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SYSPART.ZIP System/Reference Partition Maintenance diskette image
LOADDF.ZIP Utility to make a diskette from the image
Content by Bob Eager (original HERE). Edited by Major Tom.
Many of the later PS/2 systems use a special hidden partition on the hard
disk. This contains some or all of the following: reference and configuration
utilities, diagnostics, and loadable BIOS. No access is provided (by IBM) for
maintaining this partition, except via utilities such as the Netfinity
client.
However, any diskette marked with the REFSTAMP
utility will set up the hard disk configuration in such a way that the hidden
partition will appear as drive C. SYSPART is a package that allows the
easy creation of a bootable diskette which provides a "point and click"
interface for maintenance of the hidden partition. It isn't sophisticated;
merely a bootable diskette with the special marking, and copies of useful DOS
utilities together with a mouse driver and DOSSHELL. As with any such specially
marked diskette, the marking can be corrupted by even looking at the
diskette under Windows; however, REFSTAMP will
always correct this.
The diskette is provided as an image file, SYSPART.ZIP.
The image should be copied to the diskette using IBM's LOADDSKF utility,
provided here in the file LOADDF.ZIP.
To create the diskette, first unzip both files into the same directory. With
a blank diskette in drive A, just execute this command:
loaddskf syspart.dsk a:
The diskette should now be ready for booting. Remember that drive C is the
system/reference partition until the system is rebooted normally.
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