[Tfug] Check file system and restore array

[erich]

Yeah,
       In my own case, I've tried to troubleshoot a workstation that had 
trouble
starting up and showed all the signs of a hardware problem, (bad capacitors
etc.)

       I'm using a substitute workstation, and building up something new 
in my
shop. I just ran Knoppix 7.0 on it, and I like what I see. I'm not going 
to cling
and spend anymore time and money on the old computer.

Erich

Bexley Hall wrote:
> Hi Timothy,
>
> On 2/9/2013 1:19 PM, Timothy D. Lenz wrote:
>> Looks like I might have some time in the next few days to work on this,
>> the reason I found and joined this list. Sorry for the long post, alot
>> of info to explain where it's at. I'm sure there is detail not needed
>> and stuff needed I I left out. Always seems to be.
>
> Before you go too far down this road, convince yourself that the
> *machine* is basically "sound".  Too many "apparently unrelated"
> problems mentioned here (disks, floppy, power supply).
>
> [Granted, floppies that sit idle for *long* periods of time can
> develop problems -- but most of those can fix themselves with
> a bit of "exercise".  If the floppy is *that* bad, I get suspicious
> of other issues...]
>
> I'm guessing machine runs 24/7/364 (shutdown for XMAS!  :> ).
> How old is it?  Approximate "vintage" technology?
>
> Any machine that misbehaves and has more than a year on the clock
> I immediately check for bad caps (typ the bulk decoupling caps
> proximate to the processor).  This could also have been the
> "problem" with the power supply (if you have the old supply, you
> could disassemble it and check -- but I suspect you didn't get
> that back from the shop).
>
> [Unfortunately, caps can often be hard to identify as "suspect"
> (though certain brands are more prone to failure) unless you
> have a good eye.  Even then, a cap can *look* perfect and still
> "test bad" (very hard to test in situ)]
>
> Pull the drives -- carefully noting which is which -- and install
> *a* scrap drives in the machine and see if it runs reliably
> (with less load on the *new* power supply).  If that appears to
> work, add more drives and see if it *continues* to run normally.
>
> [You can always recover the "old" system so long as you don't
> dick with those drives that you've set *aside*!]
>
> Nothing worse than rebuilding a system only to discover the
> hardware is unreliable!
>
> G'luck!
> --don
>
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