Software Mechanisms

Software mechanisms are typically used with older machines where the BIOS does not support big drives either through translation or INT 13 extensions. Windows 95 supports three software mechanisms. Any future software should subscribe to one of these methods:

• The Ontrack scheme skews the whole disk. If you develop a scheme that skews the whole disk, you should respond to the Ontrack API so that Windows 95 can understand and take over in protect mode. For more information on this support, see Ontrack Computer Systems.
• The EZ-Drive scheme skews just the MBR and leaves the rest of the disk alone. It skews the MBR specifically to sector 2 (from sector 1 assuming one-based numbering). If you develop a scheme that skews just the MBR, you should implement the EZ-Drive API so that Windows 95 can understand and take over in protect mode. For more information on this support, see EZ-Drive.
• The MBR hook carries out the Western Digital and/or Phoenix EDD specification translation, but no skewing. If you develop a scheme that hooks the MBR, you need to make it a safe MBR hook so that Windows 95 can understand and take over in protect mode. For more information, see Safe MBR Hook.