**Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)

[wbrejnia]

Hi, I need some help with a Classic Amiga 2000, which has a HARD DISK in it but I have no idea what I used it for decades ago.
 
 If anyone has a working A2000 maybe you can point me in the right direction.
 
 I need to understand if this HARD disk would boot Workbench, or was is strictly for DOS use.
 
 There is a bridgeboard inside the A2000, and a SCSI controller.
 
 If I could access that Hard Drive, it might satisfy my curiosity for the past, and possible find some interesting stuff on it.
 
 I might even consider selling it.
 
 More details below....

[wbrejnia]

HERE IS THE A2000 (Not bad shape for it's age).
 

[wbrejnia]

It Boots from Floppy Workbench fine.  
 
 I upgraded the kickstart chip from the Original KS1.2
 
 
 
 HERE IS SYSINFO
 

[wbrejnia]

INSIDE (Is 386 Bridgeboard, SCSCI HDD Controller, and the Hard Disk)
 
 
 I figured out to get a Workbench Disk working to boot MS DOS via 5.25 Floppy.
 
 
 I have Amiga Explorer working via a Home PC, so I can get more drivers etc.
 

[wbrejnia]

Can anyone help me?
 
 How can I see what's on this Hard Drive?
 
 Many thanks for anything.
 
 Wally

[wbrejnia]

If my memory serves me correct from last attempt...
 
 I think I need a DOS Driver for that SCSI Card, which I couldn't find.
 
 So what are my other options?

[wbrejnia]

Hmmm, digging thru notes.
 
 It's not a SCSI HDD, it may be IDE.
 
 I will open the A2000 and pull out the HDD Controller to get some information on it.

[wbrejnia]

Thanks for all the info.
 
 I will remove that Battery right away.  It hasn't leaked but it may.
 
 Then I want to tackle the Hard Drive access.
 
 I'm the original owner and nothing has been removed, so the setup is as was (when working).  I have a ton of floppies so one of them might hold the setup I need to boot up and see the hard drive.
 
 Other option is I have a old fully loaded 286 PC, that has a controller with a same ribbon cable that the HDD has in the amiga.  Maybe I can hook it up to the PC and see the contents.   If it has a DOS partition I may be able to see what's there.  If it has a AMIGA partition, then I'll won't be in luck on the 286.
 
 I'll post some more details on the Hard Drive connector, the Amiga Hard Drive controller board that HDD is hooked up to.  
 
 Stay tuned.   Should get things setup very soon.

[wbrejnia]

I did get Janus working before.
 Will boot up tonight and see what happens.
 
 The challenge I faced last time was after Janus boots and PC window shows up in Amiga.  How do I get access to that Hard Drive which is hooked up to a Hard drive Controller via IDE cable.
 
 I assume somewhere or somehow a driver loads for that hard drive controller and then I'll see that PC in the amiga boot up from the hard drive.
 
 It's a chicken before the egg thing.  HOW DO I GET that hard drive VISIBLE from the Bridgeboard PC boot?

[wbrejnia]

Here is a picture of the Bridgeboard that I pulled out last time.



I'll dig up the photo of the Hard Drive controller.

[wbrejnia]

The hard drive controller is a Western Digital WD1002A-27X
 
 Digging for a Driver for DOS.

[wbrejnia]

This is probably obvious, but after you boot into the DOS environment, did you try just cd'ing to c:?

I'm pretty sure I tried that.  Tried a whole bunch of Drive letters.
 It may be that I'm not properly booting via JANUS, just booting DOS off the Floppy drive.
 
 Shouldn't the PC Bridgeboard boot up without the Floppy disk?
 
 Will refresh my memory with another start up tonight.

[wbrejnia]

I'm determined to end this multi-year project, and close this chapter in my life.
 
 Would this help?
 
 I'll video tape my setup, my boot up, my internals and post the video on youtube.
 
 This system was working when I put it into storage.  I just need to figure out the proper sequence and which workbench disk I need to put in.

[wbrejnia]

Moving Forward (Setup almost done)

*** SOME ADDITIONAL CLUES ***

The WD HDD Controller is DOUBLE HOOKED UP to Hard Drive
as shown below:

(And the Next Photo of the OLD WORKING WORKBENCH DISK IS ANOTHER CLUE)



I REMEMBER THIS DISK BELOW. It is what I always used to BOOT.

The LABEL SAYS "Amiga/PC WorkBench" so it was setup for Dual Boot Somehow.

The Dual Connection says to me "that the HARD Drive was visible to PC and AMIGA" Somehow...



It's won't boot off this disk (Read Error), but I can Boot off a working Workbench disk and Examine it.

Last time I tried to re-recreate this workbench DISK and I got as far as a booting Workbench, that will Boot PC Side (but only from a Floppy MS DOS Boot Disk).

Does anyone know how this is suppose to work?
 
 IF I COULD SEE WHAT THE BOOT IS SUPPOSE TO BE LIKE.  IT might jog my memory to figure things out.
 Plus if the PC Side See's the Hard Drive, how do I know.  Will an ICON Appear on Workbench?  Will there be a C: drive on PC DOS Window.

[wbrejnia]

I think we're all hoping for that. Although you might want to prepare yourself for that hard drive being kaput. It is, after all, at least 25 years old. I suppose some obvious checks would be do you feel it spinning if you power up the system with the case open, any activity lights, etc.?

Hope all this effort is worth it!

The hard drive is working.  Spinning. and Does the Whirl Click Click Sound when powered up.  Even that Hard Drive LED that I wired ages ago, blinks.   It's ALIVE, I'm pretty sure.
 
 It's not the end of the world if DRIVE IS DEAD.  But would be cool to see what's on it  (Plus this is a challenge to me.  Like a puzzle to solve).