On  Mon, 31 Jul 2006 13:40:12 -0700,
 donna garverick <[log in to unmask]>
 wrote:

>
> --- Brian Donaldson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Anyone got a cheap *working* drive they would like to sell me?
>
> i've got FOUR ST1510N (4gb) disc drives.  i bought them off ebay and
> know NOTHING about them.  they may spin up...they may not....
>
>> Must be formatted to run on an HP3000-917LX under MPEiX 6.5.
>
> odds are very good that these drives don't have mpe-specific firmware.
> i've heard stories about folks safely using non-mpe-branded drives but
> as always YMMV!!  during install, the system will say if the drive
> needs formatting or not.
>

HP firmware on the HP version of Seagate drives is used for HP diagnostics
only, so far as I can determine, and its presence or absence is of no
significance with respect to reliable data storage or effective transfer
rates.  Given that the interface is correct, and the drive number suffix 'N'
is the critical element in this case, and that the drive is mechanically and
electrically functional, then the only other thing of importance is that
sector size of the low-level format be correct.

Drives previously installed in Apple or IBM equipment may have a LLF sector
size of 520 whereas the HP3000 expects and requires one of 512 (bytes).  There
are utilities available on the seagate website to test sector sizes and to
perform low-level formats to alter sector sizes on their drives.  The programs
run on MS-Windows boxes so you will need to have one of these with an
approprate SCSI adapter installed in order to carry out the tests and to
reformat the drive if necessary.  The Low-Level Format is very much NOT the
same thing as a HP3000 format.

If the HP3000 "sees" and recognizes the drive on boot then you do not need to
concern yourself with any of this.  If the drive is "invisable" to the startup
utility then check the low-level sector size next.

Regards,
Jim


-- 
***     e-mail is NOT a secure channel     ***
James B. Byrne                mailto:ByrneJB.<token>@Harte-Lyne.ca
Harte & Lyne Limited          http://www.harte-lyne.ca
9 Brockley Drive              vox: +1 905 561 1241
Hamilton, Ontario             fax: +1 905 561 0757
Canada  L8E 3CE               delivery <token> = hal

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *