WAXMONRW@SNYBUFVA.BITNET (02/13/90)
I have a PCT plugged into slot 7 on a ROM3 GS; no memory cards. I have one 5.25 ProDos drive connected to the GS (slot 6) and my Apple 3.5 drive connected to the PCT (slot 7). I have configured the PCT's control panel such that the PCT's drive A is the Apple 3.5 drive; its drive B is the Apple's 5.25 (the PCT can read MSDOS formatted Prodos formatted 5.25 disks in an Apple 5.25 drive). I have a small RAM drive, 62K as drive D. Last night I configured the PCT's control panel and assigned Drive 6 to the Prodos drive in Slot5, Drive 1 - the GS's /RAM5; it worked and I was getting 362K on drive C. I saved that configuration on the PCT, shutdown the system and went to bed a happy man - foolish me! Today, I turn on the system, boot the /AEPCT disk in the Apple 5.25 drive, which boots the MSDOS system disk in the Apple 3.5 drive which gets the PCT running fine. But, I have no drive C; none at all! What happened to it? Did the Gremlins take it overnight? Is this a all a bad dream (yes, I know - the god's are punishing me for palying with an IBM clone). But I need it! I would appreciate hearing from anyone with a PCT. If you have one, you already know that AE's support (you pay the toll) is a farce; in two weeks I have not been able to get through to the tech support. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Ray Waxmonsky (WAXMONRW@SNYBUFVA)
nagendra@bucsf.bu.edu (nagendra mishr) (02/13/90)
As far as I know, you have to reformat the c drive the first time you run your pct.
jacques@enovax.dec.com (Norman Jacques) (02/16/90)
If you can tell me which version of the software that you have, I can give more help on the matter. Also, I will need more infomation on your system. Regards; Norman Jacques /N1GYN Norman Jacques jacques@level.dec.com --or-- ...!decwrl!level.dec.com!jacques --or-- jacques%level.dec@decwrl.dec.com
WAXMONRW@SNYBUFVA.BITNET (02/16/90)
I have version 2.0. I am operating on a ROM3GS with an Apple 3.5 drive connected to the PCT in Slot 7. The Apple 5.25 drive is connected to the GS which is how I boot. I seem to have worked something out. I have assigned the Apple 3.5 drive to be the PCT's drive A and the Apple 5.25 to be the PCT's drive B. I have set drive C to be Prodos slot 6, drive 1 which is the Apple's /Ram5. I have no Drive D but I do have a second Ram drive as D. I placed a "device= vdkisk.sys in my config.sys and in the root of my MSDOS boot disk; I presently am working with MS-DOS 3.28 from Zenith. To get the C drive as a ram drive, I have to format it. After I format it, I get something like 332K on Drive C. Since I use the default values in the device=vdisk.sys, that Ram disk (Drive E) is about 62K. If if turn the GS off (turn off the power strip) and reboot into the PCT, I loose the Ram Disk on Drive C; I have to reformat it. Sometimes the format command does not seem to work and I get MSDOS's Retry, Abort Ignore message. If I hit I, for ignore, the format comes to life, I can and do format Drive C and bingo, the C drive is now a live Ram disk with the above mentioned 332 K. Apparently I have to format the C drive each time I restart the GS; that is not necessary if I reboot the PCT from its control panel. !!!Correction. In paragraph one I meant to say I set drive C to be ProDos slot 5 - NOT 6!!! Sorry about that. Drive C is set to the ProDos Slot 6 Drive 1 (1, not 2 as in the GS). I just acquired a copy of MSDOS 3.3 plus; again a Zenith version. That Dos does not seem to work correctly; to be explicit, I cannot get it to format a system disk with, for example, Format a:/s. It will format a disk when I do not attach the /s switch. Does this version of MS-DOS for Zenith have a new switch to format a system disk; I would doubt that? The one thing that surprises me most is that I am able to access my Apple 3.5 disk and run ProDos applications even though that drive is plugged directly into the PCT. I have to boot a 5.25 boot disk that contains an old version of the utility program from CopyIIplus. I have patched the ProDos on that disk with Squirt. When I exit CopyIIPlus, the Squirt Quit Code takes effect and it identifies my available disks; one of those is Hard1, the Apple 3.5 disk on which I have installed Pro-Sel 8 and most of my most used programs, including Point-to-Point. Right now, I am connected to a VAX via Point-to-Point while the Apple 3.5 disk is plugged into the PCT. I should qualify the above by saying that this works most of the time; last night, with the same setup, Squirt would not identify Hard1 when I exited CopyIIPlus. In general, I seem to get some erratic (inconsistent) results with the PCT. I am not sure if that is the PCT (or its software) or I who am causing the inconsistensies. But it is mystifying. Sorry, to run on so long but you are my only substantial comment. I appreciate the response. Any comments would be appreciated. Ray Waxmonsky (WAXMONRW@SNYBUFVA)
bchurch@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU (Bob Church) (02/17/90)
In article <DCA1315AC2DF20A443@snybufva.bitnet>, WAXMONRW@SNYBUFVA.BITNET writes: > I would appreciate hearing from anyone with a PCT. If you have one, you > already know that AE's support (you pay the toll) is a farce; in two weeks > I have not been able to get through to the tech support. > > Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Although a bit late for you now I learned a valuable lesson the hard way. Whhenever I bought AE equipment direct it was a nightmare. I paid full price, waited approximately 4 to six weeks, and forget about customer support. On the other hand, If I order from Quality Computers I pay about %60 of list and get overnight shipping. They handle the warranty end. If you have trouble contact them at their 800 number and they will straighten it out for you. No I have no connections with this group except as an extremely happy customer. Also, they have been very generous about supplying our users group with door prizes, demo's etc. As for "vaporware" or backordered equipment AE gives first priority to thier dealers. This means that you not only save money by ordering from QC but will actually recieve the product much earlier than if you ordered direct. AE (IMHO) is still the best innovator and supporter of the // line. Just think of them as a wholesaler though and direct your orders for less than five hundred units to a retailer. P.S. Please tell them I sent you. ******************************************************************** * * * bob church bchurch@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu * * * * If economics isn't an "exact" science why do computers crash * * so much more often than the stock market? * * bc * ********************************************************************