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From: jdudeck@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (John R. Dudeck)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.apps
Subject: SpinRite II hangs on Toshiba 1600
Message-ID: <27017646.43d5@petunia.CalPoly.EDU>
Date: 27 Sep 90 03:47:18 GMT
References: <31646@nigel.ee.udel.edu> <90269.233519DSB100@psuvm.psu.edu>
Organization: Cal Poly State Univ,CSC Dept,San Luis Obispo,CA 93407
Lines: 35



I have used SpinRite II (version 1.1, latest update) on two different
Toshiba 1600's.  On the first one, it went part way through
"scrubbing", and then hung.  I started it again, and it made it
further.  After about 4 passes it finally succeeded in doing the whole
surface (42 mb, "native" disk geometry, Toshiba release of MS-DOS 4.01).

On the second T1600 it gets part way through the Data Transfer test
(before the scrubbing starts) and starts making seek noises like when
you have a read error.  It seeks about 3 times and hangs, leaving the
C: drive light on. (same drive type as the first one).

On the second one, I did find that one track of the drive was not formatted.
I don't know who did the low level formatting, and I can't find how to do
it anywhere.  I wrote a quick assembly language program to format the
one track, which worked.  Norton Disk Doctor gives the drive a clean
bill of health.  But SpinRite still hangs.

I have used SpinRite on several other systems, and have never had any
problems except on the T1600.  Their advertising says you can throw anything
at it that spins.  Apparently not *anything* (yet).

I haven't felt like spending the money to phone Gibson, so I thought I
would try the net.


1. How do you low-level format a T1600?

2. Why does SpinRite have trouble with the T1600?

-- 
John Dudeck                                  "Nothing is foolproof, because
jdudeck@Polyslo.CalPoly.Edu                        fools are so ingenious."
ESL: 62013975 Tel: 805-545-9549                       -- quote from PC Mag.