Need expett input (from computer geeks)

self | 25 May 07 | self

[raygun]

I need some input for a problem that will surely drive me mad.

I have a P4V4X mobo with an Adaptec 2940UW PCI card. I have a two connection "wide" ribbon-cable that connects two Fujitsu SCSI HDD's.

My problem is that when I try to make Norton images of either partions or drives, either the source or the destination drives get messed up.

If I'm lucky, simple FAT table mismatch is the

Howeever, I've seen occurances of FAT cross-linked entries where the files implicated have been tnings I'd not accessed in ages.

I bid on replacement drives at eBay. I received these drives today. THey are U160 Fujitsu drives. One is a 18k RPM 18.5GB HDD, the other is a 36.6GB 10k RPM drive.

I can not image either drive nor partition to the new source SCSI HDD's without FAT table mismatch on destination. The destination image will not verify w/out CRC errors.

Is there any way to diagnose the problem from a mobo PCI issue, to that of adapter issue, to that of SCSI ribbon cable issue.

Appreciate your interest to respond. Appreciate your responses.

[raygun]

Nearest I can tell neither the RAM nor the HDD's are checking out bad.

[miliantnutcase]

What OS?

[miliantnutcase]

Another thing, is this a server? I try to avoid SCSI drives for the reason they can be very difficult when playing with others. I would rather run RAID personally.

[KoRn]

Do you have another cable, or another box to try the drives in? I do know that Ghost doesn’t like RAID, are these drives part of an array? Do you like movies about gladiators?

[TChad]

What operating system are you using, what imaging program -- if Ghost, what version?

If you are using Ghost, try starting it with the -noide option.

[raygun]

Win98SE.

This problem has surfaced “recently”, i.e., the last 6 months.

IOW, its sort of an “all of a sudden problem”.

My Win98SE macnine has been working fine for 7 years.

Suddenly I can’t make Norton image backups.

Suddenly, I’m getting cross-linked files on the source, including FAT table mismatches on both source and destinateion.

I have Norton Systemworks 2003, Zone Alarm, Spybot, Adaware, and active denial (via HOST file).

If I “stress” either drive and they mess up on me. I’m lucky getting away with a mere FAT table mismatch.

Here’s the iteration of the brand new problem:

New drives that checked out top to bottem. Crucial ECC SDRAM that ran for 12 hours straight without a single ECC error. I run Norton scan disk, and Adaptec SCSI surface check, and not a problem is found.

I make a Norton Ghost (DOS) image and the thing completes, but when I check its integrity I get CRC erros within the Ghost image file. The partition holding the image is a 15+ GB partition. If I check the partition aftet making the image it has FAT table mismatches. I fix them. If I delete the Ghost *.gho files in DOS, and then check the partition: I get FAT mismatches.

I’m imaging from one drive to another drive into a partion within the second drive.

I’m ready to go nuts.

[Publius6961]

Expett?
Mobo?

Are you martian? or just trying to sound "cool"?

[raygun]

Standalone PC.

[raygun]

That’s the thing, I can get a new U160 adapter with a 3 position ribbon cable on eBay (brand new shrinke-wrapped in the box).

I’m writing to you on the machine in question. I can stress one of the drives out by flying my F-16. I can play video or music or intense disk access applications and nothing screws up.

I can do a low level surface scan and nothing messes up.

I make an image and either the source or the desination screw up (FAT table mismatch), and sometimes both, and sometimes the source gets messed up with cross-linked entries.

FYE, FWIW, I am protected to my roots ends with virus/malware protenction (Norton, Adaware, Spybot).

I don’t NEED this machine to be HERE, but I NEED it for school. I’m scared to install anything on it. I need to install things on it for school.

I don’t know what to tell you, but this is not what I do. I’m an 18 yr vetrean systems analyst/programmer. Fall of 20087 I took SQL & Database (A & A), and last semester I took Computer Systems Design, Logic (Philosopoy), & Java.

I’m telling you: I don’t konw this stuff like a “guru” does. You need a database guru then you call me. If my machine is sickly, then I call you.

I’m at my wit’s end. I don’t know what to do.

