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From: AGUTOWS@WAYNEST1.BITNET (Arthur Gutowski)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Re: 1701/help (PC)
Message-ID: <0003.9009051851.AA00536@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 4 Sep 90 15:40:02 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@LEHIIBM1>
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Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

Well, from the jist of the discussion so far, it appears I was wrong
about the *exact* cause of a 1701 error.  But, the problem is still of
a hardware nature, and not logical or virus related.  In this case, a
track 0 backup wouldn't do any good.

If it's a controller or wiring problem, as some have suggested, then
the drive is still ok, and no need to restore anything.  The reason I
suggested a physical drive error is because I know someone who had the
misfortune of a 1701 error.  My recollection of the account was a
physical drive error.  My apologies, I should have looked it up first.

>Date:     Fri, 31 Aug 90 16:19:48 EDT
>From:     Bruce Burrell <USERW6BL@UMICHUM.BITNET>
>
>   In V3#151 of VIRUS-L, you state that a 1701 error indicates damage to
>hard disk sector zero.  Not so.  It indicates a fixed disk POST error.
>This is documented in the IBM Harware Service Manual.
>   The error can indicate a bad hard disk, of course, but it is much more
>likely to be indicative of non-fatal problems, i.e. usually the data
>can be retrieved, and in most of those cases (in my experience) the disk
>is still useable.

In any case, a virus this is not.

/art