MFM drive back-up

[JaBrIoL]

All,


I have old 486 running unix in an MFM drive off an wd1007v-se2
controller.

problem: The drive is about to die.

task: copy data or disk to:

a) another mfm drive
b) a scsi drve.


I was told that the old version of laplink can acomplish this, If I
use to ibm pc clones.
I need to verify that this is correct, or any other suggestions of how
to accomplish this task.



thank you in advance.

 

[Bill Marcum]

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.unix.questions.]

All,

I have old 486 running unix in an MFM drive off an wd1007v-se2
controller.

problem: The drive is about to die.

task: copy data or disk to:

a) another mfm drive

Where will you find another mfm drive that isn't >10 years old?
A 486 machine should be able to use IDE or SCSI.

b) a scsi drve.


I was told that the old version of laplink can acomplish this, If I
use to ibm pc clones.
I need to verify that this is correct, or any other suggestions of how
to accomplish this task.

As far as I know, Laplink is a DOS program. If you have a SCSI or
IDE controller, the easiest way to copy the data would be to temporarily
install another drive in the PC. Otherwise, use network cards and ftp
or rsync.

 

[leguerri]

Hello,

If you have an extra SCSI controller and drive, you could use it. You
simply connect them.
It's better to low-level format the drive first with SCSI BIOS program if you
can. Then under UNIX you should have the disk reconfigured in
/dev and/or /devices directory, make a new filesystem on the drive,
mount it, and the transfer the data to the new mounted directory.
If your UNIX version has an utility to make a full filesystem dump file,
then that's better, because you could dump your filesystems to the
SCSI drive and boot off it afterwards.

I did use MFM and SCSI together in my Pentium. In my case, MFM became the
boot drive, and SCSI followed in drive letter assignments. However I was
under DOS, but it should work in UNIX too.

What size is your MFM drive? If you want, you could low-level format it
after you retrieved the data and then re-use it. The BIOS formatter is
at C800:5 address (Remember DEBUG g=c800:5 command in DOS?).

 

[Rod Speed]

I have old 486 running unix in an MFM
drive off an wd1007v-se2 controller.

I've reported you to the RSPCPPDOHD

The wd1007v-se2 is actually an ESDI controller.
Nothing like MFM tho the cabling is the same.

problem: The drive is about to die.

Maybe. Which particular drive ?

Stepper motor head actuator drives do need an
occasional low level format due to sector jitter.
Not that common with ESDI tho.

task: copy data or disk to:

a) another mfm drive
b) a scsi drve.

Any normal copy method will do that, nothing
special about that sort of drive in that regard.

You need an esdi drive to go on that controller
and can use anything you like otherwise.

You should be able to put any IDE drive
in that 486 and copy the data to that.

I was told that the old version of laplink can
acomplish this, If I use to ibm pc clones.
I need to verify that this is correct,

Yes, but that is used to copy between
PCs, not between drives in a single PC.

or any other suggestions of how to accomplish this task.

You should be able to take the esdi controller and drive out
of that PC and put it in something else that has an ISA slot.

 

[JaBrIoL]

true enough.. the drives ar ESDI, the intial information I recieved
that these were MFM drives. I did not realize, until I decided to look
into the mater myself.

however, the task remain the same...

I've reported you to the RSPCPPDOHD

as long as it won't send the country into orange alert I guess that is
ok.

The wd1007v-se2 is actually an ESDI controller.
Nothing like MFM tho the cabling is the same.


Maybe. Which particular drive ?

the target esdi drive, the os is unix.

Stepper motor head actuator drives do need an
occasional low level format due to sector jitter.
Not that common with ESDI tho.



Any normal copy method will do that, nothing
special about that sort of drive in that regard.

not really, in unix I have to mount the second hard drive.
since more time has pass let me explain, what I found out.

the controller card comandeers the machine.. it ignore the the cmos
info.
at that point, is useless to use any software tha would be cmos
dependent.
programs like laplink won'r work, even though somebody told me it
would.