[raygun]

FYI:

I changed the “speeds” of the drives from rated down to the lowest the adapter would support. I even ran both SCSI devises ASYNCH.

I am unable to perform sustained data tranfer.

I wish I had another “wide” ribbon-cable. Clearly, I could just get a U160 adapter to replace the U240W that I presently have. And all I hear is “You don’t know if that’s the problem. We bought the hard drives that you SAID were the problem. You don’t know what the problem is do you?”

My paramount concern is not to lose EVERTHING that I’ve accumulated over the last seven years.

[Petronski]

Step one: delete Norton.

Step two: poop in a box and ship it to Norton.

[TChad]

If you are using Ghost on non-IDE hard drives, use the -noide option:

ghost -noide

You should try that before you replace any hardware.

[raygun]

Thank you for your reply.

This is an issue because of some update that they put out?

I’m going to try that right now. I dounbt that’s an issue, I really do, because SOMETIMES I end up with FAT table mismathes on either HD00, or HD01, and for the most part HD01 doesn’t spin.

I’m sorry, but I”m just a student that needs this machine, and is frankly loath to loose EVERTHING that I’ve accumul;ated over the last 7 years.

I’ll be back in a couple hours.

[TChad]

Sounds like you might need some sleep.

To learn more about Ghost, look at this website. http://ghost.radified.com/

These days I have given up on Ghost and switched over to Acronis. Mostly I use their True Image Workstation 9.1, which is one of their "corporate" products, but lots of people like the less expensive home version: Acronis True Image 10. There is a 15 day free trial download available for the latter at the link.

[TChad]

There is a 15 day free trial download available for the latter at the link.

But apparently the home version does not support Windows 98. That might not be a problem if you can do everything from a boot CD, I'm not sure. Acronis Corporate Workstation 9.1 does support Win 98.

[raygun]

Thasnk you for your input.

[raygun]

Thanks for you input. I’m not clear how that’s going to help me.

The thing is, I have to be able to image HD01 (non-bootable drive) to HD00 (new HDD freshly partitioned and fomatted non-bootable).

The only way I know how to do that is booting off of floppy and executing Ghost. Then I was going to attempt to image original HD00 (bottable) onto HD01 (new HDD freshly partitioned and fomatted).

Furthermore, the problem manifests itself if I use Backup Exec. I’ll end up with FAT table mismatch on HD01, and potentially cross-linked files on HD00.

After replacing the drives, I find Ihave the same problem. I’m coming to the conclusion that its either the ribbon cable, the 68-80 pin SCA adapters, or the SCSI adapter that’s causing the problem.

[Dinsdale]

You're a database guru but run 98SE?

Can you even run any decent local databases on 98SE?

I'm guessing that 98SE doesn't know to stop updating the drive during the image process. Perhaps some new software has installed sense it last worked right. Try stopping all your applications (including systray apps). Could it be that old POS findfast?

What changed sense it worked last?

[raygun]

LOL, I don’t do any database stuff on my PC.

As far as the other things you mentioned, Ghost runs in DOS mode. NOTHING else is running.

What baffles me is how FAT table mismatches (AND cross-linked entries) occur on the SOURCE during a disk-to-disk transfer.

And here’s the kicker: when the desination image is scanned, it has corruption in it, often aborts (can’t read file), and when I check the drive, there may or may not be FAT table mismatch, but if there aren’t there WILL be after deleting the image files. And THAT’s in DOS. AND that’s happening on the new drive.

[Dinsdale]

That's a puzzle all right.

Are you booting to CD or floppy? Is there any chance your media has a TSR, a flaky driver or an old DOS virus on it?

Have you switched to DR-DOS. (Nero will put DR-DOS and a bunch of drivers on bootable media for you.)

Are you using the Ghost supplied bootable CD? (I don't do Norton anything anymore, it all sucks.)

Also consider the Adaptec DOS mode drivers might need an update to handle the larger drives correctly, this is particularly true if you are using an old version of Ghost.

I'm not going to be much help as I haven't touched DOS sense the bad old Dataflex/Netmare days.

I love Falcon 4.0 same as (I assume) you.

When did it last work correctly? What's changed? I doesn't sound like a hardware problem from where I sit.