Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!mcsun!ukc!acorn!moncam!emmo
From: emmo@moncam.co.uk (Dave Emmerson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: SCSI Hard disk formatting Help!
Summary: Not so stupid
Keywords: SCSI HD
Message-ID: <352@marvin.moncam.co.uk>
Date: 8 Jan 90 17:16:06 GMT
References: <2696@arran.tcom.stc.co.uk>
Organization: Monotype ADG, Cambridge, UK
Lines: 41

In article <2696@arran.tcom.stc.co.uk>, ianking@tcom.stc.co.uk (Ian King) writes:
> Stupid Question Time
> --------------------
> [deleted]
> 
> Now the stupid question.. HOW YOU YOU LOW_LEVEL FORMAT AN SCSI DRIVE?
> 
> [deleted]

I know how he feels.

I had great fun installing a Quantum PRO80S on my '286 AMI machine.
First I tried with a WD XT/AT SCSI controller. This repeatedly reported
'no drives'. After many discussions with the techie at Abacus+, I finally
shipped the drive and controller back to them. They tried allsorts and
finally concluded that neither was faulty, they just wouldn't work together.
A small cash adjustment later, I got my drive back with a Future Domain
controller board. This recognised that a QP80S was attached, but no more.
After several attempts, I found that one of the AMI's resident disk types
would get it a bit further. This was type 45 (yours may be different),
one of the 0Mb 0 Cylinders, 0 Heads configurations.
Then I ran Disk Manager on it. That came up with some weird Cyl/Head
combination, so I messed around for another day before finally deciding
to f*** it all and try initialising it anyway.
Lo and behold, it worked. So did Partitioning. It's never caused any
trouble since.
My thanks to Abacus+ for their support throughout, particularly in view
of the fact that I only bought the controller from them. No affiliation,
just a happy customer.

The moral? I guess sometimes you just have to 'suck it and see'.

NB: you *could* try running Norton's disk doctor on it if you have it, or
maybe you should try a virus checker/killer. Things like bad block
management and interleave should be hidden by the SCSI interface, so
don't waste time worrying over them.


Good luck!

Dave E.