I've tried using Norton Ghost, and while it will see the drive, there
is always an error when after certain percentage has pass. it is a
read error.

You need an esdi drive to go on that controller
and can use anything you like otherwise.

they were esdi drive to begin with.. my bad calling them what
everybody else call them.. without looking closely at the drives.. but
the problem rtemain the same.

You should be able to put any IDE drive
in that 486 and copy the data to that.

that a thought. will the 486 handle 2 seperate disk controller cards,
more so when the ESDi controller comandeers the bus? and ignores
section of the cmos?
reading other usenet posting...

it seems that ESDI controller does not work well in a 486.

Yes, but that is used to copy between
PCs, not between drives in a single PC.
true...


You should be able to take the esdi controller and drive out
of that PC and put it in something else that has an ISA slot.

done..

thanks..

thank everybody for your replies...

 

[Rod Speed]

true enough.. the drives ar ESDI, the intial information I recieved
that these were MFM drives. I did not realize, until I decided to look
into the mater myself.

however, the task remain the same...



as long as it won't send the country into orange alert

It will. You're doomed.

I guess that is ok.

the target esdi drive, the os is unix.

I meant the drive model number.

not really,

Fraid so.

in unix I have to mount the second hard drive. since
more time has pass let me explain, what I found out.

the controller card comandeers the machine..
Nope.

it ignore the the cmos info.

Nope, it just ignores the drive type data and substitutes its own.

at that point, is useless to use any
software tha would be cmos dependent.

Thats mad. ESDI drives were used for a very long time successfully.

The controller just substitutes the actual drive
geometry detail for the dummy values used in the
cmos and any decent software can handle that fine.

And unix is irrelevant, you can obviously
boot anything you like from a floppy.

programs like laplink won'r work,
Bullshit.

even though somebody told me it would.

I've tried using Norton Ghost, and while it will see
the drive, there is always an error when after certain
percentage has pass. it is a read error.

Thats likely just due to the drive having gone bad,
the reason you're trying to get the data off it.

they were esdi drive to begin with.. my bad calling them
what everybody else call them.. without looking closely
at the drives.. but the problem rtemain the same.

I meant that if you want to add another drive to that
controller, to copy the files to, it needs to be esdi too.
As an alternative to copying to a different PC etc.

that a thought. will the 486 handle 2 seperate disk controller cards,
Yep.

more so when the ESDi controller comandeers the bus?

It doesnt.

and ignores section of the cmos?

It JUST ignores the first drive type entry data and substitutes its own.

reading other usenet posting...

it seems that ESDI controller does not work well in a 486.

Maybe. But werent you saying that
it had been used fine for a while ?

thanks..

No problem.

 

[JaBrIoL]

Hello,

If you have an extra SCSI controller and drive, you could use it. You
simply connect them.

sounds good. are you telling me, that I can use a esdi or mfm
controller on the same pentium board?

 

[Rod Speed]

sounds good. are you telling me, that I can use a esdi or mfm
controller on the same pentium board?

Yep, anything at all basically.

Can be a bit fiddly to setup with some controllers tho.

 

[JaBrIoL]

It will. You're doomed.

ahh shucks... now the high cost of personal security is going increase
my air travel tickets

I meant the drive model number.

Micropolis 1355.

Fraid so.



Nope.

I was generalizing english is not my native language..

Nope, it just ignores the drive type data and substitutes its own.

ok, isnt that part of the cmos info? ;-)

Thats mad. ESDI drives were used for a very long time successfully.

in the right machines yeah.. running disk mananger better still...

The controller just substitutes the actual drive
geometry detail for the dummy values used in the
cmos and any decent software can handle that fine.

ok.. it ignores "some" cmos info

And unix is irrelevant, you can obviously
boot anything you like from a floppy.

yes and no... for example if you boot from a floppy, and your hard
drive is unix. you will not see your hardrive...

