Re: Problems starting RiscPC

In article <fdf4cc614e.Alan.Adams@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Alan Adams <alan.adams@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
In message <4e6185cea9GroverR@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Rod at Orpheusmail <GroverR@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


For some time now I have been experiencing problem with my Risc PC on
startup. In short, it doesn't! Well not always. The probelm has been
getting more frequent until now I have to reboot - i.e. reset or power
down/up - virtually every time I switch on before I get a working . Also
it displays the same behaviour if I do a reset.

Always there is some initial disc activity but then it either sits there
doing absolutely nothing (even after 10 mins) while other times it
eventually goes into the RISC OS Boot menu displaying the message:
An error has occured during Boot
The disc drive is empty
Press any key to continue

The machine is a Strong ARM RiscPC700. There is an old 10GB drive on
ADFS::4 in the base. Also, I have a removable drive, ADFS::5, in a caddy
which is only used for backup and which is not always present.

Could this be due to the 10GB drive failing - i.e. the one that has to be
there to avoid long delays before booting from IDE?

Hadn't thought of that. I'm going to be away for a while but when I get back
I'll substitute it for another drive.

The main drives and CDROM are attached to an UniPod. IDEFS::4 "Boot" is
the boot drive. This is actually a partitioned 80GB Seagate drive (2
partitions).

At first I thought that it might be the disc drive about to fail but I
swopped disc and there is no difference. Also I set the machine up so that
I could boot from another disc and did so from the RISC OD Boot menu. The
normal disc the machine boots from wasn't shown.

So you booted from a different disk, and the 80GB disk, still connected,
did not show up?

Correct.

Are your master/slave relationships correct on both the Unipod channels?
Does adding "another" disk to boot from upset this?

Yes! Got this wrong before so I now always double check!

So, where do I go from here? Is there any way I can determine if it's the
UniPod causing the problem? What else can I try?

I really could do with some help and advice please. This is bugging me!

I think we ned a bit more information, i.e. ADFS - what is master, what is
slave, Unipod 1, master and slave, Unipod 2 master and slave, which is
"normal" boot, which one worked when you looked for, and didn't find,
"normal" boot.

ADFS Master is a 10GB drive situated in the base of the machine
ADFS Slave is an 80GB drive in a removeable caddy - only inserted to do
backups.

UniPod IDEFS 1 Master is an 2 partition 80GB drive - the 1st partition is the
'normal' boot drive
UniPod IDEFS 1 Slave is a Philips CDRW Rewriter
UniPod IDEFS 2 Master CD ROM drive

The 'alternative boot' was on the ADFS 10GB drive and I booted this from the
RISC OS Boot menu. I haven't tried setting the machine to boot from this
directly; good idea, I'll try it.

Did you change the hardware config. to boot from a different
disk, or only the software settings?

Don't follow, can you elaborate please? Or do you mean changing "*Con. drive"?
One thing, am I right in assuming the "*Con. drive" on acts on ADFS and not
on IDEFS?

Later...

I've tried booting from ADFS::4 and it boots OK. I've only tried it 4 or 5
times but it booted every time.

I swapped the normal boot drive onto Unipod 1 Master (IDEFS::4) and it still
didn't boot every time! That seems to point to 2 broken hard drives or a
broken UniPod!

I'm away now for a while so I can't do much more untill I get back.

Thanks for your help.
Kind Regards,
Rod Grover

--
GroverR@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
.

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