On Tue, 12 May 1998, Grant Zozman wrote:
> Thanks for all the help so far :-)
>
> To address the questions people have asked:
>
> I have a program called FORMAT06.COM supplied on the original CP/M Autoload
> disks for the Kaypro. It seems to do a high level format (similar to DOS's
> FORMAT command). However when I run it, I get "Verify errors", so it does
> not seem capable of overcoming the problems the drive has.
Have you means (PC w/ 22DISK) of putting a file on Kaypro format disk?
If so, I'll send a different Kaypro HD format program to you by e-mail.
> I do have PUTSYS and PUTOVL, and have executed them. Interestingly enough,
> they don't report any errors. However, as Don Maslin noted, these should
> be run after the drive is formatted, so at this point I don't think these
> utilities can solve my problem. In any case, I would suspect that if this
> was the only problem, I would still be able to pull up a directory of the
> hard drive (I can't); I just wouldn't be able to boot from it.
>
> Some have mentioned that the Tandon drive I have is not original, and that
> I should look for a Seagate (ST225 has been recommended), Shugart, or
> Microscience drive. Would I be able to use any 10MB MFM drive in place of
> the Tandon TM502? I am wondering specifically about physical size,
Yes, you can use abother 10mb drive PROVIDING that it has 4 heads. The
format program is rather inflexible about that. If only two heads, you
will get only 5mb out of it, or if more than 4 heads and, say, 163
cylinders, you also will not get 10mb.
> location of mounting screws, and the connectors used. If someone has a
Those should be standard.
> good working drive (or knows where one can be sourced), please let me know.
> I am willing to pay a fair price for one.
I can format and send you a 20mb NEC D5126 drive (ST-225 clone). E-mail
me if you are interested.
> Bill and Allison, you mentioned that I might attempt a low level format.
> Barring physical damage on the disk, this sounds like the most likely
> cause of my problems; maybe the heads got bumped slightly out of alignment
> in shipping, and therefore cannot find the servo tracks any longer. I
The drive has no servo tracks. The stepper motor determines track location.
> would like to try a low level format, but am not sure what the utility
> would be called. I have searched all the CP/M disks I have, and have
> turned up no programs which would indicate that they do a low level format.
The CP/M format combines both low level and high level in a single operation.
> Would this utility have been supplied with CP/M? None of the books I have
> on CP/M mention anything about low level formatting (although most of them
> are too old to cover hard drives!). Any ideas on where I can find
> this utility would be welcome! If someone has a copy on a floppy, I would
> be more than willing to pay a fair price for your efforts to get a copy to me.
- don
donm_at_cts.com
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Don Maslin - Keeper of the Dina-SIG CP/M System Disk Archives
Chairman, Dina-SIG of the San Diego Computer Society
Clinging tenaciously to the trailing edge of technology.
Sysop - Elephant's Graveyard (CP/M) - 619-454-8412
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
see old system support at
http://www.psyber.com/~tcj
visit the "Unofficial" CP/M Weg site at
http://cdl.uta.edu/cpm
with Mirror at
http://www.mathcs.emory.edu/~cfs/cpm
Received on Wed May 13 1998 - 16:58:36 BST