Seagate 43MB ST157a Hard Drive Won't Work
wi...@saber.net
Hi,
I am a user who is assembling a PC system. My computer has an American
Megatrends Amibios dated 7/7/91. It's a 386sx/40 with 4mb RAM, a 1.44mb
A: drive, and a 360K B: drive. Someone gave me a Seagate 43MB ST157a hard
drive. He said it worked fine in his modern Pentium with Auto-detect
BIOS. He copied the cyllinder/head/sectors data down from his computer
and brought the drive over. He said it was formatted and had DOS and a
couple games on it. We installed it, configured the BIOS to match the
settings he had written down, and got non-sysetm disk or disk error. We
inserted a DOS disk, and proceeded to create a partition with FDISK, and
then format the disk with DOS, adding the /s switch to transfer the
system files. We reset the computer, and to our amazement we found the
same non-system disk or disk error message. We proceded to install DOS.
After the installation, it still wouldn't boot. We double checked the
BIOS settings. They were all fine. We noticed a pattern. On the first
cold boot, FDISK will report UNKNOWN for System type. If you try to read
a dir on drive C:, it will report "Invalid media type reading drive C:.
On subsequent warm boots, FDISK will report FAT16 for System type, and
you can read drive C's dirs just fine. You can even run programs from
drive C: The only thing you can't seem to do is boot the drive. When we
were installing DOS, we could hear the files being written. The disk
formatted and partitioned OK.
When I called Seagate's support it baffled them, and they had me run
their low-level formatter, which i had already used to low-level format
the drive, to verify it. It turned up completely fine. The technician
said that it was not likely the drive had anything wrong with it. I had
also run Disk Manager. The technician asked me if my CMOS battery was
dead, and I said let me check. The date and time were off, but everything
else was fine. We tried to cold boot the drive multiple times with
different BIOS settings. At one time, my settings -did- completely
disappear, but I reset them, and have cold booted it multiple times since
then, and though the date and time were off, the settings were still
there. The technician even had me double check my jumper settings (5-pair
version) and they were all correct. He suggested I replace my CMOS
battery.
PLEASE HELP ME. I know this drive is old and isn't worth much, but it's
my only hard drive, and I need a hard drive. The only thing this drive
won't do is boot. Every time, I get a non-system disk or disk error
message. Anybody else run into this problem? Help!
Thanks,
-William Mulloy
Please cc all replies to wi...@saber.net.
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Harry Broomhall
On Tue, 09 Dec 1997 21:52:09 -0600, wi...@saber.net wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I am a user who is assembling a PC system. My computer has an American
>Megatrends Amibios dated 7/7/91. It's a 386sx/40 with 4mb RAM, a 1.44mb
>A: drive, and a 360K B: drive. Someone gave me a Seagate 43MB ST157a hard
>drive. He said it worked fine in his modern Pentium with Auto-detect
>BIOS. He copied the cyllinder/head/sectors data down from his computer
[SNIP]
You say at one point that 'the date is off'. Do you mean that you
lose the date each time you power off? If so - the CMOS battery is
failing. This could explain why you are having so much trouble.
Regards,
Harry.
Brian White
--------------9D3EBB7D7F63317B7DB75E8F
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Hello there William:
Being the Seagate technician you spoke to the other day, let me offer this
piece of advice: Try re-installing the ST157A into your friends computer (the
Pentium) and set the appropriate area in the system's BIOS to auto-detect
(should detect the correct CHS specs) and see if the drive boots like it did
before - you may also try to set the BIOS for "User" and insert the CHS
settings yourself, I would try BOTH ways. A non-active PRI DOS partition in
FDISK would give you the error "No ROM Basic - system halted" (a nice cryptic
error message compliments of Microsoft), so I don't think that is the problem.
If you can get the drive to boot multiple times in your friend's Pentium system
(both hot boots and cold boots) then apparently the drive is OK. The best way
to troubleshoot disks is to put the drive into another system and see if you
can replicate the error you are having - this will let you know if it your
system (flaky BIOS or CMOS battery failure) or the drive. After having several
386s in the past, I know like the rest of us that the lithium or dry cell that
backs up the CMOS for peripheral settings can last 2-5 years. I wish you good
luck and hope you find the solution.
Daniel Fuchs wrote:
> At one time, my settings -did- completely
> > disappear, but I reset them, and have cold booted it multiple times since
> > then, and though the date and time were off, the settings were still
> > there.
> >
> > PLEASE HELP ME. I know this drive is old and isn't worth much, but it's
> > my only hard drive, and I need a hard drive. The only thing this drive
> > won't do is boot. Every time, I get a non-system disk or disk error
> > message. Anybody else run into this problem? Help!
> >
> > Thanks,
> > -William Mulloy
> >
> > Please cc all replies to wi...@saber.net.
