weird! all the alphas ive ever used were just fine with non-dec disks. 
(these would be 3000/[346]00s, as200s, as400s, a pc164 machine and a 
miata machine) maybe your 4/166 has a really old srm? 

isildur
with a 3000/600 spinning 5 seagate 15150's as i write this.. 

On Mon, 15 Apr 2002, Erik Smit wrote:
> 
> On my AlphaStation 4/166 I am unable to see (and therefore, use) any SCSI
> Device without a DEC-branded firmware in the SRM. I have several of the
> exact same HDs here, some with a DEC firmware, some with a HP, it will only
> detect the DECs.
> 
> As soon as the machine has booted there is no problem though because then
> the OS has taken over, but in the SRM it's DEC-only.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Erik Smit
> 
> 
>