jf.messier@canremote.uucp (JF MESSIER) (09/03/89)
I also have a problem with the DOS 4.01 : I have installed it on my
system because I just got a 400 MEGS CDC hard disk with ESDI disk
controller. Since that, I have a problem reading my 3 1.2 diskettes. It
seems to be a "classical" problem since it was covered in some
conferences on FidoNet about a year ago. Here's the problem :
I have a 3.5 " disk drive that can read 720K and 1.44M diskettes. It
is installed as the drive A: on my system. When I start the system, the
first diskette I read in this drive via aDIR command will have the
proper directory, but any other diskette read later will give me the
SAME directory as the first one, even if it's another. It seems that DOS
cannot re-read the FAT and DIR sectors. The diskettes I tried are both
formatted in DOS 3.3 and DOS 4.01. The diskettes I tried are some master
diskettes from MicroSoft Quick Pascal and the master disks for DOS 4.01.
I canot believe that dos cannot read it's own diskettes. The only
"patch" I found was using Pc-Tools to copy the files over a 1.2M floppy
and use them, but it's a pain since all my data is on 3.5. Even with
that, PC-Tools will tell me that no files are present on the DOS
diskettes. I use PC-Tools version 5.1 which is compatible with DOS.
The other problem is that the stupid DOS documentation for the
DRIVER.SYS is really short and does not tell anything about the
parameters. Anyone has an idea about that problem ????????????
BTW : Here's my system configuration :
Everex Step 386/16 running under IBM DOS 4.01 and using
a CDC hard disk of 350MEGS (formatted), a 3.5" disk drive
of 1.44M/720K as drive A: and a 1.2M disk drive as B:.
I use 2M of memory and run all the time at 16 Mhz. Oh !
I forgot to say that the HD and Controller are ESDI type.
---
* Via ProDoor 3.0
* QNet 1.04a1: 012[ SuperByte '386 (819) 770-5163 [210neese@adaptex.UUCP (09/08/89)
It sounds like you have a 3 1/2" floppy drive that may not support
or have broken, the disk change detect electronics. Or the system BIOS
doesn't handle it correctly.
Roy Neese
Adaptec Central Field Applications Engineer
UUCP @ {texbell,killer}!cpe!adaptex!neese
merch!adaptex!neesehashemi@leadsv.UUCP (Rahmat O. Hashemi) (09/09/89)
In article <89090607413782@masnet.uucp> jf.messier@canremote.uucp (JF MESSIER) writes: >I also have a problem with the DOS 4.01 : I have installed it on my >system because I just got a 400 MEGS CDC hard disk with ESDI disk >controller. Since that, I have a problem reading my 3 1.2 diskettes. It This has nothing to do with the DOS VERSION. Some BIOS would like to see a 1.2M as drive A. Aside from that, the Disk_Change signal on your 1.44M may not be passing on the info to the system. If you: read a diskette, and change to another drive, then come back and read a second diskette, the problem would not show up. Read your manual(assuming you got one) on the 1.44M drive, see if there isn't a jumper you need to configure. Good luck, and have a great day.
akcs.amparsonjr@vpnet.UUCP (Anthony M. Parson, Jr.) (09/20/89)
It's the line 34 jumper. The instr that came with my Toshiba 3.5 say to set it for DISKCHANGE for AT-types, set jumper the other way for all else. I have read that what ever ddrive you use for A: must be supported by the BIOS on the motherboard. Switch your drives around...
catone@dsl.cis.upenn.edu (Tony Catone) (09/28/89)
In article <89090607413782@masnet.uucp> jf.messier@canremote.uucp (JF MESSIER) writes: >I also have a problem with the DOS 4.01 : I have installed it on my >system because I just got a 400 MEGS CDC hard disk with ESDI disk >controller. Since that, I have a problem reading my 3 1.2 diskettes. It >seems to be a "classical" problem since it was covered in some >conferences on FidoNet about a year ago. Here's the problem : > > I have a 3.5 " disk drive that can read 720K and 1.44M diskettes. It >is installed as the drive A: on my system. When I start the system, the >first diskette I read in this drive via aDIR command will have the >proper directory, but any other diskette read later will give me the >SAME directory as the first one, even if it's another. It seems that DOS >cannot re-read the FAT and DIR sectors. The diskettes I tried are both >formatted in DOS 3.3 and DOS 4.01. . . . . >. . . The only >"patch" I found was using Pc-Tools to copy the files over a 1.2M floppy I noticed the same problem on an AT&T 386 box that one of our faculty started using. Doing a CHKDSK after changing disks read in the correct (new) directory information; this fix occurred to me because I used a variation of it to do something similar in MS-DOS 2.05 on DEC Rainbows some years back. We are currently not sure why the problem occurs. If anyone has some ideas, I'd love to hear them. By the way, yes, I know, running chkdsk each time is also a pain, but maybe you can pretend you've got a CP/M system again, and treat it like typing Ctrl-C ;-) - Tony catone@dsl.cis.upenn.edu catone@wharton.upenn.edu
mlord@bmers58.UUCP (Mark Lord) (09/29/89)