> >
> > -------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
> > http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
>
> I once had trouble getting a disk to boot and then found out I had
> forgotten to transfer the system files. In your case, any chance you
> forgot to activate the partition under fdisk? I don't know the exact
> term in the english fdsk (mine is german), ut it should be something
> like "Choose active partition". Everything is fairly self-explanatory.
>
> Maybe this helps.
>
> I've got one of these discs also, bought it second-hand for $3. It
> didn't work, so I opened it to take a look inside...
>
> Daniel.
--
\\\|///
\\ ~ ~ //
( @ @ )
------------------------oOOo-(_)-oOOo-----------------------------------
Brian White, Technical Support Services Group
Seagate Technology, Inc. - Information, the way you want it.
Personal E-mail - mailto:baw...@sprintmail.com
Wireless E-mail - mailto:40520...@mobile.att.net
Business E-mail - mailto:brian_...@notes.seagate.com
Visit us on the web - http://www.seagate.com
If replying, please remove the "NOSPAM" in my reply-to address
--------------------------------------Oooo.---------------------------------
.oooO ( )
( ) ( )
\ ) (_/
-
--------------9D3EBB7D7F63317B7DB75E8F
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
<HTML>
Hello there William:
<P>Being the Seagate technician you spoke to the other day, let me offer
this piece of advice: Try re-installing the ST157A into your friends computer
(the Pentium) and set the appropriate area in the system's BIOS to auto-detect
(should detect the correct CHS specs) and see if the drive boots like it
did before - you may also try to set the BIOS for "User" and insert the
CHS settings yourself, I would try BOTH ways. A non-active PRI DOS partition
in FDISK would give you the error "No ROM Basic - system halted" (a nice
cryptic error message compliments of Microsoft), so I don't think that
is the problem. If you can get the drive to boot multiple times in your
friend's Pentium system (both hot boots and cold boots) then apparently
the drive is OK. The best way to troubleshoot disks is to put the drive
into another system and see if you can replicate the error you are having
- this will let you know if it your system (flaky BIOS or CMOS battery
failure) or the drive. After having several 386s in the past, I know like
the rest of us that the lithium or dry cell that backs up the CMOS for
peripheral settings can last 2-5 years. I wish you good luck and hope you
find the solution.
<BR>
<BR>
<P>Daniel Fuchs wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE> <B>At one time, my settings -did- completely</B>
<BR><B>> disappear, but I reset them, and have cold booted it multiple
times since</B>
<BR><B>> then, and though the date and time were off, the settings were
still</B>
<BR><B>> there.</B>
<BR><B>></B>
<BR>> PLEASE HELP ME. I know this drive is old and isn't worth much, but
it's
<BR>> my only hard drive, and I need a hard drive. The only thing this
drive
<BR>> won't do is boot. Every time, I get a non-system disk or disk error
<BR>> message. Anybody else run into this problem? Help!
<BR>>
<BR>> Thanks,
<BR>> -William Mulloy
<BR>>
<BR>> Please cc all replies to wi...@saber.net.
<BR>>
<BR>> -------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
<BR>> <A HREF="http://www.dejanews.com/">http://www.dejanews.com/</A>
Search, Read, Post to Usenet
<P>I once had trouble getting a disk to boot and then found out I had
<BR>forgotten to transfer the system files. In your case, any chance you
<BR>forgot to activate the partition under fdisk? I don't know the exact
<BR>term in the english fdsk (mine is german), ut it should be something
<BR>like "Choose active partition". Everything is fairly self-explanatory.
<P>Maybe this helps.
<P>I've got one of these discs also, bought it second-hand for $3. It
<BR>didn't work, so I opened it to take a look inside...
<P>Daniel.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>--
<P>
\\\|///
<BR>
\\ ~ ~ //
<BR>
( @ @ )
<BR> ------------------------oOOo-(_)-oOOo-----------------------------------
<BR> Brian White, Technical Support Services Group
<BR> Seagate Technology, Inc. - Information, the
way you want it.
<BR> Personal E-mail - <A HREF="mailto:baw...@sprintmail.com">mailto:baw...@sprintmail.com</A>
<BR> Wireless E-mail - <A HREF="mailto:40520...@mobile.att.net">mailto:40520...@mobile.att.net</A>
<BR> Business E-mail - <A HREF="mailto:brian_...@notes.seagate.com">mailto:brian_...@notes.seagate.com</A>
<BR> Visit us on the web - <A HREF="http://www.seagate.com">http://www.seagate.com</A>
<BR> If replying, please remove the "NOSPAM" in my reply-to
address
<BR> --------------------------------------Oooo.---------------------------------
<BR>
.oooO ( )
<BR>
( ) (
)
<BR>
\ ) (_/
<BR>
-
<BR> </HTML>
--------------9D3EBB7D7F63317B7DB75E8F--
Daniel Fuchs
wi...@saber.net wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I am a user who is assembling a PC system. My computer has an American
> Megatrends Amibios dated 7/7/91. It's a 386sx/40 with 4mb RAM, a 1.44mb
> A: drive, and a 360K B: drive. Someone gave me a Seagate 43MB ST157a hard
> drive. He said it worked fine in his modern Pentium with Auto-detect
> BIOS. He copied the cyllinder/head/sectors data down from his computer
> couple games on it. We installed it, configured the BIOS to match the
> settings he had written down, and got non-sysetm disk or disk error. We
> inserted a DOS disk, and proceeded to create a partition with FDISK, and
> then format the disk with DOS, adding the /s switch to transfer the
> system files. We reset the computer, and to our amazement we found the
> same non-system disk or disk error message. We proceded to install DOS.
