Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!decwrl!world!unixland!bill
From: bill@unixland.uucp (Bill Heiser)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi
Subject: Re: WHAT IS SCSICNTL.EXE
Message-ID: <1991Mar15.213632.14643@unixland.uucp>
Date: 15 Mar 91 21:36:32 GMT
References: <2@lehigh.bitnet> <283400069@adaptx1>
Organization: Think_Tank BBS & Public Access Unix
Lines: 36

In article <283400069@adaptx1> neese@adaptx1.UUCP writes:
>
>>/* ---------- "WHAT IS SCSICNTL.EXE" ---------- */
>>WHAT IS THIS PROGRAM?
>>IS IT NEEDED IF I AM USING A SCSI DRIVE WITH A 1542B ON A PC?
>>
>>PLEASE REPLY TO BDS2@NS.CC.LEHIGH.EDU

I don't mean to knock the scsicntl program, but use it with care!
On a 386/25 running Esix Rev D, with a CDC Wren IV and a Toshiba MK-156FB
drive, and an Archive 2150S, I did the following.  I shut down unix, 
booted dos, ran scsicntl.  I selected the page that controls
cache on the drive -- I had previously turned cache on  (long ago) --
I now turned cache off -- (this was all on the cdc wren, the toshiba
doesn't have cache, although it seems faster than the wren, but that's
a different story).  When I again tried to boot Unix, it wouldnt' boot!

I tried the quick recovery in Esix, but that didn't help.  It wasn't
getting to the point where it actually loads /unix.  The machine would
self test, see the scsi drives, blank the screen, pause a few seconds,
and then re-initiate the self-test.

A complete re-install was necessary.  (The Toshiba is the boot drive).
I haven't had the time or inclination to re-try this operation to see
if it was actually the scsicntl operation or some fluke.  Someday maybe
I will, because I still want to try turning off the cache on the CDC
again.




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