Problem with WD Lifeguard Tools

[news.telenet.be]

I'm trying to run the WD Lifeguard tools from a boot CD. I used the iso
provided by WD to make the CD and it boots into Kaldera (spelling?) DOS ok.
The problem is it then it complains it can't find files on A: Why is it
looking for the floppy drive? The required files are on the CD ok so it
looks like the CD hasn't been asigned A:

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

 

[Rod Speed]

I'm trying to run the WD Lifeguard tools from a boot CD. I used
the iso provided by WD to make the CD and it boots into Kaldera
(spelling?) DOS ok. The problem is it then it complains it can't find
files on A: Why is it looking for the floppy drive?

It isnt necessarily, thats the way bootable CDs work,
they can come up with the A letter in some cases.

The required files are on the CD ok so it
looks like the CD hasn't been asigned A:

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Nope.

 

[Rod Speed]

It isnt necessarily, thats the way bootable CDs work,
they can come up with the A letter in some cases.

Nope.

Works fine for me, the CD does indeed get the A: drive letter
and it just reports no WD drives found and ends up at the dos
prompt here. The WD drives are all offline currently here.

Likely there is something about your system that stops
Caldera DOS from assigning the A drive to the CD etc.

 

[news.telenet.be]

Works fine for me, the CD does indeed get the A: drive letter
and it just reports no WD drives found and ends up at the dos
prompt here. The WD drives are all offline currently here.

Likely there is something about your system that stops
Caldera DOS from assigning the A drive to the CD etc.

Thanks Rod. Shame it isn't drive letter independent. Couldn't see a path
specified anywhere so I guess it's hard coded into the .exe

Looks like my WD is toast anyway. Started to go slow about a week ago and
backups took 4 hours instead of 45 mins. I managed to run the tools once
from Windows but it passed and the SMART data was all OK (Is SMART
worthless?). Then yesterday it made a few odd noises. They have stopped but
XP either crashes (normal mode) or it seems to get stuck in a loop (safe
mode). The drive LED looks like it's doing continious retries - perhaps it
isn't but thats what it looks like.

This is my third WD Caviar drive in three years that hasn't outlived the
warranty (average lifetime about 12-18 months). Two in my PC and one in an
External enclosure. All have really good cooling so it's not overheating.
I'm probably working them to death as they I've been making full image
backups with DI and running full antivirus and antispyware scans every night
(so probably 5 or 6 full reads nightly).

Will probamly try a Samsung Spinpoint now. Might hook up the WD as a slave
just to see if I can figure out what's wrong with it. I'm not worried about
the data as I've got backups.

 

[Rod Speed]

Thanks Rod. Shame it isn't drive letter independent. Couldn't see
a path specified anywhere so I guess it's hard coded into the .exe

In Caldera, actually. You can boot any CD you
like and then run the diag from that other CD fine.

Looks like my WD is toast anyway. Started to go slow about
a week ago and backups took 4 hours instead of 45 mins.
I managed to run the tools once from Windows but it passed
and the SMART data was all OK (Is SMART worthless?).

Nope, but I use Everest and inspect the SMART data
directly myself, I dont use the utes that claim to tell
you what the SMART data is saying on drive viability.

The Everest data should have shown you
why the backups took so much longer.

Then yesterday it made a few odd noises. They have stopped
but XP either crashes (normal mode) or it seems to get stuck
in a loop (safe mode). The drive LED looks like it's doing
continious retries - perhaps it isn't but thats what it looks like.

Yeah, it likely is retrying on errors and that
is why the backup took so much longer.

This is my third WD Caviar drive in three years that hasn't
outlived the warranty (average lifetime about 12-18 months).
Two in my PC and one in an External enclosure.

Yeah, WD does appear to be going thru a bad patch currently.

All have really good cooling so it's not overheating.
I'm probably working them to death

Shouldnt be possible.

as they I've been making full image backups with DI and running full
antivirus
and antispyware scans every night (so probably 5 or 6 full reads nightly).

Should be fine as long as the temperature doesnt get too high during those.

Will probamly try a Samsung Spinpoint now.

