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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rpics!chassin
From: chassin@rpics.RPI.EDU (Dave Chassin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: More on FAT problems on single drive AT clone
Message-ID: <1000@rpics.RPI.EDU>
Date: Mon, 16-Mar-87 21:00:19 EST
Article-I.D.: rpics.1000
Posted: Mon Mar 16 21:00:19 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Mar-87 05:35:43 EST
Lines: 63
Keywords: details and possible fix

In an article posted last week
I pointed out that I had encountered what appeared to be a bug
in DOS 3.1 when running on a AT clone. I was a little :-) vague
about what actually took place.

I'll try to be a little more specific. What he did was this:
(this system has one floppy and one hard drive)
C>a:
A>copy a:*.ext b:
(hum, buzz, whirr...)
insert disk in drive B
and press enter: (he does so)
FILE1.EXT
FILE2.EXT
FILE3.EXT
      3 file(s) copied
B>a:
insert disk in drive A
and press enter: (he does so again)
A>dir
listing to disk that we copied TO!!!
A>b:
insert disk in drive B
and press enter: (ditto)
B>dir
listing to disk that we copied FROM!!!
(at this point I'm weirded out, so I run for NORTON UTILITIES)
B>norton (this is found via PATH on drive C)
a run through indicates that the data on the disk is what is
supposed to be there but the the FAT belongs to the disk that was
in A. ("oh boy is this weird", I mutter)
I exit NORTON...
B>a:
insert disk in drive A
and press enter: (once more)
A>norton
same thing but reversed (FAT belong to other disk)

conclusion: both disks are useless... great!!!
and: don't use drive B unless you SUBSTituted to some other directory.

Anyway I'd like to know how to block this drive switching premanently,
using somekind on DOS patch or how to fix the drive if it is some fault.

Dave,

_____________________

David P. Chassin
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	              |
School of Architecture			            __+__
Troy, NY   12181			           /  _  \
USA						   | | | |
					  /=======/   =   \=======\
(518) 266-6461				  |   _   |   _   |   _   |
					  |  | |  |  | |  |  | |  |
chassin@csv.rpi.edu			  |   =   |  | |  |   =   |
=======================================================================

PS: I just got a response saying that it might be a misconnected wire that
somehow disables the detector in the drive. I have yet to run DIAGNOSTICS
to see if that is the case. For now let's assume it isn't, because I have
a feeling it isn't that (don't ask why, but I've always trusted my feelings).