mechgam@tness1.UUCP (6958) (09/14/87)
I just replaced my 10 MB Seagate (ST-412) with a new 20 MB ST-225 on my 5 year old IBM PC-XT. The hard disk controller is a full length card made by IBM. I have no documentation on this controller or anything else connected with this PC since it was already here when I took this job. I can't get the new drive operational. C: gives the message "Invalid drive specification." Fdisk gives the message "Error reading fixed disk." Does anybody have any ideas? Possibly needs a low-level format? Thank you very much, Gary Mink Southwestern Bell Telephone Houston, TX. (713) 521-6958 -- Gary A. Mink Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. (713) 521-6958 tness1!mechgam
creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (09/17/87)
I ran into (I think) the same problem. Is it doing that when you try
the FDISK command? If so, that's what happened to me. You need to use
the DEBUG program, and enter a goto address to jump to the controller's
firmware. I have a file handy to tell exactly what to do. I'll upload it
now and put it below.
- - - - - - - - -
Steve Creps on the VAX 8650 running Ultrix 2.0-1 at Indiana University.
creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu
Cowhand: "How 'bout some more beans, Mr. Taggert?"
Taggert (Slim Pickens): "Hell, I'd say you boys have had enough already!"
Sparta PCBoard Hard Drive Conference
(201) 729-5377 or (201) 729-7056
Auto-config Formatting Procedures
Western Digital WD 1002S-WX2
The following information is taken directly from the Western Digital
Installation Guide for the WD 1002S-WX2 HD controller. For clarity
I have inserted my own notes on some portions of the procedures that
WD has lightly touched.
Step Instructions
1. Correctly install or remove jumper on SW1-5. This is the
uppermost jumper on SW1.
Note: This jumper tells the BIOS to read the jumpers 1-4
on SW1 for the corresponding table to use or to
accept keyboard input for the various parameters.
2. At the A Prompt, insert the PC-DOS Supplemental Diskette;
load and run the PC-DOS debug utility by typing DEBUG.
A>DEBUG c/r
3. At the debug prompt, initiate the WD format program by
typing the following command line. The debug prompt is the
hyphen "-".
-g=c800:5 c/r
4. The WD format program will display the following message:
WX2 Format Revision T.8 (c) Copyright Western digital Corp. 1985
Key in drive no and interleave as follows: d ii where
d = relative no (0-1)
ii = interleave factor (1-16)
Enter d and ii separated by a space and followed with a Return
Example:
0 03 c/r
NOTE: Drive C: = 0, Drive D: = 1. An interleave factor of 3 is
standard. If formatting two drives, this option must be run
twice; once with d=0 and again with d=1.
5. The following message will be displayed:
Key in disk characteristics as follows: ccc h rrr ppp ee oo
where
ccc = total number of cylinders (1-4 digits)
h = number of heads (1-2 digits)
rrr = starting reduced write cylinder (1-4 digits)
ppp = write precomp cylinder (1-4 digits)
ee = max correctable error burst (1-2 digits)
oo = CCB option byte (1 hex digit)
Enter each value separated by a space and follow entry with
a return
Example:
306 4 128 128 11 05 c/r
6. CPU Response (did you know cpu's respond?)
Are you virtually configuring the drive - Answer Y/N
Enter a "Y" and c/r for yes or "N" and c/r for no.
Sysop note: All this is asking is "Do you want to split
the drive into more than one volume"?
7. If Yes, the following message is displayed.
Key in virtual drive size list as vvvv
where vvvv = virtual drive size (1-4 digits)
Enter two cylinder numbers, followed by a space and
c/r
Note: The sum of these two numbers cannot exceed the
maximum number of available cylinders on your hard disk.
Example:
153 153 c/r
If No, continue to next step
8. The following message will be displayed.
Press "y" to begin formatting drive d with interleave ii.
Note: d = drive number and ii = interleave factor.
Type "Y" followed by a c/r
9. System Responses:
If any key other than "Y" is typed, the program displays
the following message and returns to DOS.
CPU response:
Nothing done exit
A>
If an error occurs while formatting, the program will immediately
terminate, display the following error message, and return to DOS.
XX is the hexidecimal S-WX2 BIOS completion code.
CPU response:
Error----completion code XX
A>
If "Y" is typed, formatting is initiated. If there are no
resulting errors, the program displays the following message.
CPU response:
Do you want to format bad tracks - answer Y/N
Respond with appropriate Y or N followed by a c/r
The user is prompted to enter, via the keyboard, a bad track list.
