[comp.unix.xenix] Disk controllers and weird booting rituals.

brennan@merk.UUCP (Rich Brennan) (01/23/89)

  I hate being a pain-in-the-net, but I've got this weird booting problem
with which I could use some help. Besides, you all did so well with my
last question :-).

  I've just upgraded to this WD-1007 ESDI controller, and it has this
weird boot sequence:

	  Hard reset the machine (i.e. the reset button), and the machine
	does its RAM scan, etc. I get a "Hard Disk Controller failed"
	message from (I think) my BIOS. However, if I do a "soft" reset
	at this point (CTRL-ALT-DEL), then apparently the controller is
	recognized, and everything works.

  Doing the above, I was able to install Xenix 2.3, and bring my system
completely up (and lose about 5 meg of incoming news because I screwed
up my HDB Permissions....).

  I went through every conceivable contortion I could think of to get
this thing to boot on a hard reset, including the four combinations of
enabling/disabling the WD-1007 BIOS and its 34->17 sector translation
mode. Always the same result.

  Has anyone out their seen this weird hard/soft reset behavior or have
some guess as to what I could look at? The system is usable, but I'm
hosed if I get a power glitch.

  If you'll mail suggestions, I'll post the summary. Thanks again...



Rrrrrich.
-- 
...!{uunet,linus!alliant}!merk!root			Rich Brennan

jbayer@ispi.UUCP (Jonathan Bayer) (01/23/89)

In article <372@merk.UUCP> brennan@merk.UUCP (Rich Brennan) writes:
>
>  I've just upgraded to this WD-1007 ESDI controller, and it has this
>weird boot sequence:
>
>	  Hard reset the machine (i.e. the reset button), and the machine
>	does its RAM scan, etc. I get a "Hard Disk Controller failed"
>	message from (I think) my BIOS. However, if I do a "soft" reset


What kind of computer are you running? What BIOS?  It could be a problem
in the BIOS not recognizing the card correctly.

JB

-- 
Jonathan Bayer			      Beware: The light at the end of the
Intelligent Software Products, Inc.	      tunnel may be an oncoming dragon
19 Virginia Ave.				...uunet!ispi!jbayer
Rockville Centre, NY   11570	(516) 766-2867	jbayer@ispi

jjw@igloo.UUCP (John Welch) (01/25/89)

In article <423@ispi.UUCP> jbayer@ispi.UUCP (Jonathan Bayer) writes:
.In article <372@merk.UUCP> brennan@merk.UUCP (Rich Brennan) writes:
..
..  I've just upgraded to this WD-1007 ESDI controller, and it has this
..weird boot sequence:
..
..	  Hard reset the machine (i.e. the reset button), and the machine
..	does its RAM scan, etc. I get a "Hard Disk Controller failed"
..	message from (I think) my BIOS. However, if I do a "soft" reset
.
.
.What kind of computer are you running? What BIOS?  It could be a problem
.in the BIOS not recognizing the card correctly.
.
.Jonathan Bayer			      Beware: The light at the end of the
.Rockville Centre, NY   11570	(516) 766-2867	jbayer@ispi

	We had a similar problem with some 386 motherboards at work - they
would NOT boot unless ctrl-alt-delete was pressed. It *WAS* a BIOS bug,
not the fault of the disk controller. I think we had American Megatrends
bios, but I cannot say just what the rev level was.
	I'd suggest that you try getting a new BIOS upgrade (if available)
and/or try running the controller on a different box (also if available). If
neither of these work, well, good luck.


-- 
==========================================================================
  John Welch                                <backbone>!killer!jjw@igloo
 "Oh, reality - it's not for me, and it makes me laugh;
  but fantasy world, and those Disney girls... I'm coming back!"

brennan@merk.UUCP (Rich Brennan) (01/26/89)

In article <1466@igloo.UUCP> jjw@igloo.UUCP (John Welch) writes:
>	We had a similar problem with some 386 motherboards at work - they
>would NOT boot unless ctrl-alt-delete was pressed. It *WAS* a BIOS bug,
>not the fault of the disk controller. I think we had American Megatrends
>bios, but I cannot say just what the rev level was.
[...]
>==========================================================================
>  John Welch                                <backbone>!killer!jjw@igloo


  Bingo, AMI BIOS here. I guess I call Proteus tech support for new chips...
Thanks a LOT; I knew I couldn't be that crazy.


Rrrrich.
-- 
...!{uunet,linus!alliant}!merk!root			Rich Brennan