klee@cs.ubc.ca (Kenneth Lee) (01/15/90)
Well, I've just acquired a copy of SpinRite II and have been unable to use it. When I select either "Quick Surface Scan" or "Begin SpinRite Analysis", SpinRite II successfully performs tests on the system RAM, the disk controller, and the controller RAM. However, the test for disk caching never completes, even after 1 hour. This is true even after slowing my system clock down to 8 MHz. My system is a local 20 MHz 386 clone with a AMI BIOS, a DTC 7280 Rev. A combined floppy and hard disk controller, and a Miniscribe 3085 hard disk. What I would like to know is whether anyone in netland has encountered similar problems using SpinRite II. Even better, if someone has managed to get SpinRite II work on the same controller and disk combination please let me know. I will be calling Gibson Research Corporation's Tech Support, but from the articles that I've read about SpinRite, I'm not very optimistic about getting through. :-( +---------------------------------------+-----------------------+ | Ken Lee | klee@cs.ubc.ca | | Department of Computer Science | klee@cs.ubc.cdn | | University of British Columbia | uunet!ubc-cs!klee | | Vancouver, BC, Canada | (604) 228-3061 | +---------------------------------------+-----------------------+
klee@cs.ubc.ca (Kenneth Lee) (01/16/90)
In article <6263@ubc-cs.UUCP> klee@cs.ubc.ca (Kenneth Lee) writes: > >I will be calling Gibson Research Corporation's Tech Support, but from >the articles that I've read about SpinRite, I'm not very optimistic about >getting through. :-( > Well, I got through to Tech Support. The verdict is that although I am using Disk Manager's DMDRVR.BIN to access my hard disk partitions, because I used SWBIOS.COM to access the cylinders past 1024 when I partitioned my Miniscribe 3085, SpinRite II will not function on my system!! After flipping through the online manual, there is a note regarding SWBIOS.COM that says "SpinRite does not operate with this drive-extending software BIOS." This is misleading since I do not invoke SWBIOS.COM once I've partitioned my hard disk. At any rate, the bottom line is: SPINRITE II WILL NOT FUNCTION WITH HARD DISKS WITH MORE THAN 1024 CYLINDERS!! Now why didn't they point this out on the packaging. What a bloody waste of my time and money!!!! +---------------------------------------+-----------------------+ | Ken Lee | klee@cs.ubc.ca | | Department of Computer Science | klee@cs.ubc.cdn | | University of British Columbia | uunet!ubc-cs!klee | | Vancouver, BC, Canada | (604) 228-3061 | +---------------------------------------+-----------------------+
kentkar@polari.UUCP (kent karrer) (01/17/90)
In article <6263@ubc-cs.UUCP> klee@cs.ubc.ca (Kenneth Lee) writes: >Well, I've just acquired a copy of SpinRite II and have been unable >to use it. When I select either "Quick Surface Scan" or "Begin SpinRite >Analysis", SpinRite II successfully performs tests on the system RAM, the >disk controller, and the controller RAM. However, the test for disk >caching never completes, even after 1 hour. This is true even after >slowing my system clock down to 8 MHz. > >My system is a local 20 MHz 386 clone with a AMI BIOS, a DTC 7280 Rev. A >combined floppy and hard disk controller, and a Miniscribe 3085 hard disk. > >What I would like to know is whether anyone in netland has encountered >similar problems using SpinRite II. Even better, if someone has managed >to get SpinRite II work on the same controller and disk combination >please let me know. I have a home grown 20/24 MHz 386 clone (10 MHz bus) with AMI BIOS, WD1006V-SR2 hard/floppy disk controller, and Seagate ST4144R hard drive. I use Spinrite II and I have had absolutely no problem with this configuration. I make it a point to boot just DOS and no TSR's or other memory resident programs/processes. Prior to upgrading to 386 I used Spinrite II with my 286 (DTK BIOS) and same hard and floppy configuration as above. I have also used it with a WD1003 hard/ floppy disk controller with no problems. Originally, I tried to replace my WD1003 controller with an Adaptec hard/floppy controller. I never was able to get the Adaptec to work correctly so I sent it back. I know of others with various hardware configurations who are using Spinrite II without problem. Good luck in you quest. -- [~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~] [ My thought is in control of my experience and I can direct my thinking. ] [ ***Bellevue, Washington*** --Ernest Holmes-- ] [_______ beaver.cs.washington.edu!sumax!polari!kentkar (Kent Karrer) _______]