12 Aug
2008
12 Aug
'08
2:18 a.m.
Against better judgement, I attempted to low-level format a Plus
Hardcard 20 and completely borked it (with the wrong format, the
controller won't init and the thing is now a brick). Does anyone have
the Plus Hardcard 20 install diskette?
The HardCard is shipped in a partitioned and formatted state, with a
number of files included on it. The directory of files is as follows:
INSTALL EXE 47479 1-01-80 12:06a
HCD BAT 30 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD1 BAT 128 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD2 EXE 54769 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD3 DAT 13440 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD3 DIF 704 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD6 SCR 4224 1-01-80 12:07a
PREPARE BAT 235 1-01-80 12:08a
SHELL BAT 18 1-01-80 12:07a
LIGHT COM 145 1-01-80 12:07a
SOUND COM 145 1-01-80 12:07a
PATCHFMT EXE 12670 1-01-80 12:08a
INSTALL DAT 425 1-01-80 12:06a
The original Plus install program creates a floppy diskette containing
the Plus files, as above, but also performs several other operations to
make it what they refer to as the "REINSTALL" diskette. This Reinstall
diskette can later be used for reformatting the HardCard.
Anyone have this?? I am killing myself for bricking the card and would
really love to get it back.
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
12 Aug
12 Aug
6:22 a.m.
Did you try SpeedStor ?
A dos utility for formatting HDD's with lot's of vendor info build in the
app, it's very usefll tool because it can lowlevel format and make the
partions and test controller and disc....
I've a copy here and will make a copy if you like.
-Rik
-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org]
Namens Jim Leonard
Verzonden: dinsdag 12 augustus 2008 11:19
Aan: General at mail.mobygames.com; Discussion at mail.mobygames.com :On-Topic and
Off-Topic Posts
Onderwerp: Plus Hardcard 20 software?
Against better judgement, I attempted to low-level format a Plus Hardcard 20
and completely borked it (with the wrong format, the controller won't init
and the thing is now a brick). Does anyone have the Plus Hardcard 20
install diskette?
The HardCard is shipped in a partitioned and formatted state, with a number
of files included on it. The directory of files is as follows:
INSTALL EXE 47479 1-01-80 12:06a
HCD BAT 30 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD1 BAT 128 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD2 EXE 54769 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD3 DAT 13440 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD3 DIF 704 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD6 SCR 4224 1-01-80 12:07a
PREPARE BAT 235 1-01-80 12:08a
SHELL BAT 18 1-01-80 12:07a
LIGHT COM 145 1-01-80 12:07a
SOUND COM 145 1-01-80 12:07a
PATCHFMT EXE 12670 1-01-80 12:08a
INSTALL DAT 425 1-01-80 12:06a
The original Plus install program creates a floppy diskette containing the
Plus files, as above, but also performs several other operations to make it
what they refer to as the "REINSTALL" diskette. This Reinstall diskette can
later be used for reformatting the HardCard.
Anyone have this?? I am killing myself for bricking the card and would
really love to get it back.
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.138 / Virus Database: 270.6.1/1605 - Release Date: 11-8-2008
16:59
14 Aug
14 Aug
4:05 p.m.
HP-FIX wrote:
Did you try SpeedStor ?
A dos utility for formatting HDD's with lot's of vendor info build in the
app, it's very usefll tool because it can lowlevel format and make the
partions and test controller and disc....
I've a copy here and will make a copy if you like.
Jerry Wright was able to help me out with the original HC software, but
I would indeed like a copy if you can find it. I've always heard about
it but never tried it.
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
13 Aug
13 Aug
5:59 p.m.
On Tue, Aug 12, 2008 at 2:18 AM, Jim Leonard <trixter at oldskool.org> wrote:
Against better judgement, I attempted to low-level
format a Plus Hardcard 20
and completely borked it (with the wrong format, the controller won't init
and the thing is now a brick). Does anyone have the Plus Hardcard 20
install diskette?
