[comp.sys.mac.programmer] IIx, 80Meg Disk Drive, Disk First Aid

nicky@cup.portal.com (nick john pilch) (03/30/89)

HI!  HELP!

I am using a IIx with an Apple-supplied 80 internal hard disk (3 1/2 inch
Quantum).  I have had numerous problems booting from and using this disk.
I have used both System 6.0.2 and 6.0.3 with no difference.  The symptoms are:

Occasional crashes on boot.  Booting several times, or booting from another
disk and them rebooting from the internal hard disk usually fixes this.

Spurious crashes at other times, almost always when there's a lot of disk
access (compiling, enthe hert da  te
disk starts to go bad.  If I run Disk First Aid, it is "Unable to verify status
of disk".  Twice today I was left with a file that I could not throw away.
Another time, 2/3 of the files of a particular folder disappeared.

The crashes occurs at different places and have carried many different system
error codes, e.g., unimplemented instruction, bus error, address error, etc.

The hardware APPEARS OK.  Computerland couldn't find anything wrong, nor could
any other disk viewing programs I tried.  HDSetup says it's OK.

I have tried the most vanilla setup possible.  Reformatted disk.  Installed
system with the Installer.  Installed MPW.  Copied some data files to the disk.
Ran compiles and links.  Crash.  No INITs and anything else installed.

No virii present according to Virus Rx 1.4a and VirusDetective 1.2.

The kicker is that I also use the machine with an external DataFrame XP60 with
the same system software, many commercial domain INITs (TOPS, SUITCASE,
QUICKKEYS, etc.), many many PD INITs and the same data files.  In fact I have
tried having exactly the same files on both disks and the DataFrame works great
as a boot disk, but the internal disk always gives me problems if I use it as
a boot disk or if I access it a lot.

Software?  Hardware?

If anyone else has had similiar problems, please contact me.  It's getting
insane.  Gotta track this down.

Incidentally, Disk First Aid has a hidden feature.  Since I have had to use
DFA a lot I was trying to see if the programmers had left in any keyboard
shortcuts.  I was trying Command-S for the Start button when a second window
popped up under the main window.  When I pressed Start, progress info started
appearing in this window.  Check it out.

Nick Pilch
Mountain Lake Software
nicky@cup.portal.com
Applelink: D1036