Bullshit.

yeah the program is manure.. I have version 5. and it wont see the
hard drive.

Thats likely just due to the drive having gone bad,
the reason you're trying to get the data off it.

not at all the error was application error was 29089. look at the code
from the symantec site and it call it a bug with ghost 2002. Yet I am
running 2003.. I sent them an email on this regard.
again yes and no. as you mentioned I am working faulty old equiptment
because many companies don't belive in upgrades.. or the money it cost
to do so.

I meant that if you want to add another drive to that
controller, to copy the files to, it needs to be esdi too.
As an alternative to copying to a different PC etc.

yes I understand this. If I had the right cables. the controller card
can handle 2 esdi drives. we don't have the cable, so the next
solution is to span onto floppies.
finding the right cables is like trying to find a 5.25 floppy disk or
or software that still operate under CPM.

 

[Bill Marcum]

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.unix.questions.]

ahh shucks... now the high cost of personal security is going increase
my air travel tickets

Wait now, assuming that RSPCPPDOHD is based on RSPCA, which country
would we be talking about?

 

[Rod Speed]

ahh shucks... now the high cost of personal security is going increase
my air travel tickets

It already has, because you only speak broken english |-)

We know you foreign devils are the obvious suspects.

Micropolis 1355.

I was generalizing

Thats not even a valid generalisation.

english is not my native language..


ok, isnt that part of the cmos info? ;-)

It doesnt ignore the cmos info, just the drive type numbers.

in the right machines yeah..

They didnt need the right machines. There isnt a huge amount
of difference between MFM/RLL and ESDI, ESDI just has digital
data on the data ribbon cable instead of analog and a more
sophisticated scheme than a fixed number of sectors per track.

running disk mananger better still...

That was never necessary and was undesirable.

ok.. it ignores "some" cmos info

Doesnt even ignore it, it only substitutes the correct data
when drive type 1 is used for that particular drive in the
cmos. In other words it checks for drive type 1 before
replacing the CHS data with whats appropriate for the drive.

yes and no... for example if you boot from a floppy, and
your hard drive is unix. you will not see your hardrive...
Bullshit.

yeah the program is manure..

Your claim is bullshit.

I have version 5. and it wont see the hard drive.

Utterly mangled all over again.

not at all the error was application error was 29089. look at the code
from the symantec site and it call it a bug with ghost 2002. Yet I am
running 2003.. I sent them an email on this regard.

again yes and no.

Again yes and yes.

as you mentioned I am working faulty old equiptment
because many companies don't belive in upgrades..
or the money it cost to do so.

Irrelevant to whether both approaches
will work to get that data off that drive.

yes I understand this. If I had the right cables. the controller card
can handle 2 esdi drives. we don't have the cable, so the next
solution is to span onto floppies.

It'd generally be better to put another non
esdi drive in the system. IDE should be fine.

finding the right cables is like trying to find a 5.25 floppy
disk or or software that still operate under CPM.

Sure, if its the only esdi drive still around.

 

[Rod Speed]

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.unix.questions.]
Nope.

ahh shucks... now the high cost of personal security is going increase
my air travel tickets

Wait now, assuming that RSPCPPDOHD is based on
RSPCA, which country would we be talking about?

FantasyLand

 

[leguerri]

sounds good. are you telling me, that I can use a esdi or mfm
controller on the same pentium board?

In a word, yes. But if you want to use another MFM controller, be sure
to verify bus addresses so there is no conflict between the 2 controllers.
Jumpers are set on the controller board to select address, DMA, IRQ...

Or simpler, if you have 2 connectors on your 34-pin MFM cable, you can
add another drive on the same controller. I think a standard floppy cable
will work, but I'm not sure though; anyway it's 34 pin, but it can't be
a twisted cable. It's the straight cable with 2 card connectors.

Hope this helps.