plim@hpsgpa.HP.COM (Peter Lim) (12/08/89)
I need help with AMI BIOS and ESDI hard disk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have an 80386 25MHz machine with AMI BIOS (03/03/89, I think
that is the date stamp of the BIOS). Everything has been running
smoothly until my long awaited ESDI drive arrived.
After trying for two long nights, I still can't get the drive
installed properly. My controller card is WD-1007A (can't remember
the rest). Seems to have very strange problems.
I tried SpeedStor as well as the generic DiskManager to do low
level formatting. Seems to go thru' either of them okay. I set
the CMOS RAM drive type to 47 (user defined type), and enter 35 sectors
per track and the rest ... Then, I used FDISK (or the utilities in
DiskManager) to partition the drive into 5 drives (max. 32MB per
partition). Then I did DOS format using either HP's MS-DOS or PC-DOS
version 3.30.
From here on the problem begins. DOS format seems to have put the
system files onto the wrong place ! I used Norton's Untilities to
look at the Boot Sector, FAT etc. It seems like format placed the
system/boot record on sector 18 instead of sector 1 of track 0 !
Seems to me like DOS's confused and treated the disk as 17 sectors
per track instead of 35. I tried many times and had in one occasion
managed to get PC-DOS 3.30 on the system and booted up on the harddisk.
But then, I can't restore files from my backup properly. They came
into the hard disk but not good. Seems to me like file allocation
is up the creek ! Anybody seen anything similar and/or solved it ?
Almost forget to mention, my hard disk is the Micropolis 1355 (171 MB
unformatted).
Thanks in advance for any tips/help/idea/clue/suggestions ......
Regards,
Peter Lim.
HP Singapore IC Design Center.
E-mail address: plim@hpsgwg.HP.COM
Snail Mail address: Peter Lim
Hewlett Packard Singapore,
(ICDS, ICS)
1150, Depot Road,
Singapore 0410.
Telephone: (065)-279-2289davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM (Wm E Davidsen Jr) (12/08/89)
In article <340045@hpsgpa.HP.COM> plim@hpsgpa.HP.COM (Peter Lim) writes: | I tried SpeedStor as well as the generic DiskManager to do low | level formatting. Seems to go thru' either of them okay. I set | the CMOS RAM drive type to 47 (user defined type), and enter 35 sectors | per track and the rest ... Then, I used FDISK (or the utilities in | DiskManager) to partition the drive into 5 drives (max. 32MB per | partition). Then I did DOS format using either HP's MS-DOS or PC-DOS | version 3.30. Have you tried following the instructions which come with the controller? Mine said to set the drive type to one and gC800:5 (address from memory, sorry). That and using 34 sectors seemed to work just fine, although I don't diddle with any of those disk managers, I just use DOS regular and extended partitions and UNIX partitions. Since you need special software to use the whole disk you will have to see how the special stuff works with the disk after using the controller formatter. Unless your BIOS type has 35 sectors in its type 47 it frequently won't work right. This may well be your problem. -- bill davidsen (davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM -or- uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen) "The world is filled with fools. They blindly follow their so-called 'reason' in the face of the church and common sense. Any fool can see that the world is flat!" - anon
morris@dms.UUCP (Jim Morris) (12/09/89)
From article <340045@hpsgpa.HP.COM>, by plim@hpsgpa.HP.COM (Peter Lim): > I need help with AMI BIOS and ESDI hard disk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > > ..... > After trying for two long nights, I still can't get the drive > installed properly. My controller card is WD-1007A (can't remember > the rest). Seems to have very strange problems. > .... I am having trouble getting a WD1007A-WA2 to format a 1048/4/35 ESDI drive. I have tried the BIOS (Yes it is g=C800:5 from debug). It says it formats ok, but when I run scan surface it reports every track as bad!! This drive works ok with an ADAPTEC 2322. I suspect that maybe the WD controller only likes drives with 36 sectors, as it works fine with another drive I have that has that configuration. Any Opinions will be appreciated. Also if someone could E-mail me the jumper settings for the WD1007, my vendor didn't send any docs with the controller, it may help!! thanks. -- Jim Morris. {motcsd|weitek}!dms!morris or morris@dms.UUCP Voice (408) 434-3798 Atari Games Corporation, 675 Sycamore Drive, Milpitas CA 95035 USA (Arcade Video Game Manufacturer, NOT Atari Corp. ST manufacturer).
karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) (12/09/89)
>Item 7341 (0 resps) by plim at hpsgpa.HP.COM on Fri 08 Dec 89 13:31 >[Peter Lim] Subject: AMI BIOS vs. ESDI problem >(46 lines) > >I need help with AMI BIOS and ESDI hard disk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > >I have an 80386 25MHz machine with AMI BIOS (03/03/89, I think >that is the date stamp of the BIOS). Everything has been running >smoothly until my long awaited ESDI drive arrived. This should be ok (anything after 1/89 is ok; earlier BIOS versions would not always boot an ESDI or RLL disk from a cold start) >After trying for two long nights, I still can't get the drive >installed properly. My controller card is WD-1007A (can't remember >the rest). Seems to have very strange problems. > >I tried SpeedStor as well as the generic DiskManager to do low >level formatting. Seems to go thru' either of them okay. I set >the CMOS RAM drive type to 47 (user defined type), and enter 35 sectors >per track and the rest ... Then, I used FDISK (or the utilities in >DiskManager) to partition the drive into 5 drives (max. 32MB per >partition). Then I did DOS format using either HP's MS-DOS or PC-DOS >version 3.30. You didn't read the instructions! You do your format from the CONTROLLER (low level that is), not some external utility. Go back and re-read the manual. The entry point should be C800:5 or CC00:5 (depending on how you have the controller jumpered). You CANNOT format ESDI disks from an external utility most of the time. The reasons for this are complex, and include the fact that ESDI includes defect information ON THE DISK. You've probably destroyed that now, so it is likely you will need to reenter it -- no big deal (but a pain in the neck). Jump to the appropriate address from DEBUG and you will find a nice menu. Follow it. It will low level and sector-spare your disk for you. Then load DM or whatever and do the partitioning. DO NOT low level format again -- that is a recipe for disaster. -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 708 566-8911], Voice: [+1 708 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"
ppa@hpldola.HP.COM (Paul P. Austgen) (12/12/89)
I have an IBM ESDI 70 Mb disk and a Western Digital WD1005A-ARM controller that came out of a PC-RT. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to use it with DOS and an AT? There doesn't seem to be any code at c800:5 to do a low level format. I have reformatted it using a disk type allowing for user definable parameters, but about 10% of the sectors are marked as bad, which seems unlikely. I can format it. more or less, as a type with 17 sectors per track, and even boot from it, but this seems like a terrible waste of disk space. I have Disk Technician, but I don't think it is designed to handle ESDI stuff. An earlier statement in this string about being unable to format these beasts from user parameters or generic format packages seems to be correct in my recent experiences. But on the other hand, without a routine on the controller, I don't know what to do. Does anyone know what I have here, and what to do?
