SCSI HD Light on White Screen Hang...

[DiskChris]

So I have been having some problems with my SCSI HD. I accidentally broke the plastic pin holder off the SCSI cable in the computer.  I tried to use it anyway and kept getting phase errors.  So, I bought a 50 pin cable off ebay.  Plugged it in, and now whenever I start the machine, the hard drive light stays on, and the machine freezes at a white screen.  It boots fine without the HD so I know that's it.  Before I broke the cable, everything was fine.  I hear the drive spinning up too. I know the cable is oriented right as the red stripe matches the pin one side on the controller card, and the hard drive is notched...Is it possible that not all 50 pin SCSI cables are created equal?  Or did I just get really unlucky and have my hard drive die on me?  If it makes any difference, the controller is an octagon 2000.

[AppleIIGuy]

Did you check termination?

http://www.adaptec.com/en-us/support/scsi/3940/aha-3940uwd/hw_install/scsi_termination.htm?nc=/en-us/support/scsi/3940/aha-3940uwd/hw_install/scsi_termination.htm

Both ends of the bus need to be terminated

[DiskChris]

Well, admittedly I don't know much about termination but it had worked before and I didn't change anything.  All I have is that SCSI HD and controller card.  The HD is a Segate ST2383N.  I managed to find a manual but I may never understand those ASCII diagrams...

[mechy]

So I have been having some problems with my SCSI HD. I accidentally broke the plastic pin holder off the SCSI cable in the computer.  I tried to use it anyway and kept getting phase errors.  So, I bought a 50 pin cable off ebay.  Plugged it in, and now whenever I start the machine, the hard drive light stays on, and the machine freezes at a white screen.  It boots fine without the HD so I know that's it.  Before I broke the cable, everything was fine.  I hear the drive spinning up too. I know the cable is oriented right as the red stripe matches the pin one side on the controller card, and the hard drive is notched...Is it possible that not all 50 pin SCSI cables are created equal?  Or did I just get really unlucky and have my hard drive die on me?  If it makes any difference, the controller is an octagon 2000.

You may have scrambled the filesystem on the drive from trying to use it with the scsi getting errors. Boot from a install disk and check with hdtoolbox if everything is still intact. If it is you may need to use disksalv or quarterback tools or some such to recover it. Or just format it and resinstall workbench from scratch.

[rockape]

Hi DiskChris,

see  http://www.wonkity.com/~wblock/SCSI/SCSIExamples.html

there may be some help there.


Regards, Michael

aka rockape

[DiskChris]

@ mechy It won't even boot from floppy with the HDD plugged in.  Once I unplug it, the thing boots just fine off of my disk, so I know its working...