This list should be provided by the drive manufacturer. However, due
to DOS limitations, this procedure is not remommended.
Sysop note: Let the sucker format the bad tracks and then use Norton's
DT immediately after partitioning and high level format
is performed to pick up any bad track information and mark
them appropriately in the FAT.
Because of the logical addressing used by DOS, marking an entire track
bad will result in more than one logical address being marked bad. As
DOS can only accept a limited number of defects, a drive with excessive
defects may cause the format program to termnate with an error. The
displayed error is typically "TRACK 00 BAD - DRIVE UNUSABLE".
As a recommended alternative, execution of the DOS utility program
FORMAT should correctly locate and deallocate all media defects.
10. If Yes, the following message is displayed.
Key in bad track list as follows: ccc h ...(repeat)
where
ccc = bad track cylinder number (1-4 digits)
h = bad track head number (1-2 digits)
Type in the cylinder and head numbers for the bad tracks,
separate them with spaces, and follow with a c/r
Example:
160 1 161 1 304 3 223 4 223 2 c/r
The bad track message will be displayed again. To
terminate bad gtrack entry, type "N" followed by a c/r
11. The following message is displayed.
Format successful - Returning to system
If a second drive is to be formatted, repeat steps 4 through 13 with
d = 1, otherwise continue.
RUNNING THE FDISK UTILITY
The FDISK utility partitions the drive for DOS. Please refer to the
PC-DOS operating manual for detailed instructions regarding this utility.
12. Load and run the FDISK utility to set up the disk partitions.
13. CPU Response:
IBM Personal Computer
Fixed disk Setup Program Version 2.00
Copyright IBM Corp. 1983
FDISK Options
Choose one of the following:
1. Create DOS Partition
2. Change Active Partition
3. Delete DOS Partition
4. Display Partition Data
[5. Select Next Fixed Disk Drive]
Enter Choice:
Note: When two disk drives are installed, the system will
automatically add a fifth choice on the menu:
"5. Select Next Fixed Disk Drive". The first drive is
partitioned using choice number 1. Then, the second drive
is partitioned starting with choice number 5. All subsequent
steps are the same for both drives.
Select "Create DOS Partition" and enter a 1 followed by a c/r.
14. The following message will be displayed:
Create Dos Partition
Do you wish to use the entire fixed
disk for DOS (Y/N)...........?
Type a Y followed by a c/r
15. CPU response:
System will now reboot
Insert DOS diskette in Drive A:
Press any key when ready..
RUNNING THE FORMAT UTILITY
16. Load and run the PC-DOS utility program FORMAT to write the
DOS structure and syustem files to the disk. At the A prompt,
type FORMAT C: /S/V followed by a c/r
17. The CPU will respond with:
Press any key to begin formatting C:
18. The System will respond with:
Formatting....Format Complete
system transferred
Volume Label(11 Characters, ENTER for none)?
19. Either enter the optional volume name and press c/r or just
press c/r
20. When the FORMAT program is finished, the hard disk is ready to be
booted from. It will contain the file COMMAND.COM and the two
system files which are hidden.
Note: This is known as the "high level" format process. If a
second drive, or Drive D:, is to be formatted, repeat steps
12 through 19. When running FDISK on the second drive, enter
choice [5] first, then continue as before.
21, To verify that the hard disk will now boot, open the door of the
floppy drive and do a warm boot by simultaneously pressing CTRL,
ALT, and DEL (We call this the three finger salute). The system
BIOS first examines Drive A for a system diskette. If it doesn't
find one, then it will try to boot from the C drive, the hard
disk. If the hard disk boot is successful, the system will assert
the date, time, and C> prompts in order. Other files may now be
copied to the hard disk.
Sysop Note: I am going to throw some technical mumbo jumbo in here just
to make you feel comfortable with the info you are typing into the
questions asked by WD's program.
The HD controller provides a system interface to the hardware and onboard
BIOS through direct and indirect i/o. Direct access is accomplished
by reading and writing to four I/O ports. Indirect access is achieved
by executing pre-written I/O subroutines contained in the BIOS on the
controller.
Commands are issued by the CPU to the controller over the host buss
using a pre-defined protocol (known as ST506/412). The CPU issues
a command sequence by selecting the controller. The controller accepts
the selection, and requests the appropriate command bytes. Upon command
completion, the controller issues completion status to indicate whether
the command was successfully completed or terminated because of an error.