darcy@druid.uucp (D'Arcy J.M. Cain) (12/16/89)
In article <11250114@hpldola.HP.COM> ppa@hpldola.HP.COM (Paul P. Austgen) writes: >I have an IBM ESDI 70 Mb disk and a Western Digital WD1005A-ARM >controller that came out of a PC-RT. Does anyone have any >suggestions on how to use it with DOS and an AT? > >There doesn't seem to be any code at c800:5 to do a low level >format. Try c800:6 -- D'Arcy J.M. Cain (darcy@druid) | Thank goodness we don't get all D'Arcy Cain Consulting | the government we pay for. West Hill, Ontario, Canada | No disclaimers. I agree with me |
ppa@hpldoro.UUCP (Paul P. Austgen) (12/20/89)
> / hpldoro:comp.sys.ibm.pc / darcy@druid.uucp (D'Arcy J.M. Cain) / 4:52 am Dec 16, 1989 / > In article <11250114@hpldola.HP.COM> ppa@hpldola.HP.COM (Paul P. Austgen) writes: > >I have an IBM ESDI 70 Mb disk and a Western Digital WD1005A-ARM > >controller that came out of a PC-RT. Does anyone have any > >suggestions on how to use it with DOS and an AT? > > > >There doesn't seem to be any code at c800:5 to do a low level > >format. > > Try c800:6 As I recall, I unassembled at c800:0 and didn't see any code anywhere in sight. I will give :6 a try, however. >
emmo@moncam.co.uk (Dave Emmerson) (12/21/89)
In article <11250116@hpldoro.UUCP>, ppa@hpldoro.UUCP (Paul P. Austgen) writes: > > / hpldoro:comp.sys.ibm.pc / darcy@druid.uucp (D'Arcy J.M. Cain) / 4:52 am Dec 16, 1989 / > > In article <11250114@hpldola.HP.COM> ppa@hpldola.HP.COM (Paul P. Austgen) writes: > > >[deleted]] > > >There doesn't seem to be any code at c800:5 to do a low level > > >format. > > > > Try c800:6 > > As I recall, I unassembled at c800:0 and didn't see any code > anywhere in sight. I will give :6 a try, however. > This kind of confusion seems commonplace on 'expandable' systems. These days you can't rely on the HD's BIOS being at c800, it could appear anywhere from C000: to EE00: use debug to check the first few bytes of ALL the likely addresses, you'll usually see the text of the copyright notices in the ascii listing. When you've found the one for your controller, then you can use g=xxxx:5 or whatever. At the risk of insulting your intelligence, if you don't savvy hex or debug, you need: -d C000:0 -d C200:0 -d C400:0 -d C600:0 -d C800:0 -d CA00:0 -d CC00:0 -d CE00:0 -d D000:0 -d D200:0 ..etc, till you either find it, or reach EF00: If you have Norton's SI, you can speed this up, it will list the addresses of all your bios's. If the one you want isn't in that list then you have 2 boards using the same address, and will have to reconfigure one. Hope that helps, Dave E.
ppa@hpldola.HP.COM (Paul P. Austgen) (01/03/90)
> / hpldola:comp.sys.ibm.pc / emmo@moncam.co.uk (Dave Emmerson) / 5:40 am Dec 21, 1989 / > In article <11250116@hpldoro.UUCP>, ppa@hpldoro.UUCP (Paul P. Austgen) writes: > > > / hpldoro:comp.sys.ibm.pc / darcy@druid.uucp (D'Arcy J.M. Cain) / 4:52 am Dec 16, 1989 / > > > In article <11250114@hpldola.HP.COM> ppa@hpldola.HP.COM (Paul P. Austgen) writes: > > > >[deleted]] > > > >There doesn't seem to be any code at c800:5 to do a low level > > > >format. > > > > > > Try c800:6 > > > > As I recall, I unassembled at c800:0 and didn't see any code > > anywhere in sight. I will give :6 a try, however. > > > This kind of confusion seems commonplace on 'expandable' systems. > > These days you can't rely on the HD's BIOS being at c800, it could > appear anywhere from C000: to EE00: > > use debug to check the first few bytes of ALL the likely addresses, > you'll usually see the text of the copyright notices in the ascii > listing. When you've found the one for your controller, then you can > use g=xxxx:5 or whatever. > At the risk of insulting your intelligence, if you don't savvy hex > or debug, you need: > -d C000:0 > -d C200:0 > -d C400:0 > -d C600:0 > -d C800:0 > -d CA00:0 > -d CC00:0 > -d CE00:0 > -d D000:0 > -d D200:0 > ..etc, till you either find it, or reach EF00: > > If you have Norton's SI, you can speed this up, it will list the addresses > of all your bios's. If the one you