A4000 OS3.9 unable to read CD, shows floppies as unable to read

[LotusExcelle]

Okay so I have an A4000. I have a CDROM drive and 3 external floppy
drives in addition to the internal. OS3.9 possibly damaged.

It boots from hard drive nicely. But shows several errors on boot
including DF0: unable to read even though there is nothing in DF0:.
In addition I can boot from DF0: with my OS3.1 disks.

I tried going back to 3.1 by booting with the install floppy but when
it asks to insert the Workbench disk into any drive I run into a
roadblock. If I swap out Install disk with Workbench disk nothing
happens - I'm unable to continue.

So i can boot into a floppy but when it boots from hard drive no
floppies can be read and I also can't read from my CDROM drive.

Its very confusing and frustrating. I've also tried an older drive
with 3.9 on it but the same issue comes up.

Has anyone had this happen? Suggestions?

[PK]

Post by LotusExcelle
It boots from hard drive nicely. But shows several errors on boot
including DF0: unable to read even though there is nothing in DF0:.
In addition I can boot from DF0: with my OS3.1 disks.

It looks like a faulty floppy data cable..
Is it original (= with the correct wires crossed) and well positioned?

Post by LotusExcelle
I tried going back to 3.1 by booting with the install floppy but when
it asks to insert the Workbench disk into any drive I run into a
roadblock.

you checked that disks are original and have no errors? Tried another WB
disk set?

If I swap out Install disk with Workbench disk nothing

Post by LotusExcelle
happens - I'm unable to continue.
So i can boot into a floppy but when it boots from hard drive no
floppies can be read and I also can't read from my CDROM drive.

Did you install a "clean" OS or you customized it with some extra tool?
Try to boot hard drive without loading the startup-sequence and/or
user-startup. (Use early startup menu to do it)
Give it a SETPATCH command only (with amigados)and make some test.
Any improvement?

The worst thing could be a faulty CIA chip. On A4000 motherboard, both
are SMD soldered, quite annoying to be replaced.

Ciao

[Clocky]

Post by PK

Post by LotusExcelle
It boots from hard drive nicely. But shows several errors on boot
including DF0: unable to read even though there is nothing in DF0:.
In addition I can boot from DF0: with my OS3.1 disks.

It looks like a faulty floppy data cable..
Is it original (= with the correct wires crossed) and well positioned?

Post by LotusExcelle
I tried going back to 3.1 by booting with the install floppy but when
it asks to insert the Workbench disk into any drive I run into a
roadblock.

you checked that disks are original and have no errors? Tried another WB
disk set?
If I swap out Install disk with Workbench disk nothing

Post by LotusExcelle
happens - I'm unable to continue.
So i can boot into a floppy but when it boots from hard drive no
floppies can be read and I also can't read from my CDROM drive.

Did you install a "clean" OS or you customized it with some extra tool?
Try to boot hard drive without loading the startup-sequence and/or
user-startup. (Use early startup menu to do it)
Give it a SETPATCH command only (with amigados)and make some test.
Any improvement?
The worst thing could be a faulty CIA chip. On A4000 motherboard, both are
SMD soldered, quite annoying to be replaced.

Paula handles floppy functions too.

[LotusExcelle]

I can boot from DF0: with any workbench disk - it works up until I try
booting from the HD. But my external floppy drives don't read
anything correctly. It *is* possible all 3 are faulty. So if I boot
from my OS3.1 floppy and try installing OS3.1 it gets to where I have
to insert the next disk. At that point it can't read the next disk.
I was assuming the CIAs were good since it *is* capable of reading the
disk initially.

For the OS3.9 on the HD I was thinking there was something really
wrong with the installation (as it also can't even see the CD drive).
I was originally going to just install 3.9 over again but I can't get
the thing to read the CD rom from either HD boot or floppy boot.

I did try a boot with no startup sequence but it has been so long
since I've used an Amiga that I can't remember *any* CLI command
besides some basics. Wouldn't I be able to see the CDrom drive from
CLI?

Post by PK

It boots from hard drive nicely.  But shows several errors on boot
including DF0: unable to read even though there is nothing in DF0:.
In addition I can boot from DF0: with my OS3.1 disks.