Direct access operations are controlled through four I/O ports (assigned
default addresses 320H, 321H, 322H, and 323H). Each port is assigned one
Read register and one Write register as follows:
Registers
Port Read Write
320H Data IN Data OUT
321H Status Reset (function)
322H Configuration Select (function)
323H N/A Mask
The CPU specified the operation or command to be executed by the controller
by sending a 6 or 10 byte Command Descriptor Block (CDB). The CCB we
were asked for earlier in the WD formatter routine is called the Command
Control Byte and is the last byte in the CDB. It specifies the error
recovery procedure during the command execution.
The ECC is comparable to CRC on a floppy drive. It is known as Error
Correction Code and is set on or off by one of the bits in Byte 5 of
the CDB.
My fingers are tired at this point and I am not going to get into
a further detailed discussion of each bit and its values in the
CDB. If you wish to obtain further information, give us a call at
Sparta PCBoard, join the HD conference, and fire away at us. We
may not have the answer, but we can usually get it.
Richard Driggers
SysOp - Sparta PCBoard
-eof-guardian@laidbak.UUCP (Harry Skelton) (09/17/87)
In article <239@tness1.UUCP> mechgam@tness1.UUCP (6958) writes: >I just replaced my 10 MB Seagate (ST-412) with a new 20 MB ST-225 on my >5 year old IBM PC-XT. The hard disk controller is a full length card made >by IBM. I have no documentation on this controller or anything else connected >with this PC since it was already here when I took this job. I can't get the >new drive operational. C: gives the message "Invalid drive specification." >Fdisk gives the message "Error reading fixed disk." Does anybody have any >ideas? Possibly needs a low-level format? > >Gary Mink >Southwestern Bell Telephone >Houston, TX. >(713) 521-6958 Well one thing you can do is get HDDIAGS.ARC from a local BBS in order to format your hard disk and get it operational. I don't know how much you know of PC's but if the disk does not have DOS (or the incorrect version of DOS) you have to do one or two things. First see if FDISK will work on the hard disk to create a DOS partition. If that works then all you have to do is format the drive with the DOS FORMAT utility (format c:/s/v) and copy archived information to the drive. If the FDISK has problems with your disk, try a low-level format. This will be in the diagnostic disk (newer machines) or you'll have to get a program like HDDIAG to do it for you. If after the Low-level format, Fdisk does not work, you could have a Xebec controler with jumppers. Take the controller board out and check who made it, if no markings then it could be a Xebec (older cards only had minor markings). Call Xebec and get information from them as each of the ROM's have different settings. Xebec will be able to help you as I had no problems with them regarding my controler. Have fun. .---------. Harry Skelton : .-. : --- other mail drops --- guardian@laidbak.UUCP : `-'o : ihnp4!laidbak!ugh!bear ihnp4!laidbak!guardian : O : ihnp4!chinet!guardian `---------' , ... The epic Battle `--,---.//"[ ]-^/ \------* Continues !! \_ :. .= .=
jons@islenet.UUCP (Jonathan Spangler) (09/20/87)
In article <239@tness1.UUCP> mechgam@tness1.UUCP (6958) writes: >I just replaced my 10 MB Seagate (ST-412) with a new 20 MB ST-225 on my >5 year old IBM PC-XT. The hard disk controller is a full length card made >by IBM. I have no documentation on this controller or anything else connected >with this PC since it was already here when I took this job. I can't get the >new drive operational. C: gives the message "Invalid drive specification." >Fdisk gives the message "Error reading fixed disk." Does anybody have any >ideas? Possibly needs a low-level format? > >Thank you very much, > >-- >Gary A. Mink >Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. >(713) 521-6958 >tness1!mechgam It is a given that anytime you replace a drive with a drive from a different manufacturer that a low-level format is in order. I would be wary about your controller however, as it probably only supports a 10meg drive. You may be able to get 20megs out of it by partitioning 2 10meg units, but doubtful. For between $100-$150, you can buy a new controller that supports much of the larger size drives made today. Example: I just formatted a 42meg Priam (usually considered AT material) in a Clone XT with a fairly recent WD 8-bit controller. Now, if the guy would only get an AT... Aloha, -- Jonathan Spangler UUCP: {ihnp4,vortex,dual}!islenet!jons OPUS/FIDONET: Sysop@(12/6) HTCS BBS (808)531-2659, 24 hrs., Honolulu