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SCSI HD Detection
Hi,
I have 2 SCSI hard disks and a SCSI CD ROM on my ASUS motherboard host. When I boot my machine all seems fine: The 3 SCSI devices are detected by my SCSI BIOS (SCSI Select) and the machine boots into Windows 98. The problem arises when I try to access the second Harddisk as it dosn't appear in "My Computer" or "Device manager". I've had it working before and I'm sure I havn't changed anything.
I tried a second test: I booted into DOS using the DOS drivers for the SCSI Host but the drive is not detected. (The CD ROM and primary HD are detected & work without a problem)
It just seems a little odd that the BIOS can find it but anything past that can't.....
I've checked the jumpers and pins and all seems fine.
Any Ideas....?
I have 2 SCSI hard disks and a SCSI CD ROM on my ASUS motherboard host. When I boot my machine all seems fine: The 3 SCSI devices are detected by my SCSI BIOS (SCSI Select) and the machine boots into Windows 98. The problem arises when I try to access the second Harddisk as it dosn't appear in "My Computer" or "Device manager". I've had it working before and I'm sure I havn't changed anything.
I tried a second test: I booted into DOS using the DOS drivers for the SCSI Host but the drive is not detected. (The CD ROM and primary HD are detected & work without a problem)
It just seems a little odd that the BIOS can find it but anything past that can't.....
I've checked the jumpers and pins and all seems fine.
Any Ideas....?
Hmm.. when you boot to DOS, use FDISK and check if the second SCSI HDD is available there.
ASKER
I would rather not format my HD as there is some important data on it.
And yes there is a terminating device on the end of the chain.
And yes there is a terminating device on the end of the chain.
ASKER
Adjusted points to 75
Ok. So its maybe a recovery option needed.
There should be an option to verify the drive in the scsi bios. Try this.
What i am trying to establish is that even though the drives onboard eletronics work, that it actually spins the motor. I have seen old drives Identify themself in the scsi bios scan yet not be working.
If the verify option fails to work then i'd suggest taking to a shop for testing and file recovery. This will normally cost more $$ than the drive is worth but if you have 1000$'s value of work on the drive then its worth the effort.
If verifying works what has probably happened is that the file system has become corrupt but until there is some form of interaction between the controller and the HD this can't be tested.
If there is only file system corruption then there tools available on the internet that can be bought and used for recovery.
In the mean time could you post info on what scsi control card you have and what the HD causing trouble is.
As i don't know any hardware details yet, make the boot drive scsi0 and the bad drive scsi1.
Netmage
There should be an option to verify the drive in the scsi bios. Try this.
What i am trying to establish is that even though the drives onboard eletronics work, that it actually spins the motor. I have seen old drives Identify themself in the scsi bios scan yet not be working.
If the verify option fails to work then i'd suggest taking to a shop for testing and file recovery. This will normally cost more $$ than the drive is worth but if you have 1000$'s value of work on the drive then its worth the effort.
If verifying works what has probably happened is that the file system has become corrupt but until there is some form of interaction between the controller and the HD this can't be tested.
If there is only file system corruption then there tools available on the internet that can be bought and used for recovery.
In the mean time could you post info on what scsi control card you have and what the HD causing trouble is.
As i don't know any hardware details yet, make the boot drive scsi0 and the bad drive scsi1.
Netmage
ASKER
The SCSI host is bulit into the motherboard, which is an Asus P2B (Dual PII) and the Disk is a Quantum Viking or something... does that help, if not I'll accept your previous comment as an answer..
thanks for your help, Netmage.
thanks for your help, Netmage.
Solving your problem is of more interest.
If its ok by you my comments (and others) are only indicators to be checked and when everything either works or doesn't and you know why then select a comment to close your question.
Now that you have mentioned the hardware config there may be known problems that other experts have encoutered and fixed that i have yet to learn about also.
I gather the onboard scsi controller would be an adaptec 78## series version?
You mention this Motherboard being a dual PII. Have you also tried system under NT?
As these scsi controllers can use normal or UWide connections, are all drives on the same cable?
If its ok by you my comments (and others) are only indicators to be checked and when everything either works or doesn't and you know why then select a comment to close your question.
Now that you have mentioned the hardware config there may be known problems that other experts have encoutered and fixed that i have yet to learn about also.
I gather the onboard scsi controller would be an adaptec 78## series version?
You mention this Motherboard being a dual PII. Have you also tried system under NT?
As these scsi controllers can use normal or UWide connections, are all drives on the same cable?
ASKER
I've tried NT and that has the same prob, but I've had it working in '95 & '98 for around a year previous.
The scsi controller is a 78** but I'm not sure of the exact number.
Not all the devices are on the same cable, the CD & HD that work are on the Wide connector (68 pin?) and the HD that's not being setected on the narrow cable...
One of the guys at work just handed me a wide to narrow converter so when I get home I'm goiong to unplug my scsi CDROM and try the faulty HD in it's place, just to make sure it's not the controller.
What do you reccon, Good plan?