Wasn't the controller on a Plus Hardcard 20 a relabeled Seagate (or
maybe WD) MFM controller? Or am I thinking of another manufacturer's
Hardcard clone? If so, the low level format entry point is probably
offset 5 into the card's ROM address space (probably segment C800).
If not DiskManager, SpeedStor, FormatAll or a utility like that may be
able to figure out how to do a low level format.
Eric
The HardCard is shipped in a partitioned and formatted state, with a number
of files included on it. The directory of files is as follows:
INSTALL EXE 47479 1-01-80 12:06a
HCD BAT 30 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD1 BAT 128 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD2 EXE 54769 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD3 DAT 13440 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD3 DIF 704 1-01-80 12:07a
HCD6 SCR 4224 1-01-80 12:07a
PREPARE BAT 235 1-01-80 12:08a
SHELL BAT 18 1-01-80 12:07a
LIGHT COM 145 1-01-80 12:07a
SOUND COM 145 1-01-80 12:07a
PATCHFMT EXE 12670 1-01-80 12:08a
INSTALL DAT 425 1-01-80 12:06a
The original Plus install program creates a floppy diskette containing the
Plus files, as above, but also performs several other operations to make it
what they refer to as the "REINSTALL" diskette. This Reinstall diskette can
later be used for reformatting the HardCard.
Anyone have this?? I am killing myself for bricking the card and would
really love to get it back.
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
8:18 p.m.
On 13 Aug 2008 at 17:59, Eric J Korpela wrote:
If not DiskManager, SpeedStor, FormatAll or a utility
like that may be
able to figure out how to do a low level format.
The Plus Hardcard was a weird beast. I don't think that the option
ROM had the low-level formatting utilities on it.
Cheers,
Chuck
14 Aug
14 Aug
4:09 p.m.
Chuck Guzis wrote:
The Plus Hardcard was a weird beast. I don't think that the option
ROM had the low-level formatting utilities on it.
Correct, it doesn't. It relied on the software to do the formatting.
I was attempting to reformat it so that I could get more speed out of it
(interleave is 5:1 on the disk but my 8088-2 clone runs at 9.54MHz and
can do faster). I borked it trying to use HDPARM. Thankfully Jerry
Wright was able to find the original diskette and I have restored the
drive to service! Awesome!
I was attempting to use another hardcard, a "Karddrive 20" with an
"Octagon Drive" (it looks like an MFM drive in the shape of an oblong
octagon) and the first time I tried to use it, every other character in
the ROM was goofy. The second time I tried, it was perfect and I could
read the drive's contents (but regrettably did not back them up). The
third time, the ROM read all 00's and the drive was useless. (This was
all in the course of 10 minutes!) Can I assume that the EEPROM has
faded for good?
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
5:25 p.m.
On Thu, 14 Aug 2008, Jim Leonard wrote:
I was attempting to reformat it so that I could get
more speed out of it
(interleave is 5:1 on the disk but my 8088-2 clone runs at 9.54MHz and can do
faster). I borked it trying to use HDPARM. Thankfully Jerry Wright was able
to find the original diskette and I have restored the drive to service!
Awesome!
Jim, the next time you need to adjust the interleave on a drive, use
SpinRite. It does transfer rate testing and will come up with the best
interleave for your configuration.
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
6:19 p.m.
On Aug 14, 2008, at 8:38 PM, bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca wrote:
SpinRite can be told to read a track, format it (optionally
changing the interleave, and write the data back down. It was in my
standard "fix a PC" box of tricks 20 years ago. It always worked
very well.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
Jim, the next
time you need to adjust the interleave on a drive,
use SpinRite. It does transfer rate testing and will come up with
the best
interleave for your configuration.
Does not SpinRite have a option to also reformat tracks with your
data on it?
7:21 p.m.
On Thu, 14 Aug 2008, bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca wrote:
Gene Buckle wrote:
Yes it does. Does a great job.
