Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!cmcl2!yale!husc6!panda!genrad!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ssc-bee!chas From: chas@ssc-bee.UUCP (Chas Boyd) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: A $700 typo? Message-ID: <737@ssc-bee.UUCP> Date: Fri, 2-Jan-87 03:46:19 EST Article-I.D.: ssc-bee.737 Posted: Fri Jan 2 03:46:19 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 3-Jan-87 21:38:12 EST Organization: Flight Technology, Boeing Aerospace Lines: 32 Summary: Hard Disk Hassles I have made a small error which has made my hard disk useless. I just bought an Atari SH204 disk drive. It is initialized by a small driver program in the auto folder on the boot floppy. I also copied this auto folder to the C: partition of the hard disk so that I could quickly copy it onto several floppies to be able to bring up the HD from any of them. This was not a good idea. Now, when I start up the system, the contents of the floppy auto folder are executed which starts up the hard disk (checks its information sector), loads the Desk Accessories from the C: partition of the hard disk, and then executes the contents of the auto folder on the HD, which contains the driver load program. This program must trash the driver loaded by the floppy, because when GEM brings up the desk top, there are no hard disk icons present. Now, I have no way to access the hard disk to delete the driver loader from the C: auto folder. I cannot even reformat. The only thing I can think of is to send the disk back to the factory for replacement. This would be a real #*%! because I just bought it yesterday and am on very tight schedule. One might well discuss the wisdom of a system in which a small error can cause a software problem that makes $700 of hardware useless. What can I do? No one I have been able to reach in Seattle has been able to help. Is there some way I can prevent the Auto folder on the HD from executing (by using a monitor program, or holding down some key during boot up like you can on a Mac)? Can I bring up the system with some other hard disk, and then switch to mine to delete the loader? I believe my diagnosis is correct because I know the DAs are being loaded from the HD, but there may be more to this. Can anyone suggest a solution short of sending it off for several weeks? Help?? Chas.