huisjes@cs.vu.nl (Michiel Huisjes) (10/08/89)
A friend of mine just got hold of a DEC Rainbow 100 running MS-DOS 2.11 and he's having troubles with disk formats. It seems that a DEC Rainbow formats disks at 400K (how odd) and cannot read normal 360K type DOS disks. Trying to read a 360K formatted disk gives the error message "non-DOS disk in drive A:" and if I read a 400K formatted disk in my 386 high-density drive it claims that the disk type is a single-sided double density 8 spt disk with 14K used somewhere in the middle (Norton utilities). What am I doing wrong? Is a DEC Rainbow really that incompatible and more important, how do I transfer my software onto the DEC? Answers will be greatly appreciated. -- Michiel Huisjes. (huisjes@cs.vu.nl)
scjones@sdrc.UUCP (Larry Jones) (10/10/89)
In article <3603@pinas.cs.vu.nl>, huisjes@cs.vu.nl (Michiel Huisjes) writes: > A friend of mine just got hold of a DEC Rainbow 100 running MS-DOS 2.11 and > he's having troubles with disk formats. It seems that a DEC Rainbow formats > disks at 400K (how odd) and cannot read normal 360K type DOS disks. > Trying to read a 360K formatted disk gives the error message "non-DOS disk in > drive A:" and if I read a 400K formatted disk in my 386 high-density drive > it claims that the disk type is a single-sided double density 8 spt disk with > 14K used somewhere in the middle (Norton utilities). > What am I doing wrong? Is a DEC Rainbow really that incompatible and more > important, how do I transfer my software onto the DEC? Yes, good old Digital really came up with an interesting format for the Rainbow. As I recall, the normal Rainbow disk format is double density, 8 or 9 sectors per track, but 80 tracks (rather than the usual 40), and single sided! If you have a sophisticated formatting program, you may be able to format and write a Rainbow disk in a high-density drive (which reminds me that I probably ought to post the sophisticated formatting program I have). If not, you should be able to read a standard SINGLE SIDED pc disk in the Rainbow (try FORMAT /1). ---- Larry Jones UUCP: uunet!sdrc!scjones SDRC scjones@SDRC.UU.NET 2000 Eastman Dr. BIX: ltl Milford, OH 45150-2789 AT&T: (513) 576-2070 "I have plenty of good sense. I just choose to ignore it." -Calvin
jvb7u@astsun1.astro.Virginia.EDU (Jon Brinkmann) (10/10/89)
In article <849@sdrc.UUCP> scjones@sdrc.UUCP (Larry Jones) writes: #In article <3603@pinas.cs.vu.nl>, huisjes@cs.vu.nl (Michiel Huisjes) writes: #> A friend of mine just got hold of a DEC Rainbow 100 running MS-DOS 2.11 and #> he's having troubles with disk formats. It seems that a DEC Rainbow formats #> disks at 400K (how odd) and cannot read normal 360K type DOS disks. #> Trying to read a 360K formatted disk gives the error message "non-DOS disk in #> drive A:" and if I read a 400K formatted disk in my 386 high-density drive #> it claims that the disk type is a single-sided double density 8 spt disk with #> 14K used somewhere in the middle (Norton utilities). #> What am I doing wrong? Is a DEC Rainbow really that incompatible and more #> important, how do I transfer my software onto the DEC? # You can transfer files to these floppies in two ways: 1) Use the DECUS utilty VMSFLX with an RX50 drive on a MicroVAX. 2) Use the RX50 driver for the PC/AT (high density drive). You can get this from SIMTEL. Neither utility will allow you to format the disks, but you can read and write them. I use a $$ program called UNIFORM for formatting. Jon Jon Brinkmann BITnet: jvb7u@Virginia.EDU Astronomy Department ARPA/Internet: jvb7u@astsun1.astro.Virginia.EDU University of Virginia UUCP: ...!uunet!virginia!jvb7u Charlottesvile, VA 22903-0818 SPAN/HEPnet: 6654::jvb7u
davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM (Wm E Davidsen Jr) (10/10/89)
In article <3603@pinas.cs.vu.nl>, huisjes@cs.vu.nl (Michiel Huisjes) writes: | A friend of mine just got hold of a DEC Rainbow 100 running MS-DOS 2.11 and [ found out the floppy drives aren't IBM compatible ] The 160k and 180k formats will be readable in a Rainbow, and after you write it in the Ranbow *may* be readable in a PC. They *will* be readable in an AT. The Rainbow uses single sided, 80 track, 10 sector per track format (400k). There is a program which allows manipulating this format on an AT. -- 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
david@oldcolo.UUCP (David Hughes Jr) (11/05/89)
You can use a program called Media Master to transfer files to IBM from a DEC Rainbow. You can attach what is called an I-Drive which will allow the Rainbow to have an IBM floppy drive hanging off of it. Otherwise, yes, the Rainbow is a bit of a white elephant. I have one and love it, but it does make life with the IBM world tough.