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
Jim, the next time you need to adjust the interleave on a drive, use
SpinRite. It does transfer rate testing and will come up with the best
interleave for your configuration.
Does not SpinRite have a option to also reformat tracks with your data on
it?
7:42 p.m.
Gene Buckle wrote:
On Thu, 14 Aug 2008, bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca wrote:
And when it doesn't do a great job, I have found that Norton Utilities
6.0's CALIBRAT works well. (Spinrite does some odd things on a few
controllers where there is a 10-second pause and head recalibration for
every single low-level format of a track)
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
Gene Buckle wrote:
Yes it does. Does a great job.
Jim, the next time you need to adjust the interleave on a drive, use
SpinRite. It does transfer rate testing and will come up with the best
interleave for your configuration.
Does not SpinRite have a option to also reformat tracks with your
data on it?
6:43 p.m.
Gene Buckle wrote:
On Thu, 14 Aug 2008, Jim Leonard wrote:
Spinrite has been put into doubt over the last decade for me due to many
factors. That notwithstanding, I did attempt it and Spinrite says that
the controller is translating and that it won't touch it.
The truth is that the on-board BIOS clears the screen and displays a
message essentially saying "your low-level format attempt was stopped so
that the existing bad sector mapping table could be preserved, press
ctrl-alt-delete" (although powering the system off is actually what is
required to continue). So that's the real reason SpinRite won't touch it.
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
I was attempting to reformat it so that I could
get more speed out of
it (interleave is 5:1 on the disk but my 8088-2 clone runs at 9.54MHz
and can do faster). I borked it trying to use HDPARM. Thankfully
Jerry Wright was able to find the original diskette and I have
restored the drive to service! Awesome!
Jim, the next time you need to adjust the interleave on a drive, use
SpinRite. It does transfer rate testing and will come up with the best
interleave for your configuration.
7:26 p.m.
The truth is that the on-board BIOS clears the screen
and displays a message
essentially saying "your low-level format attempt was stopped so that the
existing bad sector mapping table could be preserved, press ctrl-alt-delete"
(although powering the system off is actually what is required to continue).
So that's the real reason SpinRite won't touch it.
That's insanely strange. I wonder what is so precious about their factory
bad track table...
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
7:41 p.m.
Gene Buckle wrote:
Probably nothing at all. The BIOS DUMP lists the author of the code,
maybe I should try to track him down and complain :-)
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
The truth is
that the on-board BIOS clears the screen and displays a
message essentially saying "your low-level format attempt was stopped
so that the existing bad sector mapping table could be preserved,
press ctrl-alt-delete" (although powering the system off is actually
what is required to continue). So that's the real reason SpinRite
won't touch it.
That's insanely strange. I wonder what is so precious about their
factory bad track table...
8:02 p.m.
On Thu, 14 Aug 2008, Jim Leonard wrote:
Gene Buckle wrote:
Probably nothing at all. The BIOS DUMP lists the author of the code, maybe I
should try to track him down and complain :-)
Now THAT would be cool. *laughs* You should do it. :)
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
The truth
is that the on-board BIOS clears the screen and displays a
message essentially saying "your low-level format attempt was stopped so
that the existing bad sector mapping table could be preserved, press
ctrl-alt-delete" (although powering the system off is actually what is
required to continue). So that's the real reason SpinRite won't touch it.
That's insanely strange. I wonder what is so precious about their factory
bad track table...
4:05 p.m.
Eric J Korpela wrote:
If not DiskManager, SpeedStor, FormatAll or a utility
like that may be
able to figure out how to do a low level format.
That was precisely how I borked it in the first place :-)
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/
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bfranchuk＠jetnet.ab.ca -
cclist＠sydex.com -
geneb＠deltasoft.com -
hp-fix＠xs4all.nl -
korpela＠ssl.berkeley.edu -
mcguire＠neurotica.com -
trixter＠oldskool.org