without damaging any aspect of my system?

3) Can I update the BIOS myself? If so, can you tell me how this is done? Or, is it preferable to have a professional do it?

4) Are there any other possible causes or conflicts we should be aware of?

I love my MTU system, and it works just like it did the first day I started using it. I would like to set up a backup system so that I'm covered in the event of a main drive malfunction, until such time that I can purchase a second MTU system. It's also important that any updates to my system involve a minimum of downtime, as I use the system for my voiceover business daily, Monday - Friday.

Thank you in advance for your help. I'm open to any suggestions you may have.

Marty Moran