Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: DGB on December 07, 2002, 05:43:31 PM
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Hi All... I'm new here but an old Amiga/Toaster user try to get my stuff going again. Got serious hardware problems... Need help bad...
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write about your problem.
People inhere are usually very helpfull
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Welcome! Always nice to have new people around! :-)
I think you need to be a little more specific about your hardware problems...
Kay
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Welcome new guy.
Yes write down your problems as theres usually somebody who has the knowledge to solve your problem. Make your self at home!
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Welcome...
Nice to see you here. :-D
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Welcome to the Maddest and coolest place on earth.
(http://www.amigadomain.com/84.gif)
;-):pint::hammer:(http://www.amigadomain.com/Lol.gif)
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@newbie
Welcome,
You will enjoy ur stay...
all@once
But, the force is strong in this one, ,, i think you`ll have to give us the computersoftware spec. :-D
But at a guess , is it the buster chip?
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OK... Here goes... I have had Amiga 2000's since about 1990. I bought a Toaster and a GVP 040 combo accl./contrlr board around 1992. I used this stuff for video work for about three years. The need to make a living plus a big remodeling project on my house put everything on hold with the Amiga stuff. What little bit I used the stuff since then revealed serious problems that seem to get worse. I tried to redo everything and my problems seem to multiply. I did manage to find some help online but it usually led to the opinion that my 040 combo was most likely the problem. At that time I could not find a used replacement so I just pushed everything aside. Recently I started looking on ebay for amiga stuff. I found and bought another 040 board that is guaranteed to work. It is on it's way here now. In anticipation I am renewing my effort to find help and guideance. To that end I have registered here and thrown my "virtural hat" into the ring.
Here's what I have. An Amiga 2000, a Video Toaster, a GVP 040 accelerator/controler board, an ICD flicker free video 2,(for running a VGA monitor), three DPS TBC cards, Studio 16 sound card, a DPS vectorscope card. I have OS 3.1 and the rom chip that goes with it.
here is what I am proposing: I want to strip everything down to the bare minimum and start from there. I am thinking of starting with just the bare computer with out the hard drive and only floppies. and running just the regular 1084 monitor. If I can get that much working I would like to hook up a hard drive and completely strip iit of everything. I want to do the lowest level of format possible. If all that works out I would like to move on to putting in the new GVP O40 combo. After getting that going I would like to try the toaster and so fourth. Mabe after the GVP I could try putting my other GVP back in and see if it is defective. If not I have uses for it too. I have a second 2000 that I wanted to put part of the cards in because I really can't get all the cards in one computer.
I think the first help I will need is getting the hard drives formatted. Of course the rest of the help I will need is going to be as I run into problems as I progress through this effort.
I have also acquired several other SCSI devices that I will be wanting to try to add into the system. I have a number of SCSI drives that have been used in other systems and on other platforms that will need to be cleaned off and formatted. I have just found a six tray SCSI CDROM changer and a six drive SCSI tower with some nice drives in it. I would eventually like to try to get that stuff integrated into the system. I would also like to get a CDRW drive incorporated into the system. Because I am going to have to use two platforms I need to figure out how to get them communicating so I might control the second from the first.
I know all this sounds like a lot of work but I think it is all possible if I can just get the stuff working again. I figure it's one step at a time and start with the basics. I am more hardware oriented than software. I know very little about programming. I am a heavy industrial and commercial electrician by trade and I was an electronics tech in the Air Force about a million years ago. Amateur radio and electronics are hobbies I am somewhat active in. My radio interests are mainly with expirementing with VHF, UHF and microwave. I have also worked with a lot of programable control systems in industrial applications. Maybe all that will give you some ideas where my strengths and weaknesses lie when it comes to this project.
I would also be interested in any help I can get regarding getting my Amiga on the ethernet LAN I have here which is also my broadband connection to the internet. I need a good browser and a good ethernet card that will run 100 mbit. I have seen a few on ebay but thae are all 10 mbit and if I put one of those on ny LAN it will drag the whole system down to 10 mbit from 100. So, that's abou it... I can use all the help I can get.
Dave
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@DGB
welcome an make you self comfy.
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Yes, you write a good history, but what is the problem????
tony
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Hi nice to have a new face around here! Hope you enjoy your stay!
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Sorry about that... Fact is, the problem might not be the same or even exist again when I start on it. Originally when everything was together it began not booting up. You would have to start it over and over to get it to boot. It seemed like there were times that I couldn't get it to recgnize the hard drive. Please try and understand, it's been years since I last attempted to run that machine. My question for now is do you think I plan the right approach to this problem. If so, then how do I completely clean off the hard drive. As I remember the utilities I had didn't seem to do the job. I think I was using Quarterback Tools. I think that was it anyway. I would have to look mat my software. Point is, I'm going to be starting from nothing and working my way to getting it going again. At this point I am merely looking to contact those in the know so I may correspond with them when I do get into this thing.