> After the installation, it still wouldn't boot. We double checked the
> BIOS settings. They were all fine. We noticed a pattern. On the first
> cold boot, FDISK will report UNKNOWN for System type. If you try to read
> a dir on drive C:, it will report "Invalid media type reading drive C:.
> On subsequent warm boots, FDISK will report FAT16 for System type, and
> you can read drive C's dirs just fine. You can even run programs from
> drive C: The only thing you can't seem to do is boot the drive. When we
> were installing DOS, we could hear the files being written. The disk
> formatted and partitioned OK.
>
> When I called Seagate's support it baffled them, and they had me run
> their low-level formatter, which i had already used to low-level format
> the drive, to verify it. It turned up completely fine. The technician
> said that it was not likely the drive had anything wrong with it. I had
> also run Disk Manager. The technician asked me if my CMOS battery was
> dead, and I said let me check. The date and time were off, but everything
> else was fine. We tried to cold boot the drive multiple times with
> disappear, but I reset them, and have cold booted it multiple times since
> then, and though the date and time were off, the settings were still
> version) and they were all correct. He suggested I replace my CMOS
> battery.
>
Chris Quirke
wi...@saber.net wrote:
>I am a user who is assembling a PC system. My computer has an American
>Megatrends Amibios dated 7/7/91. It's a 386sx/40 with 4mb RAM, a 1.44mb
>A: drive, and a 360K B: drive.
This generation would predate built-in IDE controllers, and the 360k
FDD suggests an updated XT, but you wouldn't have got as far as you
did if there was an 8-bit MFM HDD controller in there. However, you
might have an 8-bit bring-own-ROM-to-the-party XT IDE card, depending
on the system's upgrade history. All bets are off, in that case...
>Someone gave me a Seagate 43MB ST157a hard drive.
Usually "Type 17", those.
>He said it worked fine in his modern Pentium with Auto-detect
>BIOS. He copied the cyllinder/head/sectors data down from his computer
>and brought the drive over. He said it was formatted and had DOS and a
>couple games on it. We installed it, configured the BIOS to match the
>settings he had written down, and got non-sysetm disk or disk error.
On this generation, you won't have to worry about IDE modes or LBA
addressing, at least. But you still have to worry about
Master/Master-with-Slave/Slave and CableSelect jumper settings...?
>inserted a DOS disk, and proceeded to create a partition with FDISK, and
>then format the disk with DOS, adding the /s switch
Bye-bye games...
>We noticed a pattern. On the first cold boot, FDISK will report
>UNKNOWN for System type. If you try to read a dir on drive C:,
>it will report "Invalid media type reading drive C:"
Suggests BIOS partition table is familiar enough for the system to
think it's DOS (and thus assign a drive letter to it) but not enough
to read it. "Invalid media..." is what you see when a drive is
FDisk'ed but not yet formatted; I think the media descriptor byte is
set by Format and not by FDisk (a DOS partition's FAT depends on how
it is formatted, not by how it is FDisk'ed, to some extent)
>On subsequent warm boots, FDISK will report FAT16 for System type, and
>you can read drive C's dirs just fine. You can even run programs from
>drive C: The only thing you can't seem to do is boot the drive.
Do a truth table between:
2nd boot readable? A:boot then C:
Ctrl-Alt-Del
Reset button
Power off
Sounds IDE card, IDE cables or jumper settings. Try swapping out IDE
card and cable, for starters, and pull any extraneous cards as well;
also, try a different ISA slot, check seating, check mounting screws
don't short the hard drive's logic board, etc.
>-------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
When no-one is innocent, everyone is paranoid
Chris Quirke
Brian White <baw...@sprintmail.com> wrote:
<something that reminded me something else about what...>
>Daniel Fuchs wrote:
Last post I mentioned doing a truth table for
Boot? Visible after A:?
Ctrl-Alt-Del
Reset button
Power off
If the CMOS battery is dead, you may have to stop off in CMOS setup
after every power-up to set the HD's CHS settings, as they'll
evaporate otherwise. Unfortunately, those little blue batteries used
at the time tend to leak and corrode the mobo, so you should clip off
the battery if that's what it's doing. Resist the urge to scrub away
the corrosion, as that can kill those old boards.