Re: Booting to "non-dos" diskette

• Previous message: Patrice: "VisionFS"
• In reply to: Bob Parkhurst: "Booting to "non-dos" diskette"
• Next in thread: Bob Bailin: "Re: Booting to "non-dos" diskette"
• Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 03:35:01 GMT

In article
<Pine.SGI.4.40.0411151712060.1245443-100000@shell01.TheWorld.com>,
Bob Parkhurst <bobp@theworld.com> wrote:

>I have just installed SCO OpenServer 5.0.7 on a PC with an Intel
>mother board (D865GLC) with the latest version of the BIOS.
>Everything is fine except the computer won't boot from the
>diskette that came with OpenServer, the emergency boot diskettes,
>or the diskettes from BackupEDGE. It does boot from an MS-DOS
>diskette so I believe the boot order in the BIOS is correct, and
>the other diskettes boot ok in two other computers. The light on
>the floppy drive flashes only briefly before it switches over to
>the hard drive. So far our supplier and Intel have not been any
>help at all.

Have you considered replacing the floppy?

I've seen a system >ONE TIME< that would work in a DOS mode
but would not handle Unix type disks. Short story first.

I called the local large franchise distributor of this expensive
brand name machine and told them I had a floppy problem.

I was told 'if it boots DOS and not Unix' it's a Unix problem.

Knowing at least 10 times more than this person did, I called
the regional distribution area. I told them the problem and had
a new floppy flown in over night. [These were snap-in-place
devices not your typical $10 floppy - thought 3.5" floppies used to
be well over $100].

That fixed it completely. I found out later the person who told me
that was fired - as the place were I was an outside contractor
did a HUGE volume. I didn't intend that to happen, but perhaps
that person will learn to think a bit before giving a stock answer
when they don't know the real answer.

Saying that you may have a bad floppy drive.

But since this is rare there is a way that may indicated
if it is bad.

format with verify a floppy from the Unix side. If this fails
on a verify on all cylinders - or if it fails on the first and
quits we see there is a problem there.

Then boot from an MS-DOS disk, and try to format a new floppy
from there. If it's what I think the problem >may< be it will
format under MS-DOS.

If that happens replace the floppy and all should work.

If that doesn't do it, I'm out of guesses at the moment.

Bill

-- 
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com

• Previous message: Patrice: "VisionFS"
• In reply to: Bob Parkhurst: "Booting to "non-dos" diskette"
• Next in thread: Bob Bailin: "Re: Booting to "non-dos" diskette"
• Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]