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From: jons@islenet.UUCP (Jonathan Spangler)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: C: not a valid drive
Message-ID: <3526@islenet.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 20-Sep-87 10:47:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: islenet.3526
Posted: Sun Sep 20 10:47:33 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 23-Sep-87 00:40:07 EDT
References: <239@tness1.UUCP>
Reply-To: jons@islenet.UUCP (Jonathan Spangler)
Organization: Islenet Inc.,  Honolulu
Lines: 35
Keywords: new Seagate 20MB hard disk, old IBM PC XT

In article <239@tness1.UUCP> mechgam@tness1.UUCP (6958) writes:
>I just replaced my 10 MB Seagate (ST-412) with a new 20 MB ST-225 on my 
>5 year old IBM PC-XT.   The hard disk controller is a full length card made
>by IBM.  I have no documentation on this controller or anything else connected
>with this PC since it was already here when I took this job.  I can't get the
>new drive operational.  C: gives the message "Invalid drive specification."
>Fdisk gives the message "Error reading fixed disk."  Does anybody have any 
>ideas?  Possibly needs a low-level format?
>
>Thank you very much,
>
>-- 
>Gary A. Mink
>Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.
>(713) 521-6958
>tness1!mechgam

It is a given that anytime you replace a drive with a drive from a different
manufacturer that a low-level format is in order.

I would be wary about your controller however, as it probably only supports
a 10meg drive. You may be able to get 20megs out of it by partitioning 2
10meg units, but doubtful.

For between $100-$150, you can buy a new controller that supports much 
of the larger size drives made today. Example: I just formatted a 42meg
Priam (usually considered AT material) in a Clone XT with a fairly recent
WD 8-bit controller. Now, if the guy would only get an AT...

Aloha,

-- 
Jonathan Spangler
UUCP:         {ihnp4,vortex,dual}!islenet!jons
OPUS/FIDONET: Sysop@(12/6) HTCS BBS (808)531-2659, 24 hrs., Honolulu