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Nice time to join us.....don`t let the loony in the corner bother you, he has just appeared and threw this place into bedlam! :-D
Most of the time this place is quite sane and helpful. :-o
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did you try removing the GVP card and attemping a reboot.... reformatting everything seems a little harsh... perhaps remove everything from the system and try a floppy boot...., then hook up the HD and try that....
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I can only apologise for the stuff going on here. Please ignore the idiots. You have joined at a very
strange time. Its not usually like this.
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The greatest feeling is to welcome another new user to Amiga.org. Wonderful to have you (someone who can answer your problem will be along in a minute. Just wait.)
Meantime, go read some of the past threads and get to know the loonies who hang out here. Most of us are harmless, but it pays to get to know the ones who bite, as well.
Again, welcome!
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> My question for now is do you think I plan the right approach to this problem.
I'm not sure if you need to be quite so drastic in your approach to
solving this.
There are a number of reasons your machine might have trouble accessing the drive,
not boot, etc.
I seem to vaguely remember that some times there were problems with
Toasters in 2000 depending on some timing issue but I doubt that would
occur unless you actually were trying to use Toaster software and use the Toaster.
You may have an insufficient power supply especially if you have as much
in your machine as you mention.
..and of course there may be a problem with some of the hardware.
If you want to completely clean your hard drive you could simply use
HDToolbox run from a floppy to reformat...you can use AmiBack Tools or Quaterback
to wipe things but HDToolbox will repartition for you and
you can format from workbench.
...make sure you have ALL your software on floppies before this
because you'll need to reinstall it and if it ain't there it ain't anywhere.
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welcome back ... but it's not windows you don't have to reformatt
****use DiskSalv2 rather than Quater back****
I find QuaterBack caused me some probs..
Quater Back tools is a great program but I suggest
you head for aminet to get DiskSalv2 :-) :-o
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Skyraker,
I just finished pulling out everything - all the cards. I was getting ready to do as you suggested. I noticed that I have a DKB Megachip installed which has a leasd that taps onto the leg of an adjacent chip with a small clip. I waschecking to see if it was properly fastened when it came loose. I need to make sure I have it on the right pin on the chip. I am trying to locate the instructions that came with the Megachip. I may end up looking for that on this site if I can't find the paperwork. When I get that problem out of the way I will move onto the first step. Thanks for your help.
Dave
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I'd be inclined to make sure the whole system runs without the Toaster
in it.
If it does, and plugging the Toaster in stops things working, it would
indicate the Toaster is faulty, or there is some conflict.
If you want to restart from fresh with the hard drive, I'd just use
the AmigaDOS format command (with verify). If you want to change hard
drive partition size, etc, then you need HDtoolbox.
As far as ethernet cards go, there are no 100Mbit cards for Zorro 2/3
slots.
The best choice is an Ariadne or X-surf card, which are 10Mbit.
If you want to maintain 100mb speeds between the rest of your
machines, then using an ethernet switch instead of a router can do
this. I think????
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Sprocket,
Thanks for your suggestions. My approach does seem drastic but there is nothing on the hard drive I need to save. Since it's been so long since I used this stuff I probably wouldn't remember what I had set up anyway. I have all the work I did saved on removable HD media so that stuff is safe.
As for the Toaster timing problems, I would think that problem would have reared it's ugly head over thr two + years I used it in this setup.
The power supply could be a problem but there again it ran good for two tears. In the future I am going to limit the amout of cards in this box to the animation recorder, one TBC, the Studio 16 sound card, the GVP 040 combo and the Toaster. I'll be running the other TBC's and the vectorscope card in a second 2000.
I have to look and see if I have HDtoolbox. Is it part of something else or a stand alone?
All the Amiga softwarte I have is on floppies so I can put anything I need back on.
Thanks for your help.
Dave
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Panthro,
After the years I have spent putting up with all the crap from WINDOGS, I fully agree with you. My reason for wanting to do a clean sweep is I just want to set up everything new and different.
there is one problem with anything I dload from the net. I can't get it from my Pee Cee to the Amiga.
Dave
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Castellen,
I intend to do just as you say. I figure I will try the GVP card first because it has the HD controller on it. If that works I'll try the toaster next and etc.
The idea you have about using a switch instead of a router is one I never heard. I have a second router that I can disable DCHP on which is supposed to make it a simple switch.
Are there no 100mbit ethernet cards to be had for the Amiga?
Thanks for you help and suggestions.
Dave