CompuServe Thread

#Yikes! Startup gone!

14 messages in this thread
#179726From: DON DILLINGERDec 26, 1994 9:34 AM
Just brought home an a2000 w/40meg hdd, '020 accelerator and XT bridgeboard installed, and after "gently" tweaking the startup-sequence file(s) (so I thought), Presto! On reboot the machine can't find the original partitions, files, etc. (including the startup files!). Aaarrrgghh! What have I done? BTW, "all" I did was change the prompt, and eliminate the RAM drive, and a couple of things like a password program and antivirus program, by commenting them out on the original startup-sequence and startup-II files. BTW, this machine is running 1.3. I know I should have made a copy of the original, but I was being so clever, you see… TIA, DD, snohomish
#179729From: Joe sanchezDec 26, 1994 10:24 AM
I may have a copy of WB 1.3 from way back when I had my A500. I'll look around and see if I cant find it again. 🙂 Joe
#179734From: Joachim SondermannDec 26, 1994 11:25 AM
Do you have a 1.3 workbench disk? If so, start the Amiga from it and see whether your HD automounts. You could then access your startup-files on HD to see what happened. Maybe you can get the thing back to work, make a backup and then try _little_ steps of changing it. If that doesn't work it could mean you have to reinstall your HD from scratch, IMHO. But could be anybody has better advice. BTW: I think I have 1.3 still around. Hope it helps, Joachim Sondermann-Bieker on Amiga AutoPilot from Cologne, Germany
#179741From: DON DILLINGERDec 26, 1994 3:09 PM
thanks–I've used my old 1.3 wb disk, but I still can't access the partitions that were on the hdd when the machine arrived. I'm getting dh0:, but not the fs0: and fs1: partitions!! and guess where the startup-sequence is! I am getting a growing feeling of dread… any more sugg?? thanks, DD
#179775From: JAMES HANDYDec 26, 1994 9:51 PM
Don, What kind of computer, what kind of controller? Jim
#179808From: DON DILLINGERDec 27, 1994 10:57 AM
The computer is an a2000 with a 020 accelerator card, and the drive is a 40 meg 2090A type controller. there is, fwiw, a 20 meg ibm xt hard card in the case also. I can boot from both the HDD and df0:, but the machine can't see the partitions on the hdd, and if i try to copy a file from the floppy to the hdd, I get a "disk full" message. The other partitions were called fs0: and fs1:, if I type "cd fs0:" it says "fs0: not installed" thanks very much for your time!
#179835From: JAMES HANDYDec 27, 1994 2:38 PM
Ok Don, I did this with my hard drive when I lost 2 partitions I went into the software and I told it to low level format those 2 partitions and it fixed the problem it also didn't erase the info on the partitions. I did this several times becase the controler was messed up. I got the controler repaired now, but it was a good trick to learn. Back up any file that are on the other partitions that you want just incase then let er rip. Jim
#179843From: DON DILLINGERDec 27, 1994 6:13 PM
Wow! Was that a 2090? I may try it, but I hve no way to back up the files cuz the machine can't see them at this point! I hate to vaporize all that data! thanks for your thoughts dd
#179847From: JAMES HANDYDec 27, 1994 6:29 PM
Hi Don, No it was a GVP 030 accelerator or you can try ARestore a program that finds deleted files but I don't think that will work because nothing can talk to the partitions yet. Jim
#179911From: Dale LarsonDec 28, 1994 4:24 AM
If you really have a 2090, not a 2090a, you must boot from a floppy which kn ws how to mount your hds. 2090s don't autoboot.
#180086From: DON DILLINGERDec 29, 1994 11:09 AM
No, it's a 2090A. I asked the local dealer to look at it, and he played with it for two hours, without being able to get it to recognize the "lost" partitions. It seems to be showing a residual hd0: drive of about 1 meg, left over from the original prepping. I have a 2090(A) prep disk. If I were able to specify all the cylinder #'s, etc. that were used on the original prep, is it possible that the data will not be lost? (so suggested another forum participant) with slowly declining optimism, ==dd
#180111From: Dale LarsonDec 29, 1994 12:35 PM
That's exactly how it should be. Unless something else is wrong with your d sk, nuking the partitioning info only nukes the partitioning info. In fact, I seem to recall that some utility exists which can guess what the artitioning was, but that'd be tough, so maybe it's just wishful thinking.
#180123From: Jim MaddoxDec 29, 1994 3:39 PM
Dale – >> …something else is wrong with your d sk, nuking the…. I noticed that words in several of your messages yesterday and today had spaces where letters (usually vowels) should be. Is there something wrong with your keyboard or modem, or are you just typing too fast? 😉 – Jim, on AP!
#180181From: DON DILLINGERDec 29, 1994 11:22 PM
Weelllll…. I'm gonna try it. Do you happen to know how many heads a 40 meg, 6 surface hdd would have? I need to specify that, among other things, when I try to prep the drive…