CompuServe Thread

#BB/WB2.04 Disaster

20 messages in this thread
#56497From: Nancy DevittMay 4, 1992 2:33 PM
I've recently had WB2.04 installed, and, as long as the machine was down anyway, used this as opportunity to install a bit of new hardware. As of now, I'm running a 2500 with the original Commodore drive, plus a new GVP SCSI controller and a new 102 Meg drive (with 7 megs of RAM). On the 286 Bridgeboard, I have a VGA card, a ScanMan, and a little MiniScribe hard card. Prior to WB2.04, all this stuff worked just fine. Today, I opened up the PC side, because I have a job which I have to submit on PC disks. I was faced with the installation program, and after I finished making my installation selections, I rebooted and – guess what – I get a message stating, "1782 controller error". (!@#$%!) Well, I tried to reinstall, then I tried booting with a floppy. No luck. My BB side is, essentially, history. (Oh, I also have a 3.5" high density floppy hooked up, and the light just stays on on it.) (!?) Can anyone help me get out of this mess? I'd sure appreciate it……. Nancy – From the City of Champions – Oiler Town – Edmonton, AB, Canada
#56522From: RON TROYMay 4, 1992 10:51 PM
The install and pcprefs don't work under 2.04; if you had still been setup you ought to have been fine. Ron
#56612From: Gayle Lee FairlessMay 6, 1992 12:50 AM
Nancy, You will have to restore from your backup files or get somebody with an AT BB to send you their copies. Once you restore your files, you should be able to run. I am running my XT BB under 2.04, but it was set up and installed under 1.3. Sincerely, (Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless 'Perfessor Fearless' from the Rocket City! – via Whap!
#56747From: Nancy DevittMay 7, 1992 10:50 PM
Hi, 'Perfessor: Could you tell me specifically what files I need to restore? I suspect you may be correct. However, I did restore what I thought were the appropriate files from my QuarterBack archive, and the problem still exists. Thanx in advance…..Nancy
#56841From: Gayle Lee FairlessMay 9, 1992 1:32 AM
1.Workbench:PC> dir system .info 2500prefs ABOOT.CTRL PC.Boot ScanCode.table SidecarKeys.Table SidecarSettings.Table Nancy, These look like the ones. Now ABOOT.CTRL may not apply to you unless you have let your BB use part of your Amiga hard drive as its C: hard drive. Sincerely, (Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless 'Perfessor Fearless' from the Rocket City! – via Whap!
#57058From: Nancy DevittMay 12, 1992 1:14 PM
I've buffered this and will try it. Thanks for the assist. I'll let you know how it works out. Actually, I've begun to think my BB may have gotten a bit upset during my recent system remodel…..Nancy
#56738From: Marion J DelandMay 7, 1992 7:58 PM
Hi Nancy… How are you? By "installation program" do you mean the SETUP? If you haven't actually reinstalled the Bridgeboard software you shouldn't have a problem. If the hardcard is your "C" drive, my guess would be that something got loosened when you were installing the new hardware and the drive is no longer connected properly. That would have brought up the SETUP, and the 1782 error means a problem with the hard disk. Marion CROSSINGS Newsletter for the Bridgeboard, etc.