Yeah, that's what I did, gave up on WD myself.

Might hook up the WD as a slave just to see if I can figure out what's
wrong with it. I'm not worried about the data as I've got backups.

See what Everest says about the SMART data and drive temps.
http://www.lavalys.hu/products/overview.php?pid=1&lang=en

 

[Lil' Dave]

I'm trying to run the WD Lifeguard tools from a boot CD. I used the iso
provided by WD to make the CD and it boots into Kaldera (spelling?) DOS ok.
The problem is it then it complains it can't find files on A: Why is it
looking for the floppy drive? The required files are on the CD ok so it
looks like the CD hasn't been asigned A:

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Downloaded the zipped ISO over the weekend. Nero made the CD. The CD boots
okay, and the utilities seems to run fine.
The boot portion of the CD is designed for A: drive designation. So, you
get the drive letter "a:".
My guess is you got a dirty download. Or, doubtfully, the newly burned CD
is already has dust or fingerprints. I would try another download.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

In Caldera, actually.

Nope, in the CD boottype and the bios evaluation of that.

You can boot any CD you
like and then run the diag from that other CD fine.

[snip]

 

[news.telenet.be]

My guess is you got a dirty download. Or, doubtfully, the newly burned CD
is already has dust or fingerprints. I would try another download.

Thanks but that was my first thought. Downloaded it twice and burnt two CDR
but no joy. Anyway got worse problem now. See reply to Rod.

 

[news.telenet.be]

Yeah, that's what I did, gave up on WD myself.

Ok - Installed a brand new Samsung and powered up. Couldn't get into the
BIOS - it never just rains does it!

I get the AMI BIOS splash screen and the message "Checking NVRAM.." but
nothing further. I've tried disconnecting the HD and I resetting the BIOS
using the jumper but I still get hung at the same place. Is it likely I
stuffed my BIOS when cleaning out the dust? I think it normally reports the
DRAM size next so I'll try reseating the module.

Anything else to try before looking for a new BIOS chip?

Thanks

Colin

 

[news.telenet.be]

I get the AMI BIOS splash screen and the message "Checking NVRAM.." but
nothing further. I've tried disconnecting the HD and I resetting the BIOS
using the jumper but I still get hung at the same place.

Seems that using the jumper wasn't enough. I tried taking out the battery
and replacing it. Now I can get into the BIOS - Yippieeeeeeee

 

[Rod Speed]

Nope, in the CD boottype and the bios evaluation of that.

Wrong. As always. Doesnt explain why you can get a different
result with the different DOS OSs with the systems that allow
you to control which DOS OS is used when creating the CD.

From the WD CD I meant.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Wrong. As always.

Thanks for acknowledging your mistake in your usual manner, Roddles.

Doesnt explain why you can get a different
result with the different DOS OSs with the systems that allow
you to control which DOS OS is used when creating the CD.

Whatever that blithering nonsense is supposed to mean.

There are 3 types of drive emulation in El Torito: Floppy, HD or none.

 

[Rod Speed]

Whatever that blithering nonsense is supposed to mean.

Couldnt bullshit its way out of a wet paper bag
even if its pathetic excuse for a 'life' depended on it.

There are 3 types of drive emulation in El Torito: Floppy, HD or none.

Got sweet **** all to do with which DOS OS is used on the bootable CD, cretin.

 

[news.telenet.be]

Hi Rod,

A quick question... I'm restoring a backup image to my new drive which will
become C: Do I need to set the following options?...

"Set the drive active for booting" - I think YES as I'm restoring the OS
partition
"Restore original disk signature" - Not sure?
"Restore MBR" - Not sure?

Thanks

Colin

 

[Rod Speed]

A quick question... I'm restoring a backup image to my new drive
which will become C: Do I need to set the following options?...

"Set the drive active for booting" -
I think YES as I'm restoring the OS partition
Yes.

"Restore original disk signature" - Not sure?
Yes.

"Restore MBR" - Not sure?

Yes.

 

[news.telenet.be]

Yes.

Thanks Rod I'll give it a go.