It looks like a faulty floppy data cable..
Is it original (= with the correct wires crossed) and well positioned?

I tried going back to 3.1 by booting with the install floppy but when
it asks to insert the Workbench disk into any drive I run into a
roadblock.

you checked that disks are original and have no errors? Tried another WB
disk set?
If I swap out Install disk with Workbench disk nothing

happens - I'm unable to continue.
So i can boot into a floppy but when it boots from hard drive no
floppies can be read and I also can't read from my CDROM drive.

Did you install a "clean" OS or you customized it with some extra tool?
Try to boot hard drive without loading the startup-sequence and/or
user-startup. (Use early startup menu to do it)
Give it a SETPATCH command only (with amigados)and make some test.
Any improvement?
The worst thing could be a faulty CIA chip. On A4000 motherboard, both
are SMD soldered, quite annoying to be replaced.
Ciao
--
    //
\\//http://sites.google.com/site/retrolabels

[PK]

Il 10/01/2010 19.05, LotusExcelle ha scritto:
It *is* possible all 3 are faulty. So if I boot

Post by LotusExcelle
from my OS3.1 floppy and try installing OS3.1 it gets to where I have
to insert the next disk. At that point it can't read the next disk.

Does it recognise when you swap the disk, on workbench?
If not there could be something wrong with the drive mechanism.

Post by LotusExcelle
For the OS3.9 on the HD I was thinking there was something really
wrong with the installation (as it also can't even see the CD drive).

Workbench is unable to see any CD device if not properly mounted.
AMINET.NET can give you some good software to succesful mount CD drive.

Post by LotusExcelle
I was originally going to just install 3.9 over again but I can't get
the thing to read the CD rom from either HD boot or floppy boot.

If I well remember, to restore the OS3.9 the steps are:
-Installing a clean OS 3.1
-Install CD software (AMICDFS or similar)
-Load SETUP program of 3.9 install CD

Post by LotusExcelle
I did try a boot with no startup sequence but it has been so long
since I've used an Amiga that I can't remember *any* CLI command
besides some basics. Wouldn't I be able to see the CDrom drive from
CLI?

no, but it could help to test disk drives.
Once you stop startup-sequence, just type:

SETPATCH
LOADWB
(cancel any ENV: requester..)

it will give you a basic workbench to test on.
Then you could try to copy some disks using XCOPY.
If it work, maybe drives are not faulty.

Hope it help.

Ciao


PS:
@all: Forgive me for the previous empty-non-sense msg. It was my mistake...

[LotusExcelle]

Okay did the SETPATCH and LOADWB thing. I show HD1 , Workbench
partitions on screen as well as a DF0:???? despite nothing being in
DF0:. This is booted from the HD. I tired loading from the 3.1 disk
again - and again when asked to insert the next disk for installation
I can't continue. Hmmm.

[orange]

Okay did the SETPATCH and LOADWB thing.  I show HD1 , Workbench
partitions on screen as well as a DF0:???? despite nothing being in
DF0:.  This is booted from the HD.  I tired loading from the 3.1 disk
again - and again when asked to insert the next disk for installation
I can't continue.  Hmmm.

check the power connector on the motherboard, just to be safe.
especially check the +5VDC line.
due to old age it can loose its grip and heatup.

[kenedi]

It could be a mechanical problem you are having, loose cables or
a 'short-circuit' somewhere.
Check (maybe even unplug,then replug) all cables, like harddrive,
floppy, .. cables & especially
check floppy drive power cable.

Are your Zorro / PCI adaptor & cards mounted firmly in their slots -
check that they aren't loose. Is any possible hardware add-on's circuit
board touching the motherboard?

Have you tested your system without those 3 external floppy drives, it's
allways smart to unplug everything unnecessary for fault finding. You
might also try unplugging any additional harddrive.

I think I might have had the same type of problem once. It maybe was
that my Blizzard 1260 accelerator wasn't mounted well enough and it
caused problems with drives etc. - unfortunately I just don't recall
precisely how I solved it..

You can mount a cdrom with 'Mount CD0:'. To check if a
CD-Drive is mounted, use 'ASSIGN DEVICES'. You can access a Cd with 'cd
CD0:'.

By the way, if you solved it yourself, tell us what the problem was.

Regards,
Kenneth