IMC Traveller 286 - hard drive trouble

[tingo]

Today I managed to get a setup program (gsetup) over to the IMC Traveller 286, thanks to Fastlynx and a nullmodem cable (the NCR 3150 laptop have already proved its worth - it came with Fastlynx installed).

I used gsetup to configure the IMC Traveller 286, and since the hard drive is a Seagate ST-125, I set it to type 2. It think this is correct.

When the machine boots, there is a long wait, and then it says "Hard disk unit 0 failure". Oh, and the drive light (on the hard drive itself) turns on when the machine is powered on, and stays on.

How cn I diagnose / fix the ST-125?

 

[modem7]

I used gsetup to configure the IMC Traveller 286, and since the hard drive is a Seagate ST-125, I set it to type 2. It think this is correct.

No. It's probably going to be type 6, but unfortunately the difference between 2 and 6 (a difference of WPC) is highly unlikely to be causing a boot problem.

ST-225: CYL=615/HEADS=4/WPC=300/SPT=17 (typically type 2)
ST-125: CYL=615/HEADS=4/WPC=NONE/SPT=17 (typically type 6)

But at this point, an assumption is being made about the drive types available in your BIOS. Most AT class computers use the same first 15 types, but others can differ greatly. And so run the DOS program at http://members.dodo.com.au/~slappanel555/software/AT_FDPT.zip It will list the drive types available in your computer's BIOS.

Obviously you'll be looking for the CYL=615/HEADS=4/WPC=NONE/SPT=17 entry. Note that the AT_FDPT program will display "NONE" as -1.

Oh, and the drive light (on the hard drive itself) turns on when the machine is powered on, and stays on.

That isn't necessarily a problem. If I for example, put an ST-225 into my IBM 5170, the ST-225's activity light stay on. Apart from that, the ST-225 behaves as expected. It's because the controller in my 5170 is constantly selecting the drive. This is discussed at http://www.alasir.com/books/hards/027-029.html in the paragraph that starts, "One type of led problem".
That isn't a problem for me because the ST-225 is inside the 5170, hidden from view, and the LED on the front panel of the 5170, which is connected to the controller card, behaves as I expect (lights only on disk activity).
Does the HDD light on the front of your Traveller stay on?

When the machine boots, there is a long wait, and then it says "Hard disk unit 0 failure"

You may need to low-level format the drive. Do you know how to do that?

 

[tingo]

No. It's probably going to be type 6, but unfortunately the difference between 2 and 6 (a difference of WPC) is highly unlikely to be causing a boot problem.

ST-225: CYL=615/HEADS=4/WPC=300/SPT=17 (typically type 2)
ST-125: CYL=615/HEADS=4/WPC=NONE/SPT=17 (typically type 6)

But at this point, an assumption is being made about the drive types available in your BIOS. Most AT class computers use the same first 15 types, but others can differ greatly. And so run the DOS program at http://members.dodo.com.au/~slappanel555/software/AT_FDPT.zip It will list the drive types available in your computer's BIOS.

Yes, it is type 6 in my bios. too, the at_fdpt program confirms that.
Unfortunately (as you suspected) changing it to type 6 doesn't help.
When the machine boots, it eventually times out when trying to access the hard drive, as before. I have tried changing power connectors from the PSU (in case one was bad), but nothing changed.
I notice that the drive get hot, very hot. That can't be normal.
Perhaps the drive doesn't spin up at all?
There is no sound from the drive, and no vibration either.
I suspect that I should be able to hear this drive, or at least feel vibration when it is spinning. Correct?

Is there a "best practice" guide to reviving old ST-125s somewhere?

That isn't necessarily a problem. If I for example, put an ST-225 into my IBM 5170, the ST-225's activity light stay on.

Good to know..

Does the HDD light on the front of your Traveller stay on?

No, it acts normally (ie. it lights when the controller tries to access the drive

You may need to low-level format the drive. Do you know how to do that?

If that should be necessary - yes I know how to do that. I would prefer to get the drive going without a low level format if possible - who knows what treasures lay hidden in that large 20MB space?

 

[MikeS]

Probably the infamous 'stiction' problem (see elsewhere on this forum and the Web).

You should be able to get at the spindle through a hole in the PCB and try to turn it with needle-nose pliers or even a pointed tool like a small screwdriver. If it turns, your problems are elsewhere; if not, there is a chance that freezing and warming it, or dropping it on all sides on to a hard surface may free up the head, and as a last resort you can open it up and free the heads manually.

Any of these techniques may of course also rip the stuck head right off its pivot and definitely turn the drive into a paperweight.

 

[tingo]

Stiction - yes

Stiction - yes

Thanks Mike. pliers and heating sounded a bit to much for me.
So I used my version of the stiction fix; tap the drive a couple of times on the side of the drive with the handle of a screwdriver. I had to remove the frame first to get at the drive, but it worked.

Oh yes - the drive works, For now at least.