Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!shadooby!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!psuvax1!rutgers!att!mcdchg!ddsw1!ddsw1!karl
From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: AMI BIOS vs. ESDI problem
Message-ID: <258035bb:7341.1comp.ibmpc;1@ddsw1.MCS.COM>
Date: 8 Dec 89 23:00:04 GMT
References: <340045@hpsgpa.HP.COM>
Lines: 43

>Item 7341 (0 resps) by plim at hpsgpa.HP.COM on Fri 08 Dec 89 13:31
>[Peter Lim]    Subject: AMI BIOS vs. ESDI problem
>(46 lines)
>
>I need help with AMI BIOS and ESDI hard disk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>I have an 80386 25MHz machine with AMI BIOS (03/03/89, I think
>that is the date stamp of the BIOS). Everything has been running
>smoothly until my long awaited ESDI drive arrived.

This should be ok (anything after 1/89 is ok; earlier BIOS versions would
not always boot an ESDI or RLL disk from a cold start)

>After trying for two long nights, I still can't get the drive
>installed properly. My controller card is WD-1007A (can't remember
>the rest). Seems to have very strange problems.
>
>I tried SpeedStor as well as the generic DiskManager to do low
>level formatting. Seems to go thru' either of them okay. I set
>the CMOS RAM drive type to 47 (user defined type), and enter 35 sectors
>per track and the rest ... Then, I used FDISK (or the utilities in
>DiskManager) to partition the drive into 5 drives (max. 32MB per
>partition). Then I did DOS format using either HP's MS-DOS or PC-DOS
>version 3.30.

You didn't read the instructions!  You do your format from the CONTROLLER
(low level that is), not some external utility.  Go back and re-read the
manual.  The entry point should be C800:5 or CC00:5 (depending on how you
have the controller jumpered).

You CANNOT format ESDI disks from an external utility most of the time.  The
reasons for this are complex, and include the fact that ESDI includes defect
information ON THE DISK.  You've probably destroyed that now, so it is
likely you will need to reenter it -- no big deal (but a pain in the neck).

Jump to the appropriate address from DEBUG and you will find a nice menu. 
Follow it.  It will low level and sector-spare your disk for you.
Then load DM or whatever and do the partitioning.  DO NOT low level format
again -- that is a recipe for disaster.

--
Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl)
Public Access Data Line: [+1 708 566-8911], Voice: [+1 708 566-8910]
Macro Computer Solutions, Inc.  "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"