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From: chris@sharra.usc.edu (Christopher Ho)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: Dead MicroVAX disk
Message-ID: <9578@chaph.usc.edu>
Date: 4 May 90 05:16:41 GMT
Sender: news@chaph.usc.edu
Organization: University of Southern California
Lines: 18

In article <5144@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU>, barrett@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Dan Barrett) writes...
>	Our MicroVAX II's disk is having problems.  First, it refused
>to boot because of errors in the superblock.  So, I loaded the Ultrix
[...]
>	Anyway, I suspect the disk is hosed.  What kind of replacement
>disk can I use?  I assume non-DEC is a cheaper solution.

I assume you're talking about an RD53 or RD54 on an RQDX3 controller.  These can
often be helped by a reformat (which also maps out bad areas).  If you have any
VAXstation 2000s handy, the disk can be plugged into that machine and
formatted; otherwise you would need DEC's diagnostics.  The RQDX2 controller
uses different formatting.

The RD53 is a Micropolis 1325 or 1335 with a jumper shorting R7 on the PC
board.  The RD54 is an unmodified Maxtor XT-2190.  I'm not sure how you'd
format these if you buy from a non-DEC oriented supplier.

Chris