 

[dg]

I didn't read all the replies to your post but I have a couple thoughts
which you can possibly rule out by paying close attention to things:

1. The CD drive is bad/dirty. Notice if you are at an A:\ prompt and you
type something, does the CD drive get accessed as the computer looks for the
file/command you typed? Otherwise maybe the "A drive" is a memory drive, in
which case the CD drive being bad/dirty is probably not the case as the
files should be loaded into memory and errors would appear sooner as it
tried to load them from CD.

1b. I have a memory stick that boots up to some sort of linux program that
mounts floppy images as if you booted from a floppy, its cool cause I can
load 20+ floppy images on a small mem stick and boot to any for diagnostics
etc (limited only by the size of the stick). Anyway, on some systems there
is a floppy setting that must be enabled in the bios or the linux boot
program can't mount an image. Screw with your bios floppy settings, I can't
remember which one I had to change.

2. Just to step around whatever problem you are having, make a floppy
instead of the CD. Do you have a floppy drive? I still like floppy drives,
as close to outdated as they are.

--Dan

 

[news.telenet.be]

I didn't read all the replies to your post but I have a couple thoughts
which you can possibly rule out by paying close attention to things:

1. The CD drive is bad/dirty. Notice if you are at an A:\ prompt and you
type something, does the CD drive get accessed as the computer looks for the
file/command you typed?

Thanks for the reply Dan,

Unfortunately I don't get a prompt. The WD program bombs because one of the
files it says it can't find is the license agreement. That is on the CD and
it (and other files) open fine on another PC. Tried using a CDR and a CDR/W
of different makes. The CDs are ok.

I've given up trying to get the WD tools to run for the moment. I've fitted
a new HD and I'm in the process of restoring a backup image using Power
Quest DI.

 

[news.telenet.be]

Thanks Rod I'll give it a go.

Oh bother. I think I might have a 48 bit LBA problem. What would the
symptoms be?

The restore went ok but I can't seem to get it to boot. I get this
message... "Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware
configuration problem. Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check
boot path and disk hardware..."

The IDE drive is in the boot path ok and PQRE reports that the drive is
NTFS, Primary, bootable and visible but the parameter "Home" is set to No
whatever that means?

The new drive is a 160G the old one was 120G. During boot up the BIOS
reports

Primary Master
Cyl = 65535
Head = 16
Sector size = 255
Size = 160 GB
LBA Mode = LBA
32 bit mode = on
Block Mode = 16Sec
PIO mode = 4
UDMA Mode = 5

I can explore the drive using PQRE and all the files and folders seem to be
on there (eg the root looks OK) but perhaps that's not the case? I've run
the check disk utility supplied with PQRE and it finds no errors after the
install.

If it's not a 48bit LBA problem I'm running out of ideas what to do next.
Should try wiping the HD, installing XP and then running PQRE from Windows?

 

[Rod Speed]

Oh bother. I think I might have a 48 bit LBA
problem. What would the symptoms be?

You get corruption of the front of the drive when you write
past the 128G point, basically because it wraps around.

The restore went ok

Using what ?

but I can't seem to get it to boot. I get this message...
"Windows could not start because of a computer disk
hardware configuration problem. Could not read from the
selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware..."

The IDE drive is in the boot path ok and PQRE reports
that the drive is NTFS, Primary, bootable and visible but
the parameter "Home" is set to No whatever that means?

The new drive is a 160G the old one was 120G.
During boot up the BIOS reports

Primary Master
Cyl = 65535
Head = 16
Sector size = 255
Size = 160 GB
LBA Mode = LBA
32 bit mode = on
Block Mode = 16Sec
PIO mode = 4
UDMA Mode = 5

I can explore the drive using PQRE and all the files and folders
seem to be on there (eg the root looks OK) but perhaps that's
not the case? I've run the check disk utility supplied with PQRE
and it finds no errors after the install.

If it's not a 48bit LBA problem I'm running out of ideas
what to do next. Should try wiping the HD, installing XP
and then running PQRE from Windows?

Shouldnt be necessary.

Maybe what you are restoring is a bit ancient
and cant handle drives over 128G or something.

I know True Image works fine, just did one recently.