[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] HD Woes

zalc0a@atanasof.uucp (Arthur L. Corcoran) (08/13/90)

System:
   DTK AT Motherboard with DTK Bios
   Seagate ST238R (RLL) harddisk
   WD1002 XT Controller (old)
   WD1006VSR2 AT Controller (new)

Problem:
   Everything works with the XT controller (but is SLOW).  The disk
   is low leveled and verified with the AT controller but the 
   read-write test fails on every sector.

   o Bad disk?: No, it works with the XT controller.

   o Bios?: Both the controller and system bios have parameter tables
       but they are different.  I've tried using the correct type
       for both bios's and disabling the controller bios to no effect.

   o Bad controller?: This is a FD/HD controller and the floppy works
       fine.  Is it possible for the HD part to be fried?

   o Software?: I low leveled with both SETUP and contoller programs.
       DOS FDISK writes a partition table to disk but when it reboots
       the partition is gone!  Everex hard disk utilities V3.0 (came
       with the XT controller) writes to the disk but doesn't show
       the result.

Unrelated problem:
   I have a priam harddisk that sometimes will spin up but sometimes
   doesn't.  The times it doesn't spin up, it seems to start but
   maybe doesn't get enough current to start.  What's the deal?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Please email any replies.
Many thanks in advance!

--- "Views expressed are not necessarily those of Amoco Production Co." ---
  Art Corcoran                   # Amoco Production Co.
  corcoran@tusun2.mcs.utulsa.edu # Tulsa Research Center
  zalc0a@apctrc.trc.amoco.com    # Tulsa, OK, USA