The scsi controller is a 78** but I'm not sure of the exact number.
Not all the devices are on the same cable, the CD & HD that work are on the Wide connector (68 pin?) and the HD that's not being setected on the narrow cable...
One of the guys at work just handed me a wide to narrow converter so when I get home I'm goiong to unplug my scsi CDROM and try the faulty HD in it's place, just to make sure it's not the controller.
What do you reccon, Good plan?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Thanks, I'll let you know how I get on....
What all do you have for SCSI, and IDE devices?
If you have any external SCSI devices connected, this may be the problem. You will need to stick with the adaptor as you can only use two of the three connectors on the SCSI card.
If you have any external SCSI devices connected, this may be the problem. You will need to stick with the adaptor as you can only use two of the three connectors on the SCSI card.
Word for word Copy and paste:
SCSI Setup & Basic SCSI Troubleshooting in Windows
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 98
SUMMARY
This article describes setup and troubleshooting tips that you can use for SCSI controllers
in Windows.
MORE INFORMATION
Setting Up SCSI Adapters in Windows
Before installing the Windows protected-mode drivers for your SCSI adapter, make sure the
adapter is working in a real-mode configuration. Verify that the drivers for the adapter are
loading in the Config.sys and/or Autoexec.bat files. Once the adapter is working correctly
in real mode you can set up its protected-mode drivers.
To install a Windows protected-mode SCSI controller driver, run the Add New Hardware
Wizard from Control Panel. Windows currently supports SCSI and SCSI 2 adapter types. If
Windows cannot detect your SCSI adapter, manually select your adapter from the list of
SCSI controllers in the Add New Hardware Wizard.
If your controller card is not listed, Windows does not currently support it. Windows will not
load protected-mode drivers for the adapter and you must use real-mode drivers. You may
want to contact the card manufacturer to see if a protected-mode driver is available for
Windows.
Plug and Play SCSI Specifications
The adapter must support at least the SCAM level 1 protocol for automatic SCSI ID assignment.
SCAM (SCSI Configured Automatically) refers to a proposal for the SCSI-3 interface standard.
Automatic termination of the SCSI bus by the SCSI controller must occur.
SCSI controllers that do not meet these requirements may be compatible with Windows but
are not supported with Plug and Play functionality.
Troubleshooting
One of the first steps in troubleshooting is to remove a conflicting device driver and
reinstall it in Device Manager. An exclamation point in a yellow circle or an "X" in a red
circle in Device Manager indicates a potential hardware conflict or a device that has been
disabled. Restart Windows in Safe mode and remove any conflicting SCSI device drivers in
Device Manager. Restart Windows normally and start the Add New Hardware Wizard by
double-clicking the Add New Hardware icon in Control Panel.
If you are still experiencing problems, check the following items:
The SCSI bus must be configured properly for Windows to load protected-mode drivers. The
configuration of a SCSI bus can be separated into the two following processes:
1.Configuring the SCSI bus itself. This includes terminating both ends of the SCSI bus, setting
the Logical Unit Number (LUN), and setting the device IDs. The LUN is used to designate which
SCSI controller is being accessed in a system with more than one controller being used. The
SCSI device ID is similar, but is the designation for multiple devices on one controller.
Check to make sure that termination is correct. Incorrect termination is a common problem
when setting up SCSI devices. Consult the SCSI controller manual or manufacturer for details
on configuring your SCSI bus.
2.Configuring the SCSI host adapter. This includes assigning its IRQ line, DMA channel, UMB
range, and so on. Consult the SCSI controller manual or manufacturer for details.
Most ASPI-compliant cards have an option to enable or disable their boot ROM BIOS. Enabling the
BIOS makes the SCSI drive bootable. However, SCSI drives are commonly used as a secondary disk
subsystems (with the traditional IDE/ATA drive serving as the boot disk subsystem). Disable the BIOS
if the computer does not boot from the SCSI drive.
If the SCSI card works in MS-DOS but is not fully functional in Windows using the protected-mode
drivers, look at the parameters in the real-mode driver line in the Config.sys file and modify the
switches or parameters on the Settings tab in Device Manager. The Windows drivers support only the
switches and parameters supported by the real-mode drivers provided by the manufacturer.
Windows may have problems switching from real-mode drivers to protected-mode drivers with
untested third-party real-mode drivers. Temporarily disable the real-mode drivers in the Config.sys
and/or Autoexec.bat files by placing the word "rem" (without quotation marks) at the beginning of the
driver lines. Restart Windows and try accessing the SCSI drive or check Device Manager for
non-functioning devices.
Examine the Bootlog.txt file. Check the following items:
Are the SCSI drivers being initialized properly?
Can the SCSI drive be accessed at all?
Is a Windows protection error (WPE) received and is a SCSI VxD/MPD/PDR the last entry in the
file?
Regards,
Bud
http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/
Bud's Win95 Win98 Tips and Troubleshooter
SCSI Setup & Basic SCSI Troubleshooting in Windows
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 98
SUMMARY
This article describes setup and troubleshooting tips that you can use for SCSI controllers
in Windows.
