cyliax@ea.ecn.purdue.edu (Ingo Cyliax) (01/14/88)
Is there any way to reformat 3b2 harddisks ? We have several 3b2's on campus and have run into some that have had their harddisks scrambled and would like to reformat them to see if we can make them work again. Buying new harddisks from ATT is out, since ~$500 for a 32 Meg winchester seems a bit steep, especially when there is nothing really wrong with the drive. I have heard that there is a formatting utility that ATT had/has that would let technicians reformat disks in the field, but we haven't had any luck in trying to obtain anything like that from ATT. Thanks, -- /* Ingo Cyliax * * ...!ihnp4!pur-ee!cyliax ECN, Electrical Engineering Bldg. * * cyliax@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue University, W. Lafayette,IN 47907 * * ing@cc.purdue.edu (317) 494-3473 / (317) 463-1747 after 5pm */
jgy@hropus.UUCP (John Young) (01/15/88)
> > Is there any way to reformat 3b2 harddisks ? We have several 3b2's > on campus and have run into some that have had their harddisks > scrambled and would like to reformat them to see if we can make > them work again. Buying new harddisks from ATT is out, since ~$500 > for a 32 Meg winchester seems a bit steep, especially when there > is nothing really wrong with the drive. > > I have heard that there is a formatting utility that ATT had/has that > would let technicians reformat disks in the field, but we haven't had > any luck in trying to obtain anything like that from ATT. > The fmthard(1M) utility will lay down a new format block on a hard disk. This is used by UNIX to indicate the the type and extents of various filesystems. For a real low-level format of the disk you need a diskette which used to be known as "DEVTOOLS" but now has a new name I can't remember. It can be gotten by ordering the AT&T Hardware Maintenance Manual. Mail/call me for the order code if you need it, cos' I don't have it with me right now. John Young AT&T-BL Red Hill, Middletown, NJ 07748 201-615-4412
brian@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU (Brian Kantor) (01/15/88)
In article <1489@ea.ecn.purdue.edu> cyliax@ea.ecn.purdue.edu (Ingo Cyliax) writes: >Is there any way to reformat 3b2 harddisks? ... > >I have heard that there is a formatting utility that ATT had/has that >would let technicians reformat disks in the field, but we haven't had >any luck in trying to obtain anything like that from ATT. Yes, there is. What you need is called the DEVTOOLS diskette. It is a standalone bootable diskette that will let you format, build and reconstruct bad block tables, fix bad sanity tracks, and copy itself. It is supposed to be available from AT&T. If you ever find out how to order it, please let us know. I'm told that field engineers have it, and that it was available to VARs and developers. Good luck! You're going to need it to find anybody in AT&T who even will admit that such a diskette exists, much less anyone who'll tell you how to order it. Maybe you can slug your field technician and copy his diskette while he's recovering.... - Brian
lenny@icus.UUCP (Lenny Tropiano) (01/16/88)
In article <1489@ea.ecn.purdue.edu> cyliax@ea.ecn.purdue.edu (Ingo Cyliax) writes: |> |>Is there any way to reformat 3b2 harddisks ? We have several 3b2's |>on campus and have run into some that have had their harddisks |>scrambled and would like to reformat them to see if we can make |>them work again. Buying new harddisks from ATT is out, since ~$500 |>for a 32 Meg winchester seems a bit steep, especially when there |>is nothing really wrong with the drive. |> |>I have heard that there is a formatting utility that ATT had/has that |>would let technicians reformat disks in the field, but we haven't had |>any luck in trying to obtain anything like that from ATT. |> The "formatting" utility that you mention is called DEVTOOLS you basically have to know someone to get something like this. It has things on it like ability to write the sanity track, and do some weird things with the hard disk. I think we used it once, I don't remember exactly what for. But there is a very simple way of reformatting the system is doing a FULL RESTORAL. Boot the 3B2 off the 1st floppy in the System Software. Select 'FULL RESTORE' and you can put in the new partitioning, etc... like you are starting new. This will in-theory reformat your system. WARNING: All your stuff previously on the hard disk is destroyed! -Lenny -- ============================ US MAIL: Lenny Tropiano, ICUS Computer Group IIIII CCC U U SSSS PO Box 1 I C C U U S Islip Terrace, New York 11752 I C U U SSS PHONE: (516) 968-8576 [H] (516) 582-5525 [W] I C C U U S AT&T MAIL: ...attmail!icus!lenny TELEX: 154232428 IIIII CCC UUU SSSS UUCP: ============================ ...{uunet!godfre, harvard!talcott}!\ ...{ihnp4, boulder, mtune, bc-cis, ptsfa, sbcs}! >icus!lenny "Usenet the final frontier" ...{cmcl2!phri, hoptoad}!dasys1!/
rjd@occrsh.ATT.COM (01/18/88)
>The "formatting" utility that you mention is called DEVTOOLS you basically >have to know someone to get something like this. It has things on it >like ability to write the sanity track, and do some weird things with ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >the hard disk. I think we used it once, I don't remember exactly what for. If you ever end up in the position that the hard disk is OK, but somehow the sanity track is blown away (which can happen), it can be re-written without going to the devtools diskette. Just turn it on, get the DISK SANITY message, enter "mcp" or whatever you have changed it to, enter "filledt" as program to boot off of whatever device should be the hard disk (though the name will not appear in the table since filledt has not been run yet), let it do it, enter the diagnostic monitor (dgmon) by the same method, then run phase 21 system board diagnostices (dgn sbd ph 21), or whatever phase runs the extended HD interface test (the phase number is different on some models dependent on some things, one being the existance of a MAU on the system). This phase re-writes the sanity track as part of the test. You may now boot unix, or just turn it off and back on and let it auto-boot. Randy
jgy@hropus.UUCP (John Young) (01/20/88)
> In article <1489@ea.ecn.purdue.edu> cyliax@ea.ecn.purdue.edu (Ingo Cyliax) writes: > >Is there any way to reformat 3b2 harddisks? ... > > > >I have heard that there is a formatting utility that ATT had/has that > >would let technicians reformat disks in the field, but we haven't had > >any luck in trying to obtain anything like that from ATT. > > Yes, there is. What you need is called the DEVTOOLS diskette. It is a > standalone bootable diskette that will let you format, build and > reconstruct bad block tables, fix bad sanity tracks, and copy itself. > > It is supposed to be available from AT&T. If you ever find out how to > order it, please let us know. I'm told that field engineers have it, > and that it was available to VARs and developers. > > Good luck! You're going to need it to find anybody in AT&T who even > will admit that such a diskette exists, much less anyone who'll tell you > how to order it. Maybe you can slug your field technician and copy his > diskette while he's recovering.... > - Brian > The thing you need to order is: "AT&T 3B2 Computer Maintenance Reference Manual" Select Code: 305-395 ..... Issue 2 You should be able to order it from wherever you got your existing system and doc's. If not try: 1-800-247-1212 (USA) 1-201-953-7554 (elsewhere) This manual gives pretty good service procedures for the 3b2 line 300's through 600's. Also for SCSI and XM stuff. You will also get comcodes for most of the replaceable parts. The DEVTOOLS diskette is now known as the idtools (lower case) diskette and is included in the back of the manual. I think the cose is either $50 or $100. john young