Discussion:
Syquest SparQ 1GB Drive error
(too old to reply)
johnr
2011-07-22 02:45:47 UTC
Permalink
I am trying to start using again (used to work fine) a SparQ 1GB drive
to transfer my data from DOS computers (no usb) to my linux computers so
I can back up to DVD-RAM media via linux. unfortunately I am getting a
4dos server error (must reboot) when I try to access the drive. I have
tried several drives and several cartridges - - same result.

Ideas?
Steve Fabian
2011-07-22 11:42:06 UTC
Permalink
johnr wrote:
| I am trying to start using again (used to work fine) a SparQ 1GB drive
| to transfer my data from DOS computers (no usb) to my linux computers
| so I can back up to DVD-RAM media via linux. unfortunately I am
| getting a 4dos server error (must reboot) when I try to access the
| drive. I have tried several drives and several cartridges - - same
| result.

There is no such thing as a 4dos server. 4dos is just an ordinary DOS
application, which provides command processing services. If you can access
the device from COMMAND.COM, I would look into memory usage conflict between
the device drivers and 4DOS. If COMMAND.COM also fails, I'd think of
corrupted device drivers. IIRC 4DOS does not ever demand rebooting to permit
device access.
--
Steve
johnr
2011-07-24 00:54:46 UTC
Permalink
Post by Steve Fabian
| I am trying to start using again (used to work fine) a SparQ 1GB drive
| to transfer my data from DOS computers (no usb) to my linux computers
| so I can back up to DVD-RAM media via linux. unfortunately I am
| getting a 4dos server error (must reboot) when I try to access the
| drive. I have tried several drives and several cartridges - - same
| result.
There is no such thing as a 4dos server. 4dos is just an ordinary DOS
application, which provides command processing services. If you can access
the device from COMMAND.COM, I would look into memory usage conflict between
the device drivers and 4DOS. If COMMAND.COM also fails, I'd think of
corrupted device drivers. IIRC 4DOS does not ever demand rebooting to permit
device access.
Actually, I went into 4dos.com (version 7.5) with an editor and found
the text "4dos server" in reference to an error, so it does exist. I
will take your idea of trying command.com. I also tried a zip disk-it
"did not add a drive letter. Possibly the parallel ports are not
bi-directional even though it is not an old computer. Any thoughts of
anyone would be helpful. Syquest is gone.
Sjouke Burry
2011-07-24 01:53:30 UTC
Permalink
Post by johnr
I am trying to start using again (used to work fine) a SparQ 1GB drive
to transfer my data from DOS computers (no usb) to my linux computers so
I can back up to DVD-RAM media via linux. unfortunately I am getting a
4dos server error (must reboot) when I try to access the drive. I have
tried several drives and several cartridges - - same result.
Ideas?
Download the link below,
Post by johnr
http://home.planet.nl/~burry004/laplink.zip
And make a transfer cable, described in the readme.txt.

Start receive.exe inside the directory where you want to store,
which also can be the root of any of your drives.

start transmit.exe on the other computer, for example D:\
then start with:
d:\transmit *.*
That will transmit the entire drive, including the whole dir tree.
Klaus Meinhard
2011-07-24 09:29:52 UTC
Permalink
Hallo johnr,
Post by johnr
I am trying to start using again (used to work fine) a SparQ 1GB
drive to transfer my data from DOS computers (no usb) to my linux
computers so I can back up to DVD-RAM media via linux. unfortunately
I am getting a 4dos server error (must reboot) when I
try to access the drive. I have tried several drives and several
cartridges - - same result.
Ideas?
I'd start by reading this article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SyQuest_SparQ_drive. Perhaps the
menitioned failure mode has something to do with it.

Are the cartridges properly formatted after all this time? Does every
command to access the drives produce the same error?
--
Best regards,