MORE INFORMATION
Setting Up SCSI Adapters in Windows
Before installing the Windows protected-mode drivers for your SCSI adapter, make sure the
adapter is working in a real-mode configuration. Verify that the drivers for the adapter are
loading in the Config.sys and/or Autoexec.bat files. Once the adapter is working correctly
in real mode you can set up its protected-mode drivers.
To install a Windows protected-mode SCSI controller driver, run the Add New Hardware
Wizard from Control Panel. Windows currently supports SCSI and SCSI 2 adapter types. If
Windows cannot detect your SCSI adapter, manually select your adapter from the list of
SCSI controllers in the Add New Hardware Wizard.
If your controller card is not listed, Windows does not currently support it. Windows will not
load protected-mode drivers for the adapter and you must use real-mode drivers. You may
want to contact the card manufacturer to see if a protected-mode driver is available for
Windows.
Plug and Play SCSI Specifications
The adapter must support at least the SCAM level 1 protocol for automatic SCSI ID assignment.
SCAM (SCSI Configured Automatically) refers to a proposal for the SCSI-3 interface standard.
Automatic termination of the SCSI bus by the SCSI controller must occur.
SCSI controllers that do not meet these requirements may be compatible with Windows but
are not supported with Plug and Play functionality.
Troubleshooting
One of the first steps in troubleshooting is to remove a conflicting device driver and
reinstall it in Device Manager. An exclamation point in a yellow circle or an "X" in a red
circle in Device Manager indicates a potential hardware conflict or a device that has been
disabled. Restart Windows in Safe mode and remove any conflicting SCSI device drivers in
Device Manager. Restart Windows normally and start the Add New Hardware Wizard by
double-clicking the Add New Hardware icon in Control Panel.
If you are still experiencing problems, check the following items:
The SCSI bus must be configured properly for Windows to load protected-mode drivers. The
configuration of a SCSI bus can be separated into the two following processes:
1.Configuring the SCSI bus itself. This includes terminating both ends of the SCSI bus, setting
the Logical Unit Number (LUN), and setting the device IDs. The LUN is used to designate which
SCSI controller is being accessed in a system with more than one controller being used. The
SCSI device ID is similar, but is the designation for multiple devices on one controller.
Check to make sure that termination is correct. Incorrect termination is a common problem
when setting up SCSI devices. Consult the SCSI controller manual or manufacturer for details
on configuring your SCSI bus.
2.Configuring the SCSI host adapter. This includes assigning its IRQ line, DMA channel, UMB
range, and so on. Consult the SCSI controller manual or manufacturer for details.
Most ASPI-compliant cards have an option to enable or disable their boot ROM BIOS. Enabling the
BIOS makes the SCSI drive bootable. However, SCSI drives are commonly used as a secondary disk
subsystems (with the traditional IDE/ATA drive serving as the boot disk subsystem). Disable the BIOS
if the computer does not boot from the SCSI drive.
If the SCSI card works in MS-DOS but is not fully functional in Windows using the protected-mode
drivers, look at the parameters in the real-mode driver line in the Config.sys file and modify the
switches or parameters on the Settings tab in Device Manager. The Windows drivers support only the
switches and parameters supported by the real-mode drivers provided by the manufacturer.
Windows may have problems switching from real-mode drivers to protected-mode drivers with
untested third-party real-mode drivers. Temporarily disable the real-mode drivers in the Config.sys
and/or Autoexec.bat files by placing the word "rem" (without quotation marks) at the beginning of the
driver lines. Restart Windows and try accessing the SCSI drive or check Device Manager for
non-functioning devices.
Examine the Bootlog.txt file. Check the following items:
Are the SCSI drivers being initialized properly?
Can the SCSI drive be accessed at all?
Is a Windows protection error (WPE) received and is a SCSI VxD/MPD/PDR the last entry in the
file?
Regards,
Bud
http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/
Bud's Win95 Win98 Tips and Troubleshooter
ASKER
Thanks for the last two comments but I don't think you read the problem correctly. I've had all my scsi devices working for about a year. The cut & pasted comment looks as if it's for when your first installing scsi devices.
I tried a few tests last night but got no where, I've got a new cable to try so I'll let you know hoe I get on.
Ho hum...
I tried a few tests last night but got no where, I've got a new cable to try so I'll let you know hoe I get on.
Ho hum...
Do tell us your SCSI chain configuration.
So the drive was working, and now it is not?
Try reseating the cables (looks like you’ve covered this already) Also try connecting the drive as the only one on the chain, and see if you can access it with Fdisk if nothing else.
So the drive was working, and now it is not?
Try reseating the cables (looks like you’ve covered this already) Also try connecting the drive as the only one on the chain, and see if you can access it with Fdisk if nothing else.
Then Fdisk or a scsi util equivalent to fdisk.
Is there SCSI termination on the drives at the end of the chain (cable)?
Netmage