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From: rick@tmiuv0.uucp
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Harddrive Problem
Message-ID: <3614@tmiuv0.uucp>
Date: 26 Jul 90 11:24:05 GMT
References: <963@richsun.cpg.trs.reuter.com>
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga
Distribution: na
Organization: Technology Marketing Inc., Irvine, CA
Lines: 43

In article <963@richsun.cpg.trs.reuter.com>, boi@richsun.cpg.trs.reuter.com (Ken Boi) writes:
> Has anybody else experienced this problem, or knows of why this
> problem is occurring? I have a Xetec Fastrack HD controller and 
> a Quantum 105Mb HD running in my A2000 with 1Meg chip ram and 3 
> meg total RAM. The problem is that on a few occasion (about three 
> times) during the six months of ownership of this system, I have 
> had the occurrence of my system failing to autoboot from the
> harddrive upon system powerup.

Since you say "upon system powerup", I would guess that the drive isn't
spinning up and "going ready" before your controller queries it.  Have you
tryed a VNP (Vulcan Nerve Pinch, warm reboot, CTRL-Amiga-Amiga) when this
occurs?  If it fails a cold start, try the warm boot.  If it comes up, the
problem is that the drive isn't coming ready before the controller queries
it.  It's intermittent, because the drive is mechanical in nature and all
manner of things can affect the spin up time (temperature of the drive,
humidity, lotsa stuff).

It's most likely the Xetec controller firmware.  It's asking the Quantum to
boot before it has spun up, hence the drive reports "not ready" and the
autoboot fails.  It's not really Quantum's fault, since all they can do is
guarantee a maximum spin up time.  It appears that many SCSI adaptors don't
allow enough time for slow drives to come up.  I have a similar problem with
my HardFrame, Seagate ST-138N and Conner CP3200.  The system boots off the
Seagate.  On a cold start, the Seagate doesn't always spin up and go ready
in time (sometimes it sticks and doesn't spin up at all, but that's a
different story 8-).  The Conner, on the other hand, won't automount on a
WARM boot, but will automount on a cold start (if the Seagate comes up in
time).  My solution:  I don't shut the system down unless I do maintenence
on it.  It's running 24 hours a day for months on end.  I do turn off the
monitor, however.

Like I said, try a warm boot when the problem appears.  And contact your
SCSI adaptor vendor (Xetec) about increasing the allowable spin up time.
-- 
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[- O] Rick Stevens
  ?   EMail: uunet!zardoz!tmiuv0!rick -or- uunet!zardoz!xyclone!sysop
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"I'm tellin' ya, Valiant!  Da whole ting stinks like yesterday's diapers!"
                                - Baby Herman in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"
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