Can not write RDB to disk - error message in Media Toolbox

[Amigafan]

Hi.
When I attempt to install HDD in Media Toolbox I get message
"Couldn't write RDB to disk! Write error in sector 0"

I can't install RDB and make any partition.

- it appears in every UW SCSI HDD (68-pin). I've got 4 of them different manufacturers and capacity
- all these disks were checked and are fully functional
- it DOES NOT appear using 50-pin SCSI HDD - so the only option for me is to install OS4.1 on 50-pin HDD
- it appears when boot from CD (4.1u2) as well as when using newest 4.1u4.

My config
A3000Tower - CSPPC+CVPPC 128MB RAM.
Any ideas?

[danbeaver]

Sorry to hear your situation; I have 4 or more drives, and at least 4 are 68-pin and at least one or two is an 80-pin. They simply do not communicate properly with the cybppc.device and OS 4.1 (most don't work with OS 3.x). The Media ToolBox is a very exact tool and you can do things with that were impossible under OS 3.x. I hate to say it but along with the right drives, you need to correctly set up your 68-pin UW cable with proper termination; you'll find this in a few places but I'll repeat it here, both ends of the cable need "Active, Wide, Single-Ended Termination.". I got several for 5 bucks each off _bay with a through search; do not pay 30 to 60 salad leaves for them. To prove they are active they have an orange LED when the bus is powered up.

It goes like this: TERM---CSPPC---HDD---HDD/CDROM---TERM

For me the most consistent drives to work are Maxtor (or who ever now owns it) Atlas V drives. I've used 7200, 10,000 and 15,000 RPM in 68-pin and 80-pin using a 10 buck 68-to-80 pin adapter.

I just recounted, it's more like 8 or 9 drives that don't work are in a box.

Once everything is properly terminated, try your drive again; if they don't work go on _Bay and look for: seller "savemyserver"
They have the best prices and I have 5 working Maxtor Atlas V and no duds.

[danbeaver]

By the way, when you say they were properly checked and are functional, do you mean on the CSPPC SCSI device?

[Amigafan]

All disk works without any problem with AmigaOS 3.9 and CSPPC UWSCSI.
They also works with my AmigaOne XE with PCI SCSI card with AmigaOS 4.1u4
I'm not noob in SCSI environment so trust me - everything is connected and terminated as it should be.
So I believe the problem is not the connection/termination issues.
Here are more photos of the same problem with completely different HDD.

[danbeaver]

Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you, but I've worked with narrow termination and had drive errors that drove me nuts. If you want to wait for a response from one of the OS4.1 development team or a Beta tester that's fine. But as I said, I have tried a bunch of drives and some did work under 3.9 but not 4.1, and others refused at all. The NCR SCSI device is very tolerant, but due to ?DMA issues is not supported in 4.1

[tonyw]

What did you click that brought up the error message? Was it the "Install" button? Or had you already done that and the message only appeared when you clicked something else?

[Amigafan]

The message appears every time when I click "save to disk" button.

[danbeaver]

I know you want a software answer, but for $14 US this is an 18GB 68-pin Quantum/Maxtor HDD. So while you wait to see why you can't use your other drives, you will have one that works (I have 3 of them all working).

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem ... 0527863252

URL from phone browser

[Amigafan]

Any ideas?
I'd really like to solve this problem.
If you need debug-log or more info let me know.

[tonyw]

I'd like to be able to help you but I don't think I can.

We had a similar problem in the past (discussed on the betatesters' ML, years ago). AFAIR we decided that somehow the drive has been set into some special state by Windows (Mac?), and as a result, needs to be "reset" before it can be used by another OS.

(Again, AFAIR) we traced the problem to a low-level "write-protected" error from the drive. We didn't find out how that was achieved or how to cancel it. Perhaps some drives offer a "write protect sector zero" facility. Maybe it comes from an anti-virus program, who knows? I'm not an expert on drive hardware.

You may get some idea of how to proceed using "OS4.1:C/smartctl" and "SMART" disk features, but I've never used it myself. Your SCSI drives may not even have that feature.

If it were me, I'd throw the drive(s) away (or sell them to another Windows/Mac owner) and only use new drives (another reason to ditch SCSI). Perhaps you could load them into a PC and find something useful in the BIOS settings?

Sorry for the lack of help.