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From: rainer@hibachi.colorado.edu (Rainer Malzbender)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Formatting RD54 on MV II
Message-ID: <25545@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Date: 1 Sep 90 21:09:11 GMT
Sender: news@boulder.Colorado.EDU
Reply-To: rainer@hibachi.colorado.edu (Rainer Malzbender)
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Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
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Anyone know why I can't format a Maxtor 2190 (RD54) using the DEC
diagnostics? It came formatted from Midwest and worked for a while,
but we had some power failures which probably lunched the disk. I know
it works, though, because I can format it on my PC and it runs just fine.
The first time I tried to format it I left our two RD53s in the box and
turned their write protects on. The format program just ran forever. Then
I removed the RD53s and set the Maxtor to be drive 1 and tried again.
This time it gave me some incredibly useful message like "there has
been an error formatting the drive" and told me to check the write protect
switch! There are some other jumpers on the drive but I presume they're
set correctly since this was sold by Midwest as an RD54 (and it worked before). 
If it matters, we have a rev C1 RQDX3 controller. Has anyone written a
public domain disk utility program that can do the format? I'm borrowing
DEC's stupid proprietary diagnostic tape from someone.

BTW, the short answer to the first sentence is probably "Because DEC wants
you to buy their drives", but I'm looking for others.
--
Rainer M. Malzbender                          Technology recapitulates biology.
Dept. of Physics                (303)492-6829       rainer@hibachi.colorado.edu 
U. of Colorado, Boulder, USA                  malzbender%opus@vaxf.colorado.edu