want isn't in that list then you have > 2 boards using the same address, and will have to reconfigure one. > > Hope that helps, > > Dave E. I think that the problem is more complex than you state, Dave. I have Norton, and I know where the code is. Most of the areas you mention, however, contain code that has nothing to do with hard disks, however. They are for video, lan cards, HP-IB, etc. Anyway, many HD controllers simply do not have code on board. This seems to be especially true for 386 systems, although one of my 286's uses a Mountain 35 Mb disk with a controller with no ROM for formatting. A disk is shipped with it for this purpose. What I conclude is that anyone trying to venture into unproven configurations of disks and controller cards had better have a lot of cheap time on their hands. Four or five nights of frustration seems a lot against 100-200 dollars for a new controller card with built-in routines. > ----------
emmo@moncam.co.uk (Dave Emmerson) (01/04/90)
In article <11250121@hpldola.HP.COM+, ppa@hpldola.HP.COM (Paul P. Austgen) writes: + + / hpldola:comp.sys.ibm.pc / emmo@moncam.co.uk (Dave Emmerson) / 5:40 am Dec 21, 1989 / + + In article <11250116@hpldoro.UUCP+, ppa@hpldoro.UUCP (Paul P. Austgen) writes: + + + + / hpldoro:comp.sys.ibm.pc / darcy@druid.uucp (D'Arcy J.M. Cain) / 4:52 am Dec 16, 1989 / + + + + In article <11250114@hpldola.HP.COM+ ppa@hpldola.HP.COM (Paul P. Austgen) writes: [lots of stuff deleted from this posting] + + + + +There doesn't seem to be any code at c800:5 to do a low level + + + + +format. + + + + + + These days you can't rely on the HD's BIOS being at c800, it could + + appear anywhere from C000: to EE00: + + + + + + If you have Norton's SI, you can speed this up, it will list the addresses + + of all your bios's. If the one you want isn't in that list then you have + + 2 boards using the same address, and will have to reconfigure one. + + + + + I think that the problem is more complex than you state, Dave. I + have Norton, and I know where the code is. Most of the areas + you mention, however, contain code that has nothing to do with + hard disks, however. They are for video, lan cards, HP-IB, etc. + Correction, you know where the code is on *your* system. That's the point, of the dozen or so HDD controllers I have seen in the past month, *none* were unable to have their bios relocated. Just as well for me, I had to move it every time! c800:x is only the *most common* place for it, but it often needs to be moved because it's too large, and encroaches on (in my case) the floppy controller bios at CA00:x + Anyway, many HD controllers simply do not have code on board. Agreed, I should have mentioned this, I had *assumed* from the original posting that one was supposed to exist. If this is the case then it's a job for the motherboard bios setup. I gather WD(R) MFM controllers fall into this category. I wonder if it's worthwhile maintaining a list of board configurations, BIOS entry points etc.. ? There seem to be a lot of enquiries along these lines. Anyone agree? ATB Dave E. -Disclaimer- I reserve the right to be wrong (occasionally I exercise it)
dick@slvblc.UUCP (Dick Flanagan) (01/05/90)
In article <11250121@hpldola.HP.COM> ppa@hpldola.HP.COM (Paul P. Austgen) writes: >> These days you can't rely on the HD's BIOS being at c800, it could >> appear anywhere from C000: to EE00: > >Anyway, many HD controllers simply do not have code on board. This is quite true. A large number of systems are shipped out the door with disk controllers containing empty BIOS sockets--the supporting code is all provided by the motherboard's BIOS. So, before you knock yourself out trying to find the address of the on-board format routines, check the controller board itself. If you see a large empty socket, with the word "BIOS" silkscreened nearby, you are probably out of luck. 8-) -- Dick Flanagan, W6OLD, CFII, CFIG Cherokee 235 N9212W UUCP: ...!uunet!slvblc!dick GEnie: FLANAGAN Internet: slvblc!dick@uunet.UU.NET POB 155, Ben Lomond, CA 95005