#Help with HD Install
20 messages in this thread
I am having some trouble low-level formatting a new hard drive I just got.
Actually it is an older hard drive that I saved from the scrap heap. This
is a 300 Meg drive and seems to work fine but here is the problem. I enter
the information into HDToolbox (I have a 3000) and try to low-level format
the drive and it just sits there and doesn't do anything. The drive is a
CDC-Wren 94171-300. This drive is now through Seagate but they were of no
help to me. The information I have is 1,412 Cylinders, 9 Heads, 586,763
blocks on the drive. Any help would be appreciated. Also when I run
HDToolbox the manual says something about a list of drives coming up in the
Change Drive Type window I never get a list does anyone else?
Frank,
How long are you waiting for it when it just sits there? It'll
probably take a half hour or so to low level format that drive, and you'll
get no indication of it being done other than the program will return.
My HDParms program shows it as having 1365 cylinders and 9 heads.
Let HDToolbox read the information from the drive. You'll only get drive
types if you've set up the drive type database that HDToolBox uses (and
saves on exit). It's in sys:tools as "drive definitions"
Don
Well the reason I say it just sits there is because when I formatted by
Quantum at least the drive light was on. With this one the drive light
doesn't stay on. It comes on for a few seconds then goes off. As for the
cylinders information I got that directly from Seagate tech support. I
guess I can try 1365 and 9 heads but I don't think it will make any
difference. It also just hangs if I try to verify the drive with the same
conditions, no drive light, etc…
I also don't have any file named "drive definitions" in SYS:TOOLS except
for the one I created when I set up this drive. I would like to find that
database.
Frank,
As I said…I'd suggest you have HDToolBox create the entry for the
Wren by reading the parameters from the drive itself. At least that way
you know it's correct.
Many drives don't turn on the drive activity LED when doing a low
level format. The Activity LED usually is indicative of activity on the
SCSI Bus so the initial flashes you noted are the commands being passed.
The drive then goes off-line and does the format…so no activity LED since
as far as the SCSI bus is concerned…there's no activity on the bus…it's
all being handled in the drive itself.
I believe the original drive database only had the Quantums that
came with the A2000HD series in it…others the user enters by hand or by
having the information read from the drive itself.
Don
Well I'll let the first one go since I told you what the drive reported in
another message.
As for the drive activity LED, ok I'll buy that but it also doesn't come on
when doing a verify data on the drive either.
Thanks for the information about the drive database.
Sheesh, all these questions I have for you…
BTW, this is what HDToolbox read from the drive:
1326 – Cylinders
1 – Head
483 – Blocks per Track
483 – Blocks per Cylinder
————————–
312 – Megabytes
It still doesn't work. Help!!!
Frank,
How do you have the drive jumpers set…including Parity and
TermPower jumpers?
Don
Hmm, I'll have to take it apart and find out. How should they be set? I
think the TermPower is coming from the SCSI bus not the drive power. Sorry
about all the questions.
Frank,
I've got the parity jumper off, the term power jumper set to take
from the interface cable and I've got the motor start jumper off.
Don
I just took the case apart changed the jumpers to the way you specified and
tried to low-level format the drive again but to no avail. I let it sit
there for quite awhile and I couldn't even hear the drive working. I think
it ran for about 30 mins but I never once heard the heads stepping across
the drive. Yes, I put my ear down real close to the drive and listened and
should have heard something stepping because it is not the quietest drive
around when it is stepping. Help!
Don't get me wrong the drive works without low-level formatting it, I would
just like to format the drive to refresh the format. Could this drive be
like an IDE drive and you don't low-level it. The drive came out of an old
386i Sun workstation/server.
the way you tell if it's an IDE, is that it has a single, 40-pin cable. SCSI
drives use a 15-pin cable, and MFM, RLL, and ESDI drives use 2 cable: a
20-pin cable for data, and a 34-pin (same width as floppy cable) cable for
control.
Tony
uh…i musta typo'd on that last message..>SCSI uses a 50 pin cable
I understand that. I know the drive is SCSI! I was just wondering if
maybe THIS drive behaved like IDE in the fact that you might not be able to
low level format the hard drive. I am 100% sure it is a SCSI drive. If
that was not clear I apologize. I am currently using it in my A3000 off
the SCSI port but I just wanted to low-level format it.
You can low level a SCSI with out a problem….you can also low level IDE
drives but you need a program specificly for doing that.
Dave
Elite MicroComputers – via Whap!
Hmmmm…..(thnking)…..can't remember any SCSI's you can't
low-level….only **SOME** IDE's can't be low-levelled, because the
manufacturer didn't WANT them to be able to, so they kinda' "hacked" the
command for low-levelling. It is POSSIBLE, but, normal low-levellers won't
be able to. For example, on the seagate BBS, I beleive they have
low-levelling programs for their IDE drives. as for SCSI, I haven't
experienced any. Even tho' I've messed with MANY, MANY drives on the
market, doesn't mean it isn't possible. Impossible to know ALL the drives!
<would be nice, tho'!!!>
Tony
Frank,
Yes…there are SCSI drives that say they'll do a low level format,
but in actuality…all they do is acknowledge the request…then
immediately return. So it's either doing the format..or hung for one
reason or another…If you waited 30 minutes…and got no activity that you
were aware of…then yes, I'd suspect it's hung.
You might want to try a different program…I've got one up here in
Lib 11 (I believe) called SFMT.ARC. It's a SCSI low level formatter, BUT
you've got to know what you're doing so you don't accidently tell it to low
level the wrong drive.
Don
Thanks, I'll download the file and try it out. Hey you don't have to worry
about formatting the wrong drive cause you have a backup right! <G>
I downloaded your program SFMT.ARC and ran it in the morning before I went
to work and lo and behold when I got home it was done. I then tried
HDToolBox and it only took 20 minutes to low-level the drive. Thanks for
you help!
Frank,
Great! Glad to have been of assistance. SFMT doesn't do anything
but issue a FORMAT command to the drive via SCSI_DIRECT, which is what
HDToolBox should also be doing…but for some strange reason…others have
reported the same experience you have…SFMT has worked while HDToolBox
hasn't.
Don
Frank,
Oh…if you want to try a non-destructive test to make sure you've
got the parameters right…you can also look for HDTEST.ARC (also in Lib 11
I believe) that requires the same parameters..(plus some more…just tell
it one cylinder, ten head, ten sector per track for a quickie test). That
way you can look at the drive activity LED and make sure you've got the
unit number and device name correct.
Don