Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!kent
From: kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Hard Drive help..
Message-ID: <28419@swrinde.nde.swri.edu>
Date: 26 Sep 90 13:10:53 GMT
References: <4655@crash.cts.com>
Reply-To: kent@swrinde.UUCP (Kent D. Polk)
Organization: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
Lines: 37

In article <4655@crash.cts.com> ilios@pro-graphics.cts.com (James Sibley) writes:
>   Well, let's get right to the problem.  I have an Amiga 2500/030 with the
>A2091 controller and 40 Meg Quantum standard.  I just added to the system a
>Quantum 105 Meg HD.  I mounted it on the A2091 card and used a three pronged
[...]
>             It was working o.k. until I attempted to copy files from the full
>40 Meg drive to the new HD partition.  After completing several successful
>transfers the HD light just stayed on while all disk activity ceased.  The
>system also became unresponsive.  Upon warm reboot, it was proclaimed that the
>partition I was trying to copy to had a read/write error.  The files that made
>it before the crash were o.k. and the disk seemed otherwise fine.  That's
>about it.

There appears to be a problem with the 2091 and two SCSI drives.  I
have the same controller and drives and experience the same problem,
only I mounted the 40 Meg hardcard style.  CATS personnel thought that
the problem was with the new Western Digital SCSI controller and how
'reselection' was handled. I turned off reselection on one, then both
of the drives. This appeared to help things a bit, as it was a while
before I experienced this failure again, but I did, so the problem
appears to be a bit deeper.

Copying multiple directories seems to be the culprit. If I just copy files,
I never have this happen. The failure works with all methods of moving
directories I have tried, including DiskSalv.

You also got lucky with just a read/write error. I usually have to unplug the
offending drive to let the OS boot without a GURU, then connect it back LIVE
to reformat it. I surely don't recommend this, but it is the ONLY way I have
found to get the machine up and running after this failure.

BTW, this has happened about 12 times to me now. I suggest you keep
backups.

Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute (512) 522-2882
Internet : kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu
UUCP     : $ {cs.utexas.edu, gatech!petro, sun!texsun}!swrinde!kent