* Klaus Meinhard *
<www.4dos.info>
johnr
2011-08-03 04:08:55 UTC
Permalink
Post by Klaus Meinhard
Hallo johnr,
Post by johnr
I am trying to start using again (used to work fine) a SparQ 1GB
drive to transfer my data from DOS computers (no usb) to my linux
computers so I can back up to DVD-RAM media via linux. unfortunately I
am getting a 4dos server error (must reboot) when I
try to access the drive. I have tried several drives and several
cartridges - - same result.
Ideas?
I'd start by reading this article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SyQuest_SparQ_drive. Perhaps the menitioned
failure mode has something to do with it.
Are the cartridges properly formatted after all this time? Does every
command to access the drives produce the same error?
Thanks for the response. Ive been ill for about a week, but now, other
than needing to get my archived data off the SparQ cartridges, I am now
able to access real (ms-dos + 4dos) DOS (booted from) USB ports! I used
the two recommended files. They do not work with the "on board" ports,
but when I plugged in a usb pci card, it worked fine, well almost fine.
I must plug in the usb device after the prompt at booting. Since the
program (.sys) the prompt is in the config.sys, I oonly get one bite at
the apple per boot. I have only tried it on a USB stick (1GB). I now
have the ability to communicate between my linux boxes and my dos boxes.
Any related input would be appreciated, and any requests for more
data, I would be happy to answer. If anyone knows how to configure the
on board usb ports to be recognized by the drivers, I would like to hear
from them, such as IRQs, etc.
Klaus Meinhard
2011-08-03 22:11:53 UTC
Permalink
Hallo johnr,
other than needing to get my archived data off the SparQ
cartridges, I am now able to access real (ms-dos + 4dos) DOS
(booted from) USB ports! I used the two recommended files. They
do not work with the "on board" ports, but when I plugged in a usb
pci card, it worked fine, well almost fine. I must plug in the usb
device after the prompt at booting. Since the program (.sys) the
prompt is in the config.sys, I oonly get one bite at the apple per
boot. I have only tried it on a USB stick (1GB). I now have the
ability to communicate between my linux boxes and my dos boxes.
Any related input would be appreciated, and any requests for more
data, I would be happy to answer. If anyone knows how to configure
the on board usb ports to be recognized by the drivers, I would
like to hear from them, such as IRQs, etc.
I do not see what this has to do with 4DOS. What happens under
command.com?

If you get similar errors there, you might try the various DOS
newsgroups. There are more people intimate with the ins and outs of
DOS there.

If you think it is a 4DOS problem, please restate the problems and
error messages.

Is your driver remapping a USB to a serial port? If so, how have you
configured that?
--
Best regards,

* Klaus Meinhard *
<www.4dos.info>
johnr
2011-08-04 02:58:08 UTC
Permalink
Hallo johnr,
other than needing to get my archived data off the SparQ
cartridges, I am now able to access real (ms-dos + 4dos) DOS
(booted from) USB ports! I used the two recommended files. They
do not work with the "on board" ports, but when I plugged in a usb
pci card, it worked fine, well almost fine. I must plug in the usb
device after the prompt at booting. Since the program (.sys) the
prompt is in the config.sys, I oonly get one bite at the apple per
boot. I have only tried it on a USB stick (1GB). I now have the
ability to communicate between my linux boxes and my dos boxes.
Any related input would be appreciated, and any requests for more
data, I would be happy to answer. If anyone knows how to configure
the on board usb ports to be recognized by the drivers, I would
like to hear from them, such as IRQs, etc.
I do not see what this has to do with 4DOS. What happens under command.com?

If you get similar errors there, you might try the various DOS
newsgroups. There are more people intimate with the ins and outs of DOS
there.

If you think it is a 4DOS problem, please restate the problems and error
messages.

Is your driver remapping a USB to a serial port? If so, how have you
configured that?
--
Best regards,

* Klaus Meinhard *
<www.4dos.info>

My original objective was to have a common data media between a true dos
(booted from dos) and a Linux computer. 1.4mb was too small so the
sparq drive was the answer. not getting anywhere, I retried from
earlier times to get usb working from dos (not an rs-232 port). When I
finally got it working, I thought it might be nice to let other users
know of my success and my willingness to pass on any data that some
might find helpful. I still have 4dos/command.com issues, but they
relate more to foxpro 2.6, now that I can use a usb stick to transfer
data from linux to dos.

I hope that makes my point clear. Often, it seems, that in my interest
in making the conversation light, I do not make my points/questions clear.

I apologize,
John Sowden
Klaus Meinhard
2011-08-04 08:03:51 UTC
Permalink
Hallo johnr,

ah, much clearer now. So thanks.

BTW, by posting your replay under/beneath my sig my reader sees your
whole reply as part of my sig, colors it accordingly and refuses to
quote it.

You should be able to tell Thunderbird somewhere to strip a sig from
the OP when quoting it for an answer.
--
Best regards,

* Klaus Meinhard *
<www.4dos.info>
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