#56750From: Nancy DevittMay 7, 1992 10:56 PM
Hi, Marion…. I'm great, except for this minor aggravation. The thing that puzzles me is that I get the message "1782 controller error" EVEN WHEN I attempt to boot with a floppy. This leads me to believe that the problem lies somewhere on the Amiga side. Could this be true? If so, do you have any idea WHERE it might be? (If not, I'll have to cart my machine back to my friendly computer doctor. It's crammed so full now, I don't dare touch it myself.) Thanx in advance for any help you might give me. How is CROSSINGS doing? Did you know that Commodore has sent a memo to its dealers saying that WB2.04 does NOT have a problem with Janus? (My dealer just got one.)…..Nancy
#56761From: Don Curtis/SYSOPMay 8, 1992 12:22 AM
Nancy, That message would indicate a problem with the BridgeBoard itself. Don
#56984From: Marion J DelandMay 11, 1992 2:43 PM
Nancy… It's an MS-DOS error, which means a hardware error on the Bridgeboard side ("17xx" means a hard disk error, I think). If the hard disk has been disconnected somehow, the SETUP won't be correct anymore, so the system kicks out with the error. I'd check all the connections for the hard drive, pressing it into the slot, etc. I'm pretty sure it got dislodged when you added the new hardware. Also, is the hardcard in an 8-bit slot or 16-bit? My system got confused because I told the SETUP I had a hard disk, it expected a 16-bit controller, and disabled the regular floppy controller. I told the SETUP "none" for hard drives, and it was OK. Marion
#57059From: Nancy DevittMay 12, 1992 1:17 PM
It has an 8-bit controller. Nope….I've used "none" to the query, and the status quo remains unchanged. I think I may have to open up the dreaded box. Thanks for the feedback, Marion…..Nancy
#57170From: Brad LanghorstMay 13, 1992 9:51 PM
Hello. I've written messages over every major CBM forum, so I'll try this one too. I'm having trouble with my XT Bridgeboard. When I open a PC window, it always (well, except for 2 times) gives me a E000 Optional ROM Checksum Error. When I change the prefs RAM setting to D000, it gives the same error, but with D000 as the address. When I select A000, I get no error. However, regardless of the setting, I never get the Janus Handler v2.20 Found prompt (well, almost never; it has appeared twice). What is wrong? I've moved the board to the other bridge slot, I've re-installed the PC Bench three times, and it still gives the error. Nonetheless, the board still runs IBM software, but this error shouldn't occur (and I believe it interferes with my not being able to use the PCDisk program for virtual drives.) My motherboard is rev 4.1, and I don't have anything else in the other slots. What gives?
#57217From: Marion J DelandMay 14, 1992 2:43 PM
Brad… Have you tried reseating the BB? It sounds as if something is a little erratic. You might check all the chips on the board–I've had problems like this when a chip has worked loose because my XT board was warped. Marion CROSSINGS Newsletter for the Bridgeboard
#57242From: Brad LanghorstMay 14, 1992 9:24 PM
I have tried reseating the board, but your suggestion about loose chips is a good one. I'll give it a try.
#57270From: Don Curtis/SYSOPMay 15, 1992 12:56 AM
That error is caused by one of two things: 1. An improperly seated BB in the slots. 2. Loose chips in the PLCC sockets (the square ones)
#57297From: Brad LanghorstMay 15, 1992 9:11 AM
Thanks, Don. I know the BB is seated correctly, as I have seated and reseated it several times. Also, I looked at the chips, and the didn't look loose. As a matter of fact, I pushed down on them and they were pretty tight. Perhaps I will extract them and replace them. If that doesn't work, is there a possibility it could be just a bad ROM? If so, do you know the prices of the different ROMS on the BB?
#57346From: Don Curtis/SYSOPMay 15, 1992 11:51 PM
I'd be 99.9% sure it's the chips. What happens is that as you push the board into the slots, it twists slightly. This can cause the contacts in the PLCC sockets to pull away from the contacts on the chips themselves. I know it sounds weird, but I've seen it occur too many times to believe it was a quirk. The fix is to slightly bend out the leads on the chips so they'll make better contact with the socket.
#57528From: Brad LanghorstMay 18, 1992 10:22 AM
Don, Bad news. I took the Bridgeboard to a friends house, where it worked perfectly. This means that it has to be my motherboard (Rev 4.1). Do you know where I can find information about the modifications that need to be made to this board? I remember that I heard that early 4.x motherboards may need to have modifications made so that certain expansion boards would work.
#57559From: Don Curtis/SYSOPMay 19, 1992 12:42 AM
Brad, I doubt it…I've got a *very* early A2000 with a rev 4 someting or other mother board. I've upped it to rev 4.2 by pulling the two capacitors in the keyboard line. That has nothing to do with the expansion bus, just with the loss of the first keystroke in a CLI. Working in your friends Amiga and not working in your Amiga can still be a problem with the chip seating. Depending on exactly (and I do mean "exactly") how it sits in the slots…it will or won't work. My, and the tech at my dealer's experience is that removing the 3 PLCC (square) chips, using something like a dental pick to carefully bend the leads out *a small amount* and then re-installing the chips has fixed every BridgeBoard that exhibited failure to boot problems at times. Don
#57642From: Brad LanghorstMay 20, 1992 10:47 AM
I know that I've heard somewhere that early 4.x motherboards have problems with their expansion bus, but I'll see what happens. I gave him his Bridgeboard back until I can figure out what's wrong.