> You should have under device manager, hard disk controllers,
> Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
> Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)

Tom,
 The only line I have under hard disk controllers is
  "IDE/ESDI HD controller"

> The Intel line I think you are looking for refers to Bus Mastering IDE.  Did
> you ever see it on this Gateway, or have you seen it on another pc and are
> now assuming it should be the same on the Gateway?  This old Gateway won't
> support bus mastering so it would NOT mention Intel in the controller
> drivers section.

I am 'almost' sure this gateway used to have it .. Gateway support didn't
say it is not applicable, only that they no longer have files to download
for this model.

> The main reason drivers are missing and the drive is sluggish, is because
> windows is in dos compatibility mode.  This is typically caused by an
> unsupported device on the ide channel, a drive that has been compressed, or
> a drive that is using overlay software to get around a bios that won't
> recognize its size correctly.

The drive is only 500Mb, no overlay, no compression.

> Under system properties, performance, your file system should say '32 bit'.
> If it doesn't, you are missing drivers for the ide.

Right you are, it does not say '32 bit'. (Weell, the computer IS working,
so perhaps I am expecting too much out of the old thing ?;-))

>The reason the drivers won't install is another matter,

 ??

>but it could be the compatibility mode issue I mentioned above.
Thank you for all your suggestions, Tom.

Irena.
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