Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!me!yap
From: yap@me.utoronto.ca (Davin Yap)
Subject: Re: CHKDSK error message
Message-ID: <89Nov12.213221est.18661@me.utoronto.ca>
Organization: University of Toronto Mechanical Engineering
References: <6247@tank.uchicago.edu>
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 89 21:32:15 EST

In article <6247@tank.uchicago.edu> ca_bt@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes:
>
>After a recent system crash on my '286 clone, I ran CHKDSK on my
>hard drive (C:) and it gave me the error message "Probable Non-DOS
>disk,  Continue (Y/N)?"  The CHKDSK reported no errors with my
>disk, and my files all seem to be intact.  I also ran the Norton
>disk check program and it didn't find any problems.  Any idea
>why I get this message about my hard drive when running CHKDSK?
>
	Yup, I've got an idea what might be wrong.  I had a similar
	problem last week with my Nec ProSpeed 286 (40 meg drive).  At
	first I thought there was something wrong with my drive, but
	after exhaustive testing/(low-level formatting) I came to the
	conclusion that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the
	hardware - not a single bad sector on the drive, but then, you
	pay a premium price and expect a premium drive.  What it boils
	down to is Norton Utilities, specifically 'nu' in combination
	with disk-caching software, in my case the disk cache that comes
	as part of the ROM utilities on my machine.  This disk cache uses
	the extended memory in my machine, but this may or may not be a
	factor.  When 'nu' first starts up, it reads the FAT(s), and if
	you use the caching software, the FAT(s) stay in memory.  For
	some reason unknown to me, these copies of the FAT(s) are
	corrupt, and if used by 'nu' or any other program for writing a
	file, will cause you much grief.  'nu' is the only program I've
	used that has caused this problem, and this may not be a problem
	with newer versions of Norton Utilities, mine is circa 1987.  I
	have nothing bad to say about Norton Utilities, aside from the
	fact that I no longer use them; pctools provides the same
	functionality and doesn't cause this problem.

Regards, Davin

Disclaimer:  My opinions are my own, I am a student, so I have no employer
             for you to sue.  Furthermore, as an individual I am entitled
	     to my opinion, and under the constitutions of both the U.S.
	     and Canada, I am also entitled to express them.  Therefore,
	     if you have any notion of suing me, I have but two words for
	     you, "Eat Me!"

_______________leave_nothing_to_the_imagination_of_those_without_______________
GOAL:  To dance the light fan- |Davin Yap, Mechanical Engineering, U of Toronto
tastic in the face of derision,| yap@me.toronto.edu     yap@me.utoronto.bitnet
from those bland at heart.     |       ...{pyramid,uunet}!utai!utme!yap