Re: Motherboard seemed to kill disk drives, wasn't PSU, cables, disk

In article <42CD45DC.44A2757D@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Tanya <tjtmdOMIT_THIS@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>"Jay G. Scott" wrote:
>
>> In article <VGSfrnBsduyCFwgZ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
>> Jeremy Boden <jeremy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> >In message <daehq8$94d$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Jay G. Scott
>> ><gl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
>> >>In article <d8cokm$afg$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
>> >>Jay G. Scott <gl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>some time ago i posted that my machines seemed to have the ability to
>> >>>kill disk drives. i think that's wrong. i further think that my original
>> >>>drive was not bad.
>> >>>
>> >>>it was suggested that i try a new PSU, new ATA cables, and so on.
>> >>>
>> >>>well, i just got a new power supply, and new cables, a brand new disk.
>> >>>previously, i'd tried the disk with this cable and then with that
>> >>>cable, now i've tried it with the new cable. two new cables, in fact.
>> >>>you guessed it, no go.
>> >>>
>> >>>it now appears that there may be a BIOS setting that got mangled, and/or
>> >>>a change to my kernel params that may fix it. bottom line, problem
>> >>>still not solved, but at this point, it's now not possible to suspect
>> >>>the cables or the power supply.
>> >>>
>> >>>FWIW, i got an antec truepower 2.0 380W and it's __REALLY__ nice.
>> >>>granted, the old power supply was still okay, but this thing is
>> >>>quieter, has better cables.... yow. i also got new ATA cables, too.
>> >>>$5, color coded, round, 18 and 24 inch. (i got 6 altogether)
>> >>>
>> >>>ah, the momboard is an ASUS a7vx8-x. i have another machine i can try
>> >>>this disk in, similar configuration.
>> >>
>> >>still won't work. i think it must be some problem with this motherboard
>> >>and newer ATA disks.
>> >>
>> >>OR, also possible, i'm doing something monumentally stupid.
>> >>(or stupide, to you french lovers out there.)
>>
>> didn't mean to offend anyone, if i did. i've been losing sleep,
>> and when i typed that i was punchy.... i mistyped the first stupid
>> as stupide, and then, after i corrected it, it seemed funny to me.
>> anyway, the jape was directed at me, so, sorry if anybody was
>> offended.
>>
>> >>
>> >>this time, i got a new disk, put it in a machine with the same momboard
>> >>but slower CPU, tried: red hat, fedora, solaris 9 and 10, w2k. none of them
>> >>liked it. i jumpered it down from 120GB to 32GB. still no go.
>> >>took it back. got a different brand of disk. still no go.
>> >>
>> >>i give up. there's an older 120GB in machine number 3, working just
>> >>fine. and the same model, etc. 120 GB ran in machine number 1 until
>> >>something went wrong---while it was up, so it can't be a BIOS setting
>> >>change that took effect at reboot. new power supply, cables, and so
>> >>on in machine number 1 didn't help. machine number 2 didn't like
>> >>the new disks. machine 3 runs fine. new cables in machine 2, also.
>> >>machines 1,2,3 have ASUS a7v8x-x momboards.
>> >>
>> >>none of the kernel patches, etc, had any effect.
>> >>
>> >>anybody ever heard of anything like this? i'm baffled.
>> >>at the moment, i can't get to ASUS' site to check for BIOS updates.
>> >>
>> >>all other devices, CDs, CDRWs, iomega 100 MB zip, working 100%
>> >>on all three machines.
>> >>
>> >>it's making me crazy.
>> >>
>> >>j.
>> >>
>> >>>
>> >>>j.
>> >>>--
>> >>>Jay Scott 512-835-3553 gl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >>>Head of Sun Support, Sr. Operating Systems Specialist
>> >>>Applied Research Labs, Computer Science Div. S224
>> >>>University of Texas at Austin
>> >>
>> >>
>> >Try a SPARC workstation?
>>
>> that does work, of course....
>>
>> at this point, i know my scsi controllers work as advertised, so i may
>> just resort to a scsi disk until it's time to upgrade the motherboards.
>> but it still bothers me.... oh, well, time to get over it and move on.
>>
>> j.
>>
>> >
>> >--
>> >Jeremy Boden
>>
>> --
>> Jay Scott 512-835-3553 gl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Head of Sun Support, Sr. Operating Systems Specialist
>> Applied Research Labs, Computer Science Div. S224
>> University of Texas at Austin
>
>what bios do you have?
>what are the hd options in the bios?
>also what EXACTLY occurs when the driveS stop working?
>?blue screen?
>bios error? (i.e. does it pass the post?)
>os error?
>
>
>

i'll have to get back to you on the BIOS version and settings.
i finally managed to get a recent BIOS update downloaded today.

the POST always passes. all the OSes begin to install, it seems
they ALL go south when they begin to format/fdisk/newfs/mkfs the
drive. however, when i manage to boot from another source, it
__appears__ the the other source is able to detect that i've
just put on Linux/Solaris/W2K partitions, which, i presume means
that the partitioning worked that well. lots of files do get put
on the disk. fedora automatic desktop install fails, the install
thinks, to an installation bug. fedore custom install seems
to lock up during mkfs. errr, it locks up, apparently during
mkfs. w2k copies a lot of files, but keeps having copy
errors and finally gives up. i never see solaris 9 or 10
actually copy files, but it appears (see below) that
fdisk completes. that would indicate a problem with newfs.
but one of those seemed to indicate a problem with the CDrom.

all three of these machines have an adaptec SCSI controller.
i've tried disconnecting the devices from the card w/o effect.
the machine i most recently tried also has an iomega (IDE) zip drive
in it (100MB). and it, oddly, wound up with the remnants of
a Solaris boot partition on it.
(i forgot i left some media in the drive.)
that tends to indicate that
somehow, the motherboard/OS/something is getting confused about
which disk should be in use. i'll get a record of all the IRQ
settings and so forth.... (considering one of those OSes said
there was a CD rom problem....)

the one undeniable common denominator to all of this is ME, of course.

i really ought to just move on, but it's just so weird it keeps
nagging at me.

--
Jay Scott 512-835-3553 gl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Head of Sun Support, Sr. Operating Systems Specialist
Applied Research Labs, Computer Science Div. S224
University of Texas at Austin
.