In article <14789@netnews.upenn.edu> catone@dsl.cis.upenn.edu (Tony Catone) writes: >In article <89090607413782@masnet.uucp> jf.messier@canremote.uucp (JF MESSIER) writes: >>first diskette I read in this drive via aDIR command will have the >>proper directory, but any other diskette read later will give me the >>SAME directory as the first one, even if it's another. It seems that DOS > >By the way, yes, I know, running chkdsk each time is also a pain, but >maybe you can pretend you've got a CP/M system again, and treat it like >typing Ctrl-C ;-) The DOS equivalent to ^C is merely typing the drive letter with a colon and then hitting enter. This forces DOS to reread directory/FAT info from the diskette. Ie. type A: I do this whenever swapping floppies, to prevent DOS from getting confused. Most of the time it would not matter, but I do it anyway. -Mark
robert@hemingway.WEITEK.COM (Robert Plamondon) (09/30/89)
>> I have a 3.5 " disk drive that can read 720K and 1.44M diskettes. It >>is installed as the drive A: on my system. When I start the system, the >>first diskette I read in this drive via aDIR command will have the >>proper directory, but any other diskette read later will give me the >>SAME directory as the first one, even if it's another. It seems that DOS >>cannot re-read the FAT and DIR sectors. The diskettes I tried are both >>formatted in DOS 3.3 and DOS 4.01. . . . . DOS (or the BIOS) expects the diskette drives to have a "READY" signal that indicates whether the diskette has been replaced. If it expects this signal from a drive that doesn't provide it, it thinks that it still has the original disk in its drive, and uses the copy of the directory and FAT in RAM, rather than reading it from the floppy again. Typing control-C will cause it to flush these buffers, at least in DOS 3.3. A different BIOS or an installable device driver will probably fix the problem. -- Robert -- Robert Plamondon robert@weitek.COM "No Toon can resist the old 'Shave and a Hair-Cut'"
ching@pepsi.amd.com (Mike Ching) (09/30/89)
In article <282@bmers58.UUCP> mlord@bmers58.UUCP (Mark Lord) writes: >In article <14789@netnews.upenn.edu> catone@dsl.cis.upenn.edu (Tony Catone) writes: >>In article <89090607413782@masnet.uucp> jf.messier@canremote.uucp (JF MESSIER) writes: >>>first diskette I read in this drive via aDIR command will have the >>>proper directory, but any other diskette read later will give me the >>>SAME directory as the first one, even if it's another. It seems that DOS >> >>By the way, yes, I know, running chkdsk each time is also a pain, but >>maybe you can pretend you've got a CP/M system again, and treat it like >>typing Ctrl-C ;-) > >The DOS equivalent to ^C is merely typing the drive letter with a colon >and then hitting enter. This forces DOS to reread directory/FAT info >from the diskette. Ie. type A: Isn't the DOS equivalent to ^C a ^C? I believe this carried over from CPM. mike ching
rick@NRC.COM (Rick Wagner) (10/03/89)
In article <799@hemingway.WEITEK.COM> robert@hemingway.WEITEK.COM (Robert Plamondon) writes: >>> I have a 3.5 " disk drive that can read 720K and 1.44M diskettes. It >>>is installed as the drive A: on my system. When I start the system, the >>>first diskette I read in this drive via aDIR command will have the >>>proper directory, but any other diskette read later will give me the >>>SAME directory as the first one, even if it's another. It seems that DOS >>>cannot re-read the FAT and DIR sectors. The diskettes I tried are both >>>formatted in DOS 3.3 and DOS 4.01. . . . . > >DOS (or the BIOS) expects the diskette drives to have a "READY" signal >that indicates whether the diskette has been replaced. If it expects >this signal from a drive that doesn't provide it, it thinks that it >still has the original disk in its drive, and uses the copy of the >directory and FAT in RAM, rather than reading it from the floppy >again. Most of the 3.5" drives do supply a "disk change" line. What I have found is alot of the drives are shipped with this option disabled. The drives I have seen (Teacs, I think), have a jumper on the board where the ribbon cable connects to the drive, which enables this signal. Check your drive documents, and see if this is the case with your drive. -rick -- =============================================================================== Rick Wagner Network Research Corp. rick@nrc.com rick@nrcvax.UUCP 2380 North Rose Ave. (805) 485-2700 FAX: (805) 485-8204 Oxnard, CA 93030 Don't hate yourself in the morning, sleep 'till noon.
gregory@cs-col.Columbia.NCR.COM (Clark Gregory) (10/03/89)
In previous articles (I missed the origional) I have seen: > I have a disk drive.... When I start the system the first diskette I read > will have a proper directory, but any other diskette later will give me > the SAME directory as the first.... There is a strap on flex drives that effects the use of pin 34 of the interface. Some systems use this signal to indicate that a flex is present and ready while the AT uses this to indicate that the door has been opened (ie it dies not have to read the directory again). There is a strap in the drive that indicates how this signal is to be used. I suggest you check the technical information with the drive if possible or a local store may have this information available also. Also refer to the book listed below. I suggest you get this fixed, else MS/DOS may write the directory and FAT table of the first disk to the second disk. (NOT very nice of it!) Give credit where due: This is discussed in the book: Upgrading and Repairing PCs By: Scott Mueller Pub: Que Corp, Carmel Indiana. Should be available at local book stores (My local computer store doesnt seem to believe in little things like documentation). See page 312 on. Clark Gregory Customer services NCR Corp, E&M Columbia (HOME OF THE UNIX TOWER - Thats right UNIX)