leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson) (06/20/89)
In article <598@aablue.UUCP> jb@aablue.UUCP (John B Scalia) writes:
<The problem I'm encountering is that the unit, while booting from the
<hard disk doesn't seem to want to read config.sys or its autoexec.bat
<file. I've tried doing low levels with both Disk Manager from Ontrack
<and Everex's own disk utilities. Both give the same end results.
<
<In either case I low level, partition, and logically format the drive
<into what should be C:, D:, & E: drives. When I boot the unit, everything
<looks normal, except stupid things, like my environment size and the path
<I want, never get set.
First, did you format C: with the /S parameter (I'd assume so, as otherwise
it wouldn't boot at all). Second, use FDISK and see if the partition is marked
ACTIVE.
The next thing is to re-check your config.sys. It sounds like you are using
the SHELL command. The format of this command is *very* critical!
shell=C:\command.com C:\ /p /e:512
c:\command.com the command interpeter is command.com
c:\ reload from the root directory on drive C
/p "permanent" (ie exit will be ignored
AND AUTOEXEC.BAT WILL BE EXECUTED!)
/e:512 set environment space to 512 bytes
(512 paragraphs in DOS 3.1)
The order and the spaces can be critical. My guess is that you don't have a
/p.
--
Leonard Erickson ...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard
CIS: [70465,203]
"I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools.
Let's start with typewriters." -- Solomon Shortdchou@ncoast.ORG (David Chou) (06/23/89)
I also had trouble with utilities like directory working properly when I formatted a 3085 with the Ontrack Disk Manager provided by CompuAdd in my original IBM-AT. Supposedly the system created a single 49MB disk, but everything behaved very erratically. I finally did a traditional setup (with a type 12) and followed with a low level format, FDISK, and high level format. I know that type 12 is wrong for this drive, but my feeble minded 5 year old AT only knows about 15 drives and as a result I lose 10MB. This is a *strange* disk since it has 1170 tracks and DOS can only handle 1024. In my case I can only use 855 unless I replace my BIOS. Dave Chou ncoast!dchou@hal.cwru.edu
jb@aablue.UUCP (John B Scalia) (07/22/89)
I've just been wrestling with the wierdest problem I've ever encountered
while putting together a PC; thus, I find myself turning to the net again
for help.
What I'm building is a little Everex Step 286/12-2, and I'm trying to
install one of Miniscribe's little half-height 80MB drives, a 3085.
The problem I'm encountering is that the unit, while booting from the
hard disk doesn't seem to want to read config.sys or its autoexec.bat
file. I've tried doing low levels with both Disk Manager from Ontrack
and Everex's own disk utilities. Both give the same end results.
In either case I low level, partition, and logically format the drive
into what should be C:, D:, & E: drives. When I boot the unit, everything
looks normal, except stupid things, like my environment size and the path
I want, never get set.
Anybody got any ideas? Everex can't help since this isn't one of their
"factory" drives, but I don't have any choice but to use this (unless you
know of another HH 80MB drive that I could substitute).
Humbly yours,
John B. Scalia
--
A A Blueprint Co., Inc. - Akron, Ohio +1 216 794-8803 voice
UUCP: {uunet!}aablue!jb
Sometimes they do let me speak for the company, not today though.JLI@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (08/14/89)
In article <598@aablue.UUCP>, jb@aablue.UUCP (John B Scalia) writes: > I've just been wrestling with the wierdest problem I've ever encountered > while putting together a PC; thus, I find myself turning to the net again > for help. > > What I'm building is a little Everex Step 286/12-2, and I'm trying to > install one of Miniscribe's little half-height 80MB drives, a 3085. > > The problem I'm encountering is that the unit, while booting from the > hard disk doesn't seem to want to read config.sys or its autoexec.bat > file. I've tried doing low levels with both Disk Manager from Ontrack > and Everex's own disk utilities. Both give the same end results. This is a wierd one indeed. You may want to try a different HD controller ( I mean different model). > > In either case I low level, partition, and logically format the drive > into what should be C:, D:, & E: drives. When I boot the unit, everything > looks normal, except stupid things, like my environment size and the path > I want, never get set. > > Anybody got any ideas? Everex can't help since this isn't one of their > "factory" drives, but I don't have any choice but to use this (unless you > know of another HH 80MB drive that I could substitute). > We had different problems with Miniscribe drives (8450, 8438) companied with WD 1003V SR2 and WD 1006V SR2 controllers. The drives can be format- ted fine, and passed 48-hour burn-in test. However, after a few days of use, they showed a lot of bad sectors which increase rapidly (only need 10 - 20 days, they became totally dead). After reformatting them, every- thing returns to normal, but this cycle will come again. Believe me or not, almost every drive we installed in passed few months came back for service (more than 50 of them) with the same problem. I cannot draw any conclusion here, just an observation. After we replaced HD controllers (with DTC etc.), we haven't seen any (almost) returns. By the way, we only have problem with AT typed machines. They worked fine on XTs. Could there be some sort of timing problem? Qiwu Liu U of KS
karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) (08/14/89)
> We had different problems with Miniscribe drives (8450, 8438) companied >with WD 1003V SR2 and WD 1006V SR2 controllers. The drives can be format- >ted fine, and passed 48-hour burn-in test. However, after a few days of >use, they showed a lot of bad sectors which increase rapidly (only need >10 - 20 days, they became totally dead). After reformatting them, every- >thing returns to normal, but this cycle will come again. > I cannot draw any conclusion here, just an observation. After we replaced >HD controllers (with DTC etc.), we haven't seen any (almost) returns. I would bet on the Miniscribe drives being a little on the shaky side. We use the WD1006 V-series boards, and have for months, without a single problem. Drives to date have included Seagate, Mitsubishi, CDC, and Micropolis -- all ok. Oh yeah, a few Maxstors in there too. I have also heard that Miniscribe has been having QC